The morning news., 1897-04-04

the while that here was no hope until
$irst got the consent of my own mind to
be saved, and. if need be, die in the ef-
fort. 1 was then using one-eighth of an
ounce about every five days, or about
twelve grains per day.
AT last l made a frank confession to
my Wife and made up my mind to endure
the agonies9 of the trial and go to my
grave, if that was the only door to free
dom for me. 1t was understood that NOR
phine or laudanum was not to be used as
a remedy. 1 based my very slender hope
of success upon a good constitution and
the mercy of God. The time for the usual
dose passed and l gradually fell into a
stupor which continued for many hours.
My pulse was high, heart pounding like
sledge, body raeked with distress and toes
full of cramps. From a comparatively
strong man / had become so weak could
scarcely brush the flies away from my
face. l was afflicted with vomiting, sud
den flashes of heat and cold, alternate
freezing and burning; sweat streaming
from every pore, accompanied with
peculiar. offensive odor. In short, so terri
BILE were my sufferings that on the second
day toward evening felt / must soon die.
My feet and legs were cold to the knees
and my breath came in sudden and violent
gasps My poor wife could not endure
the scene and so made the mistake of go
ing TO the nearest druggist and consult
laudanum / had no thought of surrender;
death was preferable to the degraded life.
l took the medicine without question, and
fell once more into the power of my
enemy. though using only fourth of the
quantity previously consumed. / was
soon abe TO get around and tried to break
away gradually. Alas. what follyl In a
few months l was worse slave than be-
fore Once more 4 made the effort, went
through the same agonies, got so near the
dark river that fancied l could hear the
dismal plashing of its frigid waters, and
then / crawled slowly back to life, useful
ness and happiness. It is surprising that
such a number of men and women are
addicted to this habit. Ladies in high
society drive or take a street car to dis
tant parts OF the City to obtain morphine
knew one lady. aschool teacher. who sent
a scholar every day for two ounces. The
number who use IL is increasing. Sowing
the wind, they will reap the whirlwind, for
there is no principle that dlgnihes man
hood. no virtue that graces womanhood
but will fall under the influence of the
deadly drug. In the hope that some may
be influenced to strike for freedom, / tell
this story but there Is no language that
can depict 1.-THE of the unutterable hor-
rors that crowd the opium eaters path
and attend him TO his loathsome DOOM"
That Is surely a terrible tale, and yet
II IS the experience OF thousands. There Is
known 20 the ndIfdtoi one OF tne Sehtlest
OF men. courteous in his demeanor. indus
trious and upright but the intense pal
lor of whose face~betrays but too plainly
the sinlSfinto which he has fallen. Such
a hold has the deadly drug on him now
that when he ceases 10 rs use he becomes
a physical and mental wreck and nothing
cnn restore The strength OF his body and
the vigor OF his mind but continued doses
of laudanum Not infrpqucntly he con-
sumcs two ounces at one draught. DO
YOU comprehend what that means? Two
ounces Of laudanum contain seventy-fivc