Year: 1860

his besotted soul shrink with horror! His
wife-his beautiful and accomplished wife
had yielded to the temptations of the
spoiler, and, following the example of her
husband, she was fast becoming that thing
of which no one could speak without loath-
ing-a female drunkard!


"For tune John Wood retreated in af-
fright from the yawning abyss Of intemper-
ance which had opened at his feet; he shua-
ned the tavern, and abstained from the dali
Iy glass; his footsteps left the slippery pla-
ces and took hold upon the adamantine path
Of truth-but, alas! it was only for time!
No gentle home influenced 10 keep him in
the light Of the Temperance Star, but only
a creature and her temptation, her example
to the strength of the Wine Demon! He
could but lily resist the fascination, and so
they drank together, and together were in
tOxicated. Their youngest child-the pre-
cious baby, Mary-was quieted by her
mother; wine; and one day, when the fret
fulness of the babe had tried the mothers
patience beyond its limit, she poured down
the infant girls throat large quantity of
brandy! Mary was thrown into convul-
sions, from which nothing could save her,
and in three hours the hopeless little being
was taken home to Heaven!


"The two boys, Arthur and William
stood aloof from the accursed ba1e Of their
parents lives--but at last William the
younger, got the habit of tasting occasion
ally, cut of curiosity he said, when troub-
led by the expOstulalions Of his BROTHER
BY the mercy of Divine Providence, Arthur
was enabled TO resist the fascinations of
the cup; but William went on, and on
even unto death. Ate. a ten months ca
reer at the gaming table-the inseparable
adjunct of strong dnring-he was stabbed
by a oomraje in drunken brawl.


"T To the deadened faculties of the faith
er and mother this circums lance was not
an affiiction-they scarce looked upon it as
anything for which they should grieve; and
when they stood together over the silent
coffin of that dead boy, the cup was there TO
comfort them. They went to that bever-
age which has not been inaptly termed the
drink Of hell for the comfort which is
heaven-born, nnd that cometh down from
God.


"Their handsome property was long
since squandered; their elegant house and
furniture passed under the hammer OF the
auc,ionesr, and lowly hovel received the
drunken couple and their wretched son.
Oh, the scenes of revolving horror which
the eyes of that son were forced to wiinessi
A father-his manhood prostituted to o
vile appetite; his intellect ruined; his soul
wandering in the shades of infdslI.y; cast
out from the virtuous-c condemned to the
company Of sinners! A mother-hsr gen.
tie love turned 10 Indifference; her nature


wrought upon and transformed by the foul
viper she had taken 10 her bosom; her whole
life but series of alterations with him,
who OF Gods holy alter she had sworn to
love and honor; her child no longer regard
ed with that most hallowed of all earthly
seDtiments-a mothers love-his hear. no
longer gladdeled with her smiles-his feet
no more taught by the light of her Chris
tian counsel to turn into the ways of right
and truth. Worse than orphaned! The
offspring of shame and scOrn! Form, if you
can, an idea of his life! Men may cry out
against the use Of strong language in speak
ing of this demon which yearly lays its
thousands in the grave; but think you that
the child Of those miserable parents would
call any expression, applied to the vice ol
intemperance, too strong? No! thousand
times no! Language is weak, impotent
and inadequate to convey to you The loath-
ing, the hatred, the utter detestation which
Author Wood bore in his soul for intoxicat.
ing drink! Would that every man, wo.
man, and child, throughout the length and
breadth of Gods universe, felt the same!


"But to return. Five years passed away,
during which guant Poverty established
himself at the fre-side of John Wood
Starvation often paused at the door, and
Want was an everyday guest. Broils and
domestic strife began at sunrise, and ceased
not at the going down Of day. Oh, It's a
black, black memory to Arthur Wood! A.
last, in fit of drunken frenzy, the furious
husband struck down his wife with the
fragment of a chair which had previously
fallen sacrifice to his rage. Sobered by
the sight. John Wood stopped over the
body Of her who was once dearer to him
than the whole world, and sought BY the
long neglected endearment of their early
love To call her back from unciousne.. In