Year: 1871

Mrs. stowe, m the serial story which she
is writing for the Christian Union, describes
in most powerful piece Of word painting
the disease which is induced by the use Of
stimulanis. 1t is part of letter from one
young man to another. \ highly talented
young man named Bolton writes to his friend
as follows


| suppose 20 young fellow ever entered the
course Of life with more self-confdcuce had
splendid health, high spirits, great power Of
application and great social powers. | lived
freely and carelessly on the abundance Of my
physical resources. could ride, and row,
and wrestle with the best. [ could lead in
all social gayeties, yet keep the head of my
class, as | did the first two years of my col
lege life 1t seems hardly fair to US human
beings that we should be so buoyed up with
ignorant hope and confidence in the beginning
Of our life, and that We should be left in our
ignorance to make mistakes which no after
years can retrieve. thought l was perfectly
sure Of myself; | thought my health and
strength we're ixexhaustible and that | could
carry weights that no man else could. The
drain Of my wide awake, exhausting life upon
my nervous system | made up by the use of
stimuants | was like man habitualy
oyerdrawing his capital, and Ignorant to what
extent In my third college year this began
to tell perceptibly on my nerves | was los
ing self-eontrol, losing my way in life was
excitable, irritable, inpatient of guidance or
reproof, and at times horribly depressed. |
sought refuge from this depression in social
exhieraton, and having lost control of myself
became marked man among the college au-
thorities in short | was overtaken in a con-
viyial row, brought under college discipline,
and suspended


1t was at this time that went into your
neighborhood to study and teach found
no difficulty in getting the highest recommon-
dations as to scholarship from some Of the
college officers who were for giving me a
chance to recover myself; and for the rest |
was thoroughly sobered and determined on a
new course. Here commenced my acquaint-
auce with your cousin, and there followed a
few months remembered ever since as the pur-
est happiness of my life. loved her with
all there was in me-heart, soul, mind, and
strength-with love which can never die.
She also loved me, more perhaps than she
dared to say, for she was young hardly come
| to full consciousness of herself She was then
scarcely sixteen, ignorant of her own nature,
ignorant of life, and almost frightened at the
intensity of the feeling which she excited in
me, yet she loved me- But before we could
arrive at anything like calm understanding,
her father came between us He was a trus-
tee of the Academy, and dispute arose be-
tween him and me iD which he treated me
with oyerbearing haughtiness which aroused
the spirit Of opposition in me. | was in the
right and | knew | was and defended my
course before the other trustees in manner
which won them over to my way of thinking
"a victory which he never forgave.


Previously to this encounter | had been il
the habit of visiting in his family quite init,
mately. Caroline and enjoyed that kind o.
unmatched freedom which the customs Of New
England allow to young people. l always
attended her home from the singing schoo
and the weekly lectures, and the evening aftel
my encounter with the trustees | did tn,
same. At the door Of his house he met us
and as Caroline passed in he stopped me; anC
briefly saying that my visits there would NJ
longer be permitted, closed the door in my
face | tried to obtain an interview soon az
ter, when he sterny upbraided me as one tina
had stolen into the village and won their con
fdence on false pretences, adding that if h'
and the trustees had known the full history
Of my college life | should never have beer
permitted to teach in their village or have ac
cess to their families. 1t was in vain to at
tempt defense to u man determined to TAKE
the very worst view of facts which | did mol
pretend to deny | knew that had been ir.
reproachable as to my record in the school
that had been faithful in my duties, that
the majority of parents and pupils were Oh
my side, but | could not deny the harsh facts
which he had been enabled to obtain from
some secret enemy, and which he thought jus
tilted him in saying that he would rather see
his daughter in her grave than to see her my
wife The next day Caroline did not appear
in school. Her father, with prompt energy,
took her Immediately to an academy fifty
miles away,


did not attempt to follow her or TO write
her--a profound sense of discouragement
came over me, and looked on my acquaint-
ance with her with sort Of remorse. The
truth bitterly told by an enemy with vivid
power Of statement is tonic oftentimes too
strong for ones power Of endurance. never
ref ected so seriously on the responsibility q