The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-27

My friends thought that n change OF
atmosphere might be beneficial. Invent
abroad and spent some time in Paris,
but my recklessness still followed me,
and l was lain upon bed OF illness.
A prominent doctor gave me personal
attention, but he was frank enough To
say that there was nothing known that
would relieve me from that appetite.
We returned home to Atlanta and be-
gan my course practicing law and edit.
ing a newspaper. would leave my
home perfectly sober, tell my wife I'd bo
back in short time, yet would wakU
up in New York, not knowing where [
was or how | got there. My wife did
not know what moment j would lbs
brought home dead, after night OF de-
bauchery and gambling. My children
no longer met me with kisses, but would
run and hide themselves from adrunken
father.
My wife worn out, went to Judge
Hammond and asked him to make ono
more effort to save me. The saloon
keepers were warned not to sell me any
more liquor, for fear OF the penalties OF
the law. The saloon keepers posted
them in their saloons and made them the
subject OF Jest. They codtinued to sell
to me. and the saloon keepers are to-day
the Anarchists. They care nothing for
the law. They violate the law in Wheel
ing every day. They say iii you make
laws against us we won't obey and will
fight the officers" You cansstanl in
Wheeling and see the law violated every
day. We had in Georgia men who were
put there by whisky. Every law
violated in West Virginia is violated by
the consent OF an officer who is vaga-
bond or scoundrel. 1t is not so to-day
in Georgia. Men say, "Smali, why are
you SO hard on thcm?" IsuppOse in the
nature OF things ] ought to eulogise
them, call them philanthropists, giving
men something to drown their sOrrows.
Wouldn't that be lie? When you
catch me having any love for bar
keeper, hugging him, then you can say
] have backslid and am Just about at
the door ofhell, ready to go through i'll
about two minutes.
Tlsese saloon keepers thought my
wife was blufling them, and ! was n
prominent man, and every time she
went out into the street she would be
pointed out MS the woman who was
prosecuting them, and there would be u
great scandal all over Georgia. She en-
ployed detective to aid her, yet that
did not do any good. They continued
to sell me the damnabie stuff and SUR
reptitiously sent me the liquor for the
money that they knew l had, and
would give the last copper had. Thus
went on until i heard OF Sam Jones
preaching Mt camp meeting in Carriers
vile, and took my children and went
TO themceting. l had to put my children
on the edge Of the platform and sat
down with the newspaper reporters.
did not expect TO be interested in Jones.
had heard that he was kind OF
moantebank, and that he was kind OF
man that said hard things of people, and
thought that l did not want to hear
him. ! have found out that the bigger
sinner fellow is the more orthodox he
is on the line Of preaching. was there
asacuriositys seeker, and when he took his
text | corCluded in about ten minutes
there wns man preaching. ! found
out he was going along my way. He
had been there. The sermon set fire to
the audience and there were scores OF
penitents nocked TO the altar. sat
there perfectly stolid, IcontrolIed my
self with master spirit, and sat there
coldly as marble statute. went back
home, and never was in such condi-
ton when l got to the depot. sent
my children home and spent the night
in gambling and debauch. was mas.
ter OF the situation. l never suffered
such journey in my life. All night
and the next day ] continued, yet the
liquor drank never gave me any relief
to my brain. About 10 o'clock Tuesday
morning / thought probably 1t might
be better for me to take pistol and end
my existence. My wife came after mo
and I left the harroom and went home.
After got home the whole OF my life
was before me. The image ofmy mother
came before me in that moment, but l
thought there was no salvation for me.
The days OF Grace had been sinned
away, and in that condition the words
OF NY mother came back saying "Hopc,
hope" and / concluded that would
90 to Jesus and God for pardon. ] went
10 him, and wrestled, my brain being
on fire, for four long hours, and Mt last
said, ''Here, Lord, | give myself away,
It's all can do" At once my brain be-
came clear. could not understand il.
My first thought was was paralyzed.
| began to feel my flesh and found that
everything was ali right, and realized
that the Spirit of God had come in, and
cried, III thank God I'm saved"
told my wife was saved and was going
to make her the best husband and my
children the best father the world ever
knew. My wife thought had gone TO
my room and committed suicide, and
when | came down stairs and told my
wife she thought had gone mad. The
children prayed that God make papa Il
good man. I took my children and
went to printing house and asked for
some cards, having printed on them
that would preach tonight, My wife
upon reading the hnndblll gave me the
evidence that she didn't take any stock
in my departure.
Alter returning home we had our
family altar, and it was the ilrst night
for many years that | had any rest. In
the morning the strong appetite came
back and burned within me with all
the fire OF hell. Iwould not fool with
antidotes and went back to the room
where had been the day before, and
began talking to God, laying it all before
him, stating the situation, what / had
promised to do, and how was blockaded
right in my house, and that he must
help me us no other can. began to
plead and beg and the appetite would
come back and was completely ex-
hausted, but / determined to stay, and
after a while ! began to feel all right,
and found l didn't want any whisky.
| thanked God that the appetite was
gone and from then until now | have
have never had any appetite for whisky.
! know that God has power TO stand
man on his feet; nothing that can drag
you down to depreciation but what God
can heal it all. / am now walking in
the light by faith and saved through and
through. have given you the tale un-
vanished, and / say to you to-day that
the same God is ready and-able to save
you to-day, fully and to the utmost.
a sg 4 NJ 4