The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-01-18
A FEARFUL WARNING.
Is Temperate Drinking Safe ?-Thc
Sad Story of Il Wretched Woman.

| Is Temperate Drinking Safe ?-Thc
Sad Story Ofa Wretched Woman.
At certain town meeting in Penn
sylvania, the question came up
whether any person should be licensed
to sell rum. The clergyman, the
deacon and the physician, strange as
it may appear, all favored it. Only
the mischief it did. The question was
about to be put, when, all at once,
there arose from one corner of the
room, miserable woman. She was
thinly clad, and her appearance in
| dicated the utmost wretchedness, aud
that her mortal career was almost
closed
After moments silence, and all
eyes being fixed upon her, see. stretch
ed her attenuated body to its utmost
| height, and then her long arms their
length, and raising her voice to a
shrill pitch, she called to all to look
upon her. Yes" said she "look
upon me, and then hear me. All that
the last speaker has said, relative to
temperate drinking as beverage, as
practice, all experience, declares its
truth. All drinking of alcoholic
| poison, as beverage in health, is
excess. Look upon me. You all know
me, or once did. You all know that
was once the mistress of the best farm
in the town ; you all know, too, had
one of the best, the most devoted,
of husbands. You all know | had
five, noble-hearted, industrious boys.
Where are they now? Docter, where
are they now? You all know. You
all know they lie in a row, side, by
side, in yondcr church-yard all, every
one OF them, filling the drunkard's 3
grave.
"They were all taught that temp
crate drinking was safe-that excess
alone ought to be avoided, and they
never acknowledged excess. They
quoted you, and you, and you pointing
with shred of a finger to the minister
deacon and doctors), as authority
They thought themselves safe under
such teachers. But saw the gradual
change coming over my family and it's
prospects, with dismay and horror.
felt that we were all to be overwhelmed
in one common ruin. | tried to ward
off the blow.
81 tried to break the spell, the de-
lusive spell in which the idea Of the
benefits of temperate drinking had
involved my husband and sons. l
begged, prayed, but the odds were
against me. The minister said the
poison that was destroying my husband
and boys WAS a good creature of God !;
the deacon, who sits under the pulpit
there, and took one farm to pay his
rum bills, sold them the poison the
doctor said little was good, and the
excess only ought to be avoided. My
poor husband ard dear boys fell into
the snare, and they could not escape,
and one after another was conveyed
to the sorrowful grave OF the drunk
ard.
Now, look at me again you prob
ably see me for the, last time. My
sands have almost run. L have dragged
my exhausted frame from my present
home, the poorhOusc, to warn you all;
to warn you, deacon; to warn you, false
teacher of Gods word"
And with her arms flung high, and
her tall frame stretched to its utmost,
and her voice raised to an unearthly
pitch, she exclaimed: 81 shall soon
stand before the judgment seat OF God.
| shall meet you there, you false guides,
and be IL witness against you ALL" The
miserable woman vanished. a dead
silence porvadcd the assembly; the
minister, the deacon and the physician
hung their heads and, when the Pre-
sident put the question, Shall any
license be granted for the sale of spirit
uous liquors. the unanimous response
was No ~
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