Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-03-30
A THRILLING INCIDENT.
Scene In an Atlanta Home. the Effects II
the Whisky Traffic.

| containing an account OF the most pa
thetic condition Of a young wife and
her little children on Clifford street,
which condition was caused by whisky.
1t was sad enough in conscience, and
there are other eases as bad in our ccrl-
munity. but the most heactrending
sight ever witnessed produced by this
! fendish drink also occurred in our iai-
city Of Atlanta several years ago when
/ bar-rooms were in full swing and turn
/ ing out raving maniacs to prey upon
the blood Of innocent women and chilli
rem.
| was spending the evening with q
friend of mine a lady with a refined
education and with some Of the bluest
blood Of Virginia and Georgia flowing
| in her veins. She had been the petied
darling Of a devoted Christian mother,
and previous to her ill-starred marriage
mad never known want nor real sorrow.
| Her husbands family were also promi-
nent people in his native state. They
had two very pretty and unusually in
telligent children, little girl nine or
ten years of age, and a baby boy per-
AAJ1 tit ulttn mon iiH Dli
The evening ! was there. the husband
came home about dark, and. as his poor
trembling wife feared, drunk enough 10
have all the demon in the poisoned
whisky he had taken, fully aroused in
his manly t?) breast. In spite of every
effort, he found fault with everything.
raved and cursed. and severely whipped
the little girl because he had nearly
frightened her out Of her senses. until
! also trembling with fright and horror,
begged him 10 desist. His wife was
sitting in the other room (they now had
but three small apartments) nursing
her baby at her breast The little girl
had run to her mother for protection,
and because that almost hroSen-hearted
mother feebly demonstrated with Il q
drunken father about whipping her
child for nothing, he turned upon her.
heard her scream, and running into
the room. this is what | saw:
The mother was sitting there with
her barred breast. 10 which still hung
the drops of milk her baby had drawn
in seeking scanty nourishment, but
who was now covering in her arms,
clinging to her naked breast with his
little helpless hands and screaming. oh,
so pitifullyl The little girl, shivering
and crying as if her heart would break,
was standing az the back of her chair
with her arms tightly clasped around
ner mothers neck as if she-poor
shild-could protect her, and tie
mother-oh my Cod can ! ever forget
the look of fearful agony and amazed
horror in her upturned face, as with head
thrown back and one arm clasping her
screaming baby, the other was lifted in
piteous appeal TO Heaven, while he who
presumed to call himself a man, ard
who had sworn before God to love,
cherish and protect his wife. stood over
her with glaring eyes, the fiend gloat-
ing all over his bloated face, and with
uplifted arm and drawn knife in his
hand. threatening TO plunge it into his
wife's soft white breast; to which his
baby boy was still clinging and scream
ing with convulsive fright.
This is the picture just as l saw it. !
1t was painted by the liquor sellers,
wholesale and retail. of Atlanta. Ca,
with beer and whisky for the color>, |
licensed bar-rooms the brush with |
which the colors were laid on. and we
all know who supplied the brush to 20
the horrible work. That picture wild |
haunt me to my dying day, and il froze
the blood in my veins, burned itself |
into ny heart right here in our fair city /
Of Atlanta, in the midst of an ari~t
cratic locality, in the midst of humans
ity %, morality O., refinement O., good !
government and Christian civilization. |
And this is only one of scores and hun
dreds all over this country whore men |
have license mot liberty to break the
heart of woman. and shed the innocent
blood of her who has been called Gods
last best gift to man.
have always heard that men are the
divinely ordained and legally appoin ed
domestic, social and political protects rs
of women. whether money is made |
it or not If this be true. does net
every man who refuses to save helpless
women and children from what have
to portray. forfeit his right
to the possession of the sympathetic
humanity. the chivalrous courage ana
honor. and the nobility Of principle
which are constituent parts of that true
manhood 10 which woman appeals, and
which She delights to honor in her
heart and her life2-Amie, in Atlanta
We make our own laws by making
directly onr law makers. and the re-
sponsibiiity forlicensing this monstroi
curse is therefore our own. We can not,
therefore. be true to God or to our
selves or TO cur country and authorize
This b,,ein.-ss Of death and des+ruc.ion