The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-04-05

Bat all were not happy hero. Many
homes showed the blight resulting from
too much indulgence in drink, and inn
poverished wives and children could
easily be found. yet none seemed to see
any remedy and so the foul blight still
remained untouched. 1t was thought to
be the misfortune of the family result
ing from the frowns of Providence.
On the night of the lecture the house
was crowded by motley mass, all
eager to hear what could be said
Here were the rich and poor, the tavern
keeper and his victim, the red-nosed
father and his suffering, squalid family.
The speaker told in plain and simple
language of his life-how as drunk
ard he was welded to the intoxicating
beverage, till, like a demon, it had de-
stroyed honor, pride and industry, and
made him very brute. He told of his
once happy home, of his devoted wife
and children, and then described his
downward course, till finally he and his
family were driven out as outcasts.
While thus homeless and friendless,
Christ in His infinite mercy touched the
heart of that drunkard, and he saw
himself in all his wretchedness and
vileness; and on his Bonded knees
asked the blessed Jesus to take away
his fiery appetite, and give him clean
heart solely and wholly devoted to
Christ. Jesus heard and blessed him,
and in time he was enabled to buy back
his old home, and now his life was
blessed by a happy family and a COM
| Portable home.
1 will not attempt to follow the
speaker through, but his words sank
deeply into the peoples hearts, for all
saw in his picture of life their own true
condition, and when the speaker told of
the happy change resulting from cast
ing aside the drink habits, many de-
termined to try the same experiment.
At the close, pledge was shown, and
all invited to sign it who wished, and
many crowde forward and signed their
names. Among the number was
beardless, tow-headed boy, but he was
crowded out and sadly returned to his
seat. A Temperance organization was
/ proposed and the motion carried, and
as they wrote out and arranged the
plan of organization, the boy who was
turned back rose to his feet and said:
Il move that all be allowed to join who
are old enough to drink"
Such manliness from a boy surprised
all the people. That boy" said an
old man, sis Horace Greeley, who is
printing our newspaper. l want him
in our society, and second the motion"
The motion was carried, and young
Greeley was invited to sign the pledge
and was made one of the officers, and
BECAME one of the most earnest workers
in the order.
A few months before this, when Mrs.
Greeley took last embrace of her noble
boy, she said: Horace, if you will
promise me never to touch any kind of
Intoxicating drink l can bear the part
ing better" Mother, God helping me,
l will not only abstain from its use, but
l shall do all that is in my power to get
others to abstain from its use also," re-
piled the boy.
How nobly did this fifteen-year-old
boy keep this pledge in after years.
During busy life when men looked
upon him as the greatest writer of his
age, he still kept his pledge, and died
temperate to the last. Temperance
men, let Horace Greeley's condition of
membership be yours. 1t is easier to
take boy in tender years and keep him
safe from this evil, than to break him
when the appetite is there. Allen
Ball, in Union Signal.