The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-11-14
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTIIMpERANCE.

A Mothers Struggle With Appetite
Pitiful Story Of Mrs. Gruber,
Victim Of the Drink Habit
How She Began.
A picture for you, reader. A faith
er. mother and five children live in
a humble home in Philadelphia. The
youngest child is a mere baby of two
years. The father wakens in the
morning to find that his wife has
slipped away, and searching, finds
her in the bathroom, dead from self
asphyxiatior. She leaves this note
to him:
"Tony-You will be surprised to
hear l have gone away-where, l
don't know; but before the day IS
over you will find out why. Be good
to the baby. I know you will never
forgive me for what have done. God
help and have mercy on me. Good
by to all. From a wretched and bad
wife and mother. Ny last goodnight.
MOTHER"
'. Within a week this mother had at
tempted her life twice, but her hus-
bands love and watchfulness had
prevented her succeeding before.
Why" you ask, did she persist?'
1t is not a STANCE story, be assured
She was a victim of the liquor habit.
She had been accustomed to beer
from childhood. Gradually the crav.
Ing had grown upon her until it was
mighty passion that surged through
her veins and would not be stilled.
More fiery liquors were craved, and
drunk. A few months ago she had
delirium tremens. Then she realized
her danger and fought desperately
for relief She summoned all her
powers of mind to the task. She
struggled bravely against the thirst
for three weeks, bit then gave up, in
real despair. The sequel was an
other attack of tremens. Then she
went under treatment, but no good
came of it. Then she ran the gamut
of patent medicines and recommend
ed remedies. But her attacks of de-
lirium were frequent, and more than
once she lay at deaths door. Her
husband mercifully and tenderly
nursed her through these crises, and
loved her, loyalty and faithfully.
But the end was reached, as the
story above records it. q
Out of the warp and woof of daily
life CLEANS the pitiful story Of Mrs.
Gruber, victim of drink. 1t was moth
ing but the "healGh drink" of chops
and malt" used by Germans as
freely as we use tea or coffee.
What's the harm in a glass Of beer?
"At the end it biteth like serpent,
and stingeth like an adder" Let it
alone. Mrs Gruber's story is why
not the only one, but If it was, it's
enough. Leave the concocters Of rot,
disease and death to fatten by some
other device than that of poisoning
you. Leave the saloons to strangle
and poison themselves, and the chill
dren of their own keepers. You
keep away.
Mrs. Gruber lived in Philadelphia.
So how does this interest us? The
question deserves answer, and shall
have it. 1t is this: When the un-
fortunate woman set out to fight for
her life, she found herself confronted
Oh every side by great system to
drag her down from her feeble reso-
luton. There were windows, dis
playing bottles which glittered allur-
ingly, and sang siren songs of de-
light to the passion burning within.
Open doors on the streets poured
forth the odors of liquor to feed the
fires that were scorching her feeble
will. That is why she failed.-Kane
tPa.) Leader.