The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-06-08
A MONSTER FIEND.
Tho Pathetic Story of Morphine Ecatcr
Her Only Help the Grave.

arouse some earnest heart to do battle
against this insidious modern foe that
turks around many happy tiresides
seeking to blight and TO destroy.
The most suspicious skies bent over
the babyhood of Evelyn NJ. as she
entered life Parents, brothers and
sisters guarded her with special love
and tenderness, and as she trod the
sunny path of girlhood and early
womanhood, wealth, culture and the
highest social position were waiting
to crown her with their richest gifts.
In the horoscope of life they unfolded,
no eye could trace aught but
brilliant future. Association with the
gifted and highly cultured, both at
home and abroad, perfected a charac-
ter of rare beatty and symmetry.
Alas! what prophets eye could then
foresee the doom that awaited her in
coming years. or what ear could hear,
along the track of the radiant future,
the clanling of those chains beneath
which she would hopelessly struggle?
Her elegant home was one of the most
beautiful in the Sunny South" Dur
ing the din and clash of war | lost
sight of Evelyn, and time had wrought
many changes in our lives, when, a
/ few years since l again met her in the
\ home of our mutual friend, Alice Haw-
thorne, of Florida. At first it seemed
that the years had touched her very
lightly. They had left no impress on
her fair brow, and traced no silver
threads amid the coils Of her dark
hair, but in the large expressive eyes,
which once from their clear depths re-
Elected light so tender and true. there
was now Ofttime5 startled look, as if
fearful of betrdying some dark secret.
The same quiet, high-bred grace
fingered in every step, the same kind
thoughtfulness for Others veal as of
old, marked her whole life. But q
mystery | could not fathom shrouded
her life. AT times there was an I'M
wonted eXhilaration, and she would
engage in conversation with unusual
animation. Again the bright flush
would be succeeded by a deathly
pallor the eyelids would droop, the
head nod YEARLY from side to side,
and, excusing herself, she would seek
the privacy of her own room.
On one OF these occasions ! said to
Alice. SIS it possible our beautiful,
gifted Evelyn is addicted to the use Of
morphine? Is she held captive by
that monster who is more cruel than
death?'
Yes" was her reply, "she tells me
that during long and painful illness
it was given by her physician, and for
four months she hardly knew day
from night. will tell you of my ex-
perience in attempting to wean her
from the drug. On talking with her,
she admitted all could say, and be-
walled the terrible slavery that bound
her. For me. she said, there is no
hope. l have long since exhausted
my money, my precious jewels, and
the last Offering laid upon this altar of
fire was the family silver. my mother
dying gift. One writer has truly
said: The Lord helps eve.y one but
q morphine eater; if he ever reforms
it must be by travelling over red hot
Goals with torn and bleeding hands
and feet
lis there no help for her? l asked
of our old family physician. None
but the grave, was the reply.
ITO another to:d the sad story, and
he felt he could save her if she would
implicitly follow his directions, though
it would be through great agony.
Evelyn grasped this hope as a
drowning man clutches a floating spar.
And now commenced the struggle with
this bottled flend,' as an eminent
physician terms it.
mo words can portray the horrors
of that night. l sat by her; walked
the room, or wildly rushed up and
down the broad piazza with her; her
pleadings with me for just a little of
the drug were truly pltiful. In agony
she would exclaim: Il am on Goals of
fire; every joint is twisted and torn
asunder, live creatures are gnawing
at my vitals; Oh. Alice! how can you
see me suffer thus?' Then for lucid
moment, seeming to realize something
Of the truth, some of the old, loving
light would CLEAN from her eyes as
she would say: oh, Alice! you know
it is not Evelyn that talks thus; it is
the morphine that has brought me
here. Oh! why did the doctor ever
give it to me? NoW l must have it. >
And again she would rush wildly up
and down the balcony as though pur-
sued by thousand demons. But it
was a hopeless struggle. Unknown to
me Evelyn obtained and hastily
swallowed twelve grains of morphine.
"Since that terrible night ] have
tried every thing in my power. But
while, as of old, in every thing else
she is the soul of truth and honor, in
this she can not he trusted. Oh, it is
the saddest of all sad wrecks on the
sea of life. Soon Evelyn expects to
return to her old home. where there is
every thing to depress and prevent
her rising in the might of strong
will to conquer this subtle foe that has