Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-09-16

IL iB red, when IL glvelh his color In
the cup. when it moyeth itself Alright.
At the last it biteth like serpent and
stingath like an adder. "-Proyerbs %,
81, -.
The following pathetic incident was
printed recently in the Culver, an Eng
lish journal: "One summer evening as
strolled through poor district on the
outskirts of the celebrated university
town in which my days are spent, my
attention was arrested By small crowd
of persons moving slowly along the
middle of the street. On approaching,
found that the centre of attraction
was drunken man, whom with the
greatest difficulty little lad was en-.
deavoring to lead home. A case of
drunkenness viewed under any Circum-
stances cannot fail to be o depressing
sight, but this one, seen at the still
hour OF sunset in one of the great
centres of religious life and learning,
seemed to be especially saddening, and
what intensified the sadness was the
sight Of the Irunkard's littls girl, a
tender child OF 6, who was walking
beside him, bitterly weeping, and be
seeebing him to come home. Ere long
its glaring lights and omen doors. The
drunkard stopped. He would enter, he
said, and the little maiden stepped
before him, begging him, with clasped
hands and uptnrnsd, fearful face, not
10 enter, because mother was not woll.
Down came a savage blow upon the
thin shoulders of the ill-clad child,
which made her utter such cry as
must have moved the very hardest
heart, and which caused mother from
| among the little crowd of Onlppkers to
step out and take the child under ber
protection. But the little one was not
10 be comforted. Clear through the still
night air, with a pathos touching be-
yond all description, her childish voice
rang out, oh, how he will beat mother,
how hB will heat mother. AT this
| point policeman wisely stepped for
ward and prevented the man from
entering the public house, and the last
| | saw os the drunkard was when his
unsteady stems were making for his own
| doUr. Further | could uot GO. But
who can not conceive something OF the
wretchedness which must have reigned
in tho home that night? And who can
| think without sorrow of the legacy of
sad and bitter memories which that
little maiden will carry with her into
life No fathers voice to warn her OF
| its teacherous shoals and quiGksands /;
no haliowed memor of father's godli-
ness and maniiness to last lifetime.
Only the memory of drunkard's home,
of poor mother worried Bna weary,
whose life was one long per u of sor-
row and tears. The child's bitter cry
still rings loudly in my oars as call to
active service, aud hand ON the call to
all who need awakening TO sense of
their duty to poor, weak humanity and
to tentler childhood. "
Although the brutality to the little
child, as told in the abUve incident,
may he infrequent, the sad picture is
otherwise true to lie; for the suffer
ing OF women and children" caused by
the liquor traffic can not be overesti-
mated.
No one questions the right of every
wits ia tina tendereEt protection of her
husband, and that the hest possible
equipment for ife's battles, is due each
child, and surely indulgence in strong
drink units a man for both obligations.
But women and children are not the
only sufferers from intemperance; for
how many sons addicted to it, have
written upon the hearts of their fathers
as in letters OF fire the bitter disap-
pointment, i" it might have heen. "
And yet, Notwithstanding these facts,
even some wsll-meaning people are in
different to the stupendous evil of the
liquor traffic; but the sentiment against
it is steadily growing and ultimately,
Since God is God
Right the day will win.