The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-01-28
MIR. Wooten's High Water Mark.
Charlotte Observer.

The finest humoris the unconscious
kind. Nothing could exceed the ex-
quisite drollery of the letter of our
fine old friend, Council S. WOoten,
ESQ.,, on the fourteenth page OF last
Sundays Observer. He is always Ell
PERTAINING and instructive, but last
Sunday he reached high water mark,
and those who failed toread that let
ter from beginning to end have some
thing to regret 1t was about every
thing. but more largely than any
thing else about sowpaw. He is glad
he is a farmer. ''The farmer,' he
says, "is the most independent being
in the world, if he knew it, for he can
take his drink, say what he pleases,
and nobody calls him to task for it. y
Here is a quotation:
''My excellent friend, DR.. Hodges.
of La Grange, said to me one day:
You ought to make some prohibit
ton speeches. | said why, how
can | do that? for you know as soon
as | come off the stump some fellow
would come and say. let's take some
thing, and you know | would 90,
and that would destroy the effect of
the speech ~
This is another:
"The greatest evil connected with
Whiskey-drinking is the system of
treating. There are not many men
who will get drunk by themselves. |
can keep it at my house and not take
but two small drinks before supper
and dinner. | have found it is a bad
practice to take it before breakfast.
One quart will last me ten days. Now
that is moderate, but if | 90 to town
and the boys get around me and get
me to talking the first thing | know
they have two or three drinks in me
before | know it. The Saviour knew
how weak was human nature when
He said: Lead us net into tempta-
ton Knowing this have always
told the temperance people to 90
ahead and do all the good they could
for | would throw no obstacle in their
way. Raised as | was when it was
kept at every mans house, and ac-
custOmed to take u little, expect |
shall take some Il few days before the
funeral"
Then he gives an incident and some
advice, saying:
''Let me have word with the men
who drink. Let me relate a case that
came under my observation. There
is a man of culture and gentle breed
ing, with noble impulses and with a
generous heart. He has daughter
who was educated at the best schools
in the North and the South She has
been off on a visit and he met her at
the train and carried her home They
arrived there about sunset. He went
in the house and lay down on the bed
to rest; soon he was asleep. About 9
O'Clock he awOke and got up. His
daughter had placed the covering
over him so as to keep him warm.
How thoughtful and woman-like!
She heard him when he arose and she
came in the room and said: 1 tried
to awake you, but | could not arouse
you. The next morning he was sit
ting by the fire and she came in and
sat down beside him, and she said to
him: You had too much whiskey
last night Helooked in the fire and
said nothing. She said: Yesterday
when you spoke to the good Metho-
dist preacher know he yourcon-
dition.' Then she began to cry. But
he looked in the fire and said moth
ing. What could he say? He was
the worst whipped man on the earth
Men and brethren, if you err and take
little too much don't abuse your
wife and children, but look in the fire
and say nothing
Now for unaffected candOr and IN
conscious drollery, what could sur
pass the above quotations?
This communication was a call,
too, for charity and right living and
he doesn't want it understood that
he wants everybody else to be Nor
ally Stunted just because he is, for he
says:
yet | have no quarrel with these
temperance reformers, for they are
good people and mean well. 1t is true
there are some who are fanatical and
say some foolish things, but they are
to be excused as they feel so strongly
on the subject, and their feelings run
away with their Judgment
A great letter was this, and a great
old man in Mr. Wooten. He closed
with this wise Injunction and tender
benediction:
Boys. take warning from this
youth, the wild one in Childe Har-
old], and as a parting injunction to
the older men | would say, if you will
take too much don't be brute and
abuse your dear, sweet wives and
poor little innocent children, but
look in the fire and say nothing.
May God help you i'll your infirmi-
ties and bless you with His never.
failing grace and mercy is the New
Years prayer of an old man."
Saved From Terrible Death.