The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08

There are many kinds of wrecks III
this world, and how sad one is made
TO feel, when he remembers what they
once We're. / have seen the tlmbers
OF a wrecked vessel, on the beach
partly buried in the sand, and as
stood and looked upon them, going
to decay, l was almost moved to
tears to think, that a ship, which
once moved SO majeStically, which ha0
ridden the waves of all the seas, had
successfully fought a thousand storms
and sailed into almost every port
freighted with commerce ana human
souls, had, at last foundered upon
rock near the shore from which IL
first sailed.
If those old timbers could have
spoken to me, what a history L might
have gathered from them. But they
were nothing but bones of wrecked
ship-dry bones-therefore had Meth
er remembrance nor voice.
But l could imagine the time when
those rotting timbers were new and
strong; when they were able to bear,
over the stormy waves great cargoes
of richest merchandise, and, propelled
by wind or steam. sailed from CONT
nent to continent, and from isle tC
isle, as beautifully and as majestical-
ly as birds sail through the air. How
glorious the life of that ship. How
little did it fear! 1t was swift and
strong and never had Il misfortune.
1t cared not for Gains. nor storms.
1t knew all the seas and feared none
of them; it knew all the coasts and
all the dangerous shoals. and, with
the precision of a bird, it could sail
to any desired haven. But, at last,
because of it's fearlessness, or its
carelessness, it sailed too near the
shore and stranded on rock. "A
storm came on, and the mighty waves,
over which it had safely ridden a
thousand times, having it at disad-
vantage, tore it in pieces and sent it to
the shore a mass of ruins. Now its
timbers lie rotting in the sand.
/ saw a man the other day VINO
told me that, twenty years ago, he
was strong in body and in mind. as
we'll as comfortable in the affairs of
life. No storm cloud threatened, no
disaster seemed possible; the sun
Shonc brightly, the sea of life was
peaceful, and sailing was both pleas
ant and easy and no thought of
danger passed through his mind.
But today" said he, II am wreck,
physically, mentally and morally.
And he was. ] have never seen a
more terrible sight. Crazed by the
use of morphine, he was as helpless
as the timbers of that old ship which
were buried in the sand. He didn't
he was a picture of that Gadarene
out of whom our Lord cast two thou
sand devils. When / saw him his teeth
were chatteIing, as if he had had al
ague. his muscles were twitching and
his eyes were glazing, as If the hor-
rors of hell were before them. He
was begging for morphine, and he
said he must have it or die. He was
pitiful object saw his arms his
breast and his legs, and there was
not an inch of space on them which
had not been punctured by the needt
which filled his blood with the de-
Structive fluid that had made him the
wreck that he was.
l asked doctor, standing by, il
there was any hope for the poor suf-
ferer. mot bit" he replied. Hes
"a wreck. and already he is suffering
the tortues of hell. The doctor
kindly gave the poor wretch fluio
which he quickly injected into his
arm. and gradually he became quiet
and was able to talk; then he told
the pitiful story of his downfall
when and, how he began the use of
morphine and the other deadly poi
sons. which had wrecked life that
bade fair to be SO useful and happy.
When young, full of hope and vigor.
and possessed of a strength of body
and mind that made him fearless he
was reckless and imprudent, in the
choice of associates, and, as a conse-
quence. he formed habits that wreck
ed his life and made him the pitiful
object he is.
| have seen many wrecks, in my
life. that were piteous to behold. So
many young men. grown prematurels
old in vice: so many stranded upon
the shores of drunkenness, SO many
brought to shame and disgrace by
dishonest methods; SO many ruined by
bad habits. Like the wreckage OF