Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-07-20
A Drink and a Dance.


some human beings can fall and vet be
recovered to usefulness. Here is a young
man, leader in the y. N. Z. a., whose
nent choirs in the city, singing anthems
that watt the weary soul of man heaven
ward. But four years ago he was fugitive
from the police, reprobate wallowing in
the vicious pools of sin and crime that
drain off from various parts of society aud
slutns of great cities. In relating his eN-
perience one Christmas eve he said in
substance that strong drink had once
would lave tossed him in had it not been
for little band of Volunteers who went
singing and praying through the sl9nis
three nights of hideous debauchery, he
was seated on the curbstone in front of
saloon with his elbows on his knees and
his face buried in his hands, mentally
negotiating with Dependency in regard
to self destruction, when he felt hand
upon his shoulder. Looking up, he met
who said, Are you sad: Tell me your
SORROWS and let me take them to Jesus"
again his head dropped and he became
bTutally needless. The maiden continued,
Have you home? Have you mother.n
At the last question he raised his head and
gish aoe beeye @ The deE
that was Juggling at his soul like spider at
dying butterfly, fled before the gaze of
homeless, without a friend, and notheris
dead" Gladdened over success in secur-
ing his attention, the maid placed her
frail white hand upon his strong shoulder
and said, You are not friendless. am
your friend, and your mother waits your
coming in heavenly home. Will you
come and let me guide you to her side!"
This was perhaps the one appeal with
which it was possible to penetrate the
wretch. He rose and in childish expec-
fancy followed her to near by street
corner where the captain of Volunteers
was conducting meeting. The difference
these al
that street was the difference between the
angels of heaven and the ordinary human
less and pure, he Respondent human
wreck, just dragged from vile pool of
vice, rescued ntn Just as he vas about to
suicide. Reeking with moral filth he
stood in the holy midst of this little band
Of Christian workers and sobbed like {,
Return" He had reached that extreme
that gives God a golden opportunity. 1t
was the turning point in his life. He quit
drinking and was helped to position that
yielded him an honest livelihood. He con-
tinued to sing with the Volunteers on the
street corners. until his sweet baritone
voice attracted the attention of the choir
of one of the leading churches. He was in
duced to join this choir, but still one of his
greatest pleasures was to iningle with the
humble Volunteers and sing in the
streets. will you please relate" said
some one, how it was that you got started
on that downward road that lead to the
awful predicament from which you were
rescued by the little Volunteer maiden?"
1T was at a social country dance" said
he, one balIny moonlight night in June,
that took my first drink which remem-
Der distinctly as the starting point OF my
downward career. The star guest of the
evening was city chap who was giving
special attention to rosy country girl
the favorite of the community. He invited
two other boys and me to drink with him.
| We Went out behind hay stack and
emptied half pint flask. now regard a
social dance as respectable vestibule to
| ruin, not because it was the doorway
| through which l passed into the dark
realms of vice and sin, but because l know
that in it's atmosphere the base and inn
| moral passions are famed into flame.
Here II is that Innocence and Virtue meet
Crime, Vice, and the emissaries of Sin,
chief among whom is that vile, fawning
| greatest anlbition1s to pluck and prosti.
tute the buds of womanhood. But, ah
listen to me now, and will give you an
mixing of the deplorable tragedies of real
| life that have reasons to believe often
originate at the social dance. Three of the
| modest country maidens whom | swung
| in the may dance of that summer night
lewd prostitutes reveling in the repulsive
| brothels of "WHITE CHAPEL" and they
told me that they drifted there in the fe-
verish and delightful embraces of the
waltz The sweet young girl whom 1 men,
| toned as the object of the city chaps
| attention died in shame and now sleeps in
yonder grave yard beside the form of her
| illegitimate babe. The brother of the poor
girl lost control of himself and while in a
passion, shot her seducer through the
heart and is now longing for Death to
come and end his term in prison. OF the
| two boys that drank with me that night,
one murdered his sweetheart in fit of
jealousy and was lynChed and hung. The
other is a king of reprobates and is to-
night dancing and drinking with the
harlots of the sluns.