The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-11-03

One day--it will never be forgotten, the
news ran through the town like wild fire
"Willie Raymond is drunk" Faces grew
pale and voices We're hushed to listen.
Oh, it could not be- A public cal
amity seemed to have fallen upon the
place. People met each other with ''have
you heard?" and received their answer in
the sorrowful face of the other. Young
men who were disspated themselves, col
lected in little groups and stood with
bowed heads talking in undertones of the
sad thing that had befallen Willie. Every
one mourned, except the saloon keepers.
But what had been the cause of all this
sorrow?
There was among Willie's friends Il
young man for whom he formed Il tender
affection. He loved him as a brother.
This young man had become frequent
visitor at the saloon. Willie had pleaded
with him to shun the place of vice, but all
his pleadings were in vain. One day as he
was going to his place of business he saw
his young friend enter the saloon. Over
come by desire to save him, scarcely rca-
LIKING what he was doing, he rushed in
after him. Scarcely had he entered the
room ere the smell of whiskey aroused his
old thirst with such maddening, over-mas-
tering force, that before he knew it, he had
yielded, and snatching up the glass that
had just been placed upon the bar for his
friend, he placed it to his lips and drank
its contents. Over joyed at this sudden
and unexpected victory, the saloon keeper
FASTENED to refill it, and press it upon him.
Again and again he empted the glass, and
in one short hour he was changed to
/ hopeless, helpless, desperate man. seeking
only to satisfy that devouring demon of
thirst For days he staggered from place
to place, eluding his best friends who
sought to save him, hiding, lodging, any
thing to keep him from those who might
keep him from the saloons. All manhood
was gone this time, he saw no hope for the
future, no ray of light illumining the dark
ness of the beyond. Great Indignation
was expressed against the saloon keeper
I who had wrought his ruin, but strange to
say, not one word was spoken against the
man who had said by his vote that license
should he given men to sell the aocurSrd
stuff Not one word against the man who
had signed the petition granting the
license. Yet before God they were equally
responsible.
In his new life he had loved sweet.
| purse Christian girl Together they had
| planned for future OF happiness. As
soon as the sad news reached her, that
/ Willie had fallen, crushed, almost broken
hearted she fastened to him, and found
/ him in a state of shameful intoXication-
/ him whom she had last seen noble, up
right Christian man. But even her earnest
| pleading could not avail, nothing could.
Swiftly he sank, lower and lower. One
day it was noised abroad that Willie was
in the last stages OF delirums tremens.
/ Men shook their heads and sad-'It can't
last much longer''-women wept as they
thought OF his mother
Early one morning the report of a pistol
rang out on the air, and friends rushing to
his room, found the PROSTATE form of
| Willie Raymond with bullet hole in his
head. 1t was all over. Death had been
quick and merciful. The life that had
/ throbbed through the shattered frame had
gone out forever. The sad news spread
rapidly through the town. Men rushed
in crowds and stood pityingly around the
dead body. A solemn awe seemed to fall
upon those who gazed, and breathless
silence prevailed. Presently there was Il
parting in the crowd, and more than one
manly eye was filled with tears, more than
one head was bowed, as his aged mother
made her way in and knclt by her boys
side With fearless eyes she gazed on his
face, and pushing back his hair saturated
with his life blood, she pressed tender.
lingering kiss on his brow, then, laying her
face down on his, with a Wild bitter wall
of agony she cried, ''Oh, my boy! my boy"
That was all; not another word escaped
her lips, not a sigh nor a moan. A long
! time she knelt there. No one had the
heart to separate her from her dead. But
/ the body was fast growing cold and stiff
and must be attended to. A kind woman
gently raised her, when cry of horror
ran through the crowd, for they saw that
her life too had fled.
For days gloom hung over the town.
Men were listlcss in business and distracted
in thought Plain. honest thinking was
being done.
At the funeral the pastor, who was their
personal friend, attempted to preach Il
sermon. but failed Tears choked his
uttcrance. 1t was a Temperance sermon
in itself Well did those gathered there
know that that young man, once so prom
Using, so pure, and that tender, loving
mother, so loved and respected by them,
were there, the victims of the licensed
saloon. When the question of license or
no license is again brought before the voters
of Cecil county earnest work will b done.
! mauy "A vote will he cast ttFnr WilIin'S