The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-29

approached me, extending his two grea.
brawny hands and grasping both of mine,
he said I'm keeping my birthday!
Seeing that ! did not understand he ex.
PANIED: I'm keeping my Temperance
Dirrn- day" And then he went on 10
say: Il We been eoDer wIole year. ana
feel like gentleman. ABOUT q yea
ago, one moihIhg, i was round there at
Mar. upchurch store, hall drunk-lor 4
never went any otner way tnan hal
drunk or Whole drunk-and man came
along and said something about my JON
lLg lne temperance society, but L dldn
Pay much attention to him, for | bad
nc notion OF joining anything bur a ban
room. But, next morning, Needhan.
BIoughton, Q think it was Needhan),
met me in the market and says to me-.
| Jack, We elected you last night Elect.
! I'd me to what?' says ]. "A member OF
the temperance society, says he. How
come you to elect me?' says +. Because
we thought you'd make a good member,
says he. / couldn't speak for a minute.
for didn't know what to say. The ide
Of my being elected was more than
could understand. for / knew l was not
fit to be elected to anything; but after
awhile said, Well il I'm elected I'll be
/ there next Tuesday night And | was,
End when ! was initiated and all the
members-women and all--come aroun,
and took my hi nd and called me Broth
or Mitchell" and said they were glad tt
i have me as a brother member it Just
aeemed to me as if my heart would burst
! was 70 full. Just to think that / We
Brother MITCHELL l who had not been
cool sober in year; l, lying Jack M.toA
! ell, (for a man who gets drunk will lie,.
/ / didn't know what to Gay nor what 20
do; for IS / say, my heart was too full
/ While he was doing all this, and stu.
holding my hands, streams OF tears wert
running down his face. Thank God" be
continued, Il have been sober q wholt
year and this Is my birth-day-my tenn
perance birthday. l have paid off tn.
mortgage on my little home and saved
money enough TO buy some good clothes
for me and the old wom; n; and / have
got plenty to eat at home: and jus,
look 1T this,' showing me a roll of
bills as big as my wrist-"heres what
the bar-keeper would have got ii / han
not Joined the temperance society
They've tried mighty hard to get it--even
sent for me to come around and see the.
|
them word back that I was ashs med G.
the old times, and didn't want TO remem
Der them; and so / didn't go round tc
see them. But hain't told you the hall
yet, Brother Whitaker. ] went 10 the
revival up at the Methodist church, and
the first time they called for mourner's
| l vent and fell right down on my knees
and prayed until felt the load had bee,
! taken off Of Yrxy ;Yoal, sinful ba~ nj
Brother Whitaker, I'm in the Lords army
! now. and intend to fight it out ! was
true to od Taylor in Mexico, and to Old
Bob Lee in Virginia, and bless His HOLY
| name, intend TO be true to Jesus wnc
died 70 save my soul Yes, this Is M
first birthday, and giving my hands an
other hearty shake, he went on dowr
the street, saying to himself as he went
Bless the Lord for saving such drunk
ard as Jack Mitchell.
After Jack became member Of Eden
| ton Street church, he usually sat on
! the end OF pew right IN front OF tht
preacher, with his ear trumpet to catch
every word as it fell from the preacher
lips. When the service ended, he hasten
ed out, took the middle OF the street
and talking TO himself he went along
prasing the Lord; and, if I met him any
time the next week he would be almost
certain TO refer to the good sermon and
the good meeting of last Sunday. In
the course of time Jack died in the falth |
and went home to his reward. Drunkari |
as he was, that Gospel which is The pow
er Of God unto salvation, lifted him out |
OF that degraded condition and filled him |
for the heavenly land where the wicked |
cease to trouble, and the weary are al |
rest. When / remember the noble fight |
he made, with the odds so much, (seem- |
ingly). against him less than a hero OF |
the Pauline type; or the miracle that |
snatched him from death. less than thai /
which changed Paul from persecuter |
of Jesus to sn apostle to the Gentiles, |
for Jesus's sake.
| was looking over book of pamphlets |
the other day and was greatly interested, |
for, rs | turned over the pages and read |
the fly leaves, ! found that I was in cld |
time company. First my eye lights upon
the wake County Working Men's Ad-
Dress adopted at a meeting held in the |
Court House October TO- 1859. The adj |
dress WIS prepared by a committee con
sisting OF Quentin Busbee b. r. Benton,
H. German, ID. "a. Wicker, +. [. Wilson, |
j. N Bunting, w. B. Reid, T. r. Fentress, |
w. j. Lougce and II. Raby. That address
was plea and an argument in favor of |
ad valorem taxation, measure which |
was adorted by the Wing Convention ard |
rerudi" ted by the Democratic Convention |
IN 1860. / alluded to this address IN |
sorner letter. l turn over few pages |
ard thee / find the sreech of Governor |
Ellis before the Democratic Convention
in this city, in 1860, when accepting the
"orinot lion for second term. which the
convention he'd Just made. He realized
all that he said in that sreech of accent- s
a"ea. Il arcert gentlemen, your noni-
rations. and with it the RESPONSIBILITIES
md burdens it impos-.-; ard sholl
"ra~~tobe 'he dt,4ies % this nosition with
a deep and solemn conviction that thew
We're never more vi'allv responsible than
il tha r~esent juncture of public affairs .
The burdens were too great for his rhy-
steal marhood. and he sank under their
weight; but before death came TO releas
him he he'd dore much TO redeem the
~romises he had made and would have
more than supplied everv obligation aud
performed every DUTY had he been per