The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-23
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF MTEMpERANCE.
Abstain From Intoxifants For the
Sake of Your Neighbor, and Isis
Means For Your Wife and Chill

hUstdih rroHi 1HtoA,fohlS 80 LIE
Sake of Your Neighbor, and ISIS
Means For Your Wife and Chill
dren's Sake, Also,
We should abstain for our neigh
boris sake and for our own, but FIRST
and most of all for Gods sake, for
the two great commandments, which
are really three. constitute the SUI
preme charter of temperance work.
Will any n dare to say he can drink
intoxicating poison as a beverage TO-
the glory of God? But we are each
under orders to "do all for the glory
OF Cod" Does any one question
whether If all use of intoxicating
beverages was abolished religion
would be stronger and sins feWer9Gy
If that is the case, ours is "a total
abstinence religion" Surely no one
can love God supremely, and at the
same time help by buying or selling
intoxicating beverages tor keep men
from God, or draw men from Cod
Abstain for the sake OF your neigh
Dor. That means, first Of all, for the
sake of your own wife and children
There is a story told of a farmeTsss
wife who went to meet her husband
in the dusk at. an appointed fence
corner, and seeing what she took to-
be her husband OF the other side
of the fence, handed her babyrto q
bear, which swiftly bore 1t away to
the mountains never to be seen again.
That man hands his child oyer to a.
more cruel beast, who, by his drink
ing example, leads his child to be-
come a drunkard.
Many years ago there resided in
Manchester, England, a young calico
printer, a capital worker, and a most
obliging man, but unhappily addicted
to drink. John, however, got mar
ried, much to the thankfulness Of hiss
friends, who hoped that through his
young wife he might reform. Shortly
after their wedding John said
Mary: You're a sober woman, and
so I mean to be a sober man; we
must agree to take no more, each Off
us, than n pint of ale per day.
With a serious face Mary queried
gently: Where shall you drink 1T,
John? Except Sundays, you don't
return home till late 4Ofi course In
the factory-for your share, + VIII
give you six cents a day, and you
can drink it where you please
Months elapsed, during which John
was unable to limit himself to his
zone pint" At length came round
the young. couples marriage anni
versary. Now, my dear. we've not
had a single holiday since we we're
wed; let US have one to-day! With
all my heart, grill" he responded;
"and if only I had a spare shilling
or two in the world-that public
house is running me, to be plain
wife-we might take a jaunt to the
village, and see your mother.
will stand treat, John said Mary.
"You! you'll" cried the amazed hus-
band; shave you got a windfall4of a.
fortune, and I never heard OF it,
II have Just had the money for my
pint of beer" smiled Mary, ioyfully.
aYour WHAT" my, pint OF beer
she repeated, producing an old stock
ing which had served for purse, and
from which Immediately clinked ont!
upon tho tablecloth three hundred
coins. And you have not once tasted
it, Mary" he suffered with. a food
of tears; "then 1 never. never VIII
again." "By Gods grace, dear John, =
added the young wife softly (for she
was a true Christian), and gathering
up the stockings contents. she hand
ed him S21.90. A memorable day il
proved, indeed, the day which fixed
the turning-point Of Johns hitherto
wasted life. by Gods grace he did
most faithfully keep his VOW and he
prospered.