Show I RECLAIMED A Temperanca Incident BY GASBELL One of the most withering curses poor frail man has to contend with ia love of strong drink This unnatural un-natural desire once obtaining mastery step by step downward wanders tbe erring oue until the gutter becomes bio borne and steeped to the lip in crime and suffering ho falls unknown and unmourned into a dishonored I grave Who cannot recall cases ot this kind sorrowful to cootempate yet fraught with warning instruct In the young morn and flush of life how confident such an one appears Judging by tbe rest hues of his own Lopes tbere ia L < J Canger of his losing control of his appetite yet littlo by little constant dalliance deadens sensibility repeated aeaauitj overturn toe pedetal of virtue and the overconfident one tills a drunkards drunk-ards grave Sometime a rude shock changing the cunsnt of a lifetime may efieit an entire and laEtng reformation One that shows man in his nobler and better phase character soaring soar-ing above the groveling selfishness of earth into tho region of selfdenial and abnegation So had it been with George Elk vortb Born of parents in moderate circumstances he had to depend upon his own talents and labor for a livelihood Of a sock turn and generous disposition he had many friends Though at firtt caring little or nothing for the wine cup to please his friends ho frequently indulged in-dulged cot to the extent of intoxication intoxica-tion yet imperceptibly drawing nearer and nearer to it The flattery of some the aflected careless indifler once of others kept them silent and the timely reproof which if uttered might have saved him rose not to the lips of those who professed er traordinary friendship for him When young he had married an amiable girl and already two children were dependent on him for sustenance susten-ance and teaching With a family of which any man might be justly proud precious moments of his time were spent in idle gossip or in the worse and more debasing pleasures of the winecup Depressed and gloomy at times the fiery stimulant caused bright images to arise float before tIn mind and iansh away leaving not tba cerublanco ot deceiving Actions or of perteverence behind them Bright dreams and funeral gloom followed in regular and rapid succession until energy became dead and the mind wavered on tho confines con-fines of paralysis and imbecility As the power of the debasing habit increased his physical strength decreased de-creased and his worldly prosperity was stayed became stationary and then gradually declined His wilt struggled bravely and hopefully against the demon but even she became be-came discouraged at the frequency of his lapses and the transient nature of his reform 0 my dear husband why not cal of this dreadful souldestroying habit You know as I do its groveling grovel-ing debasing influence I ask it not or myself but for the welfare of your own lIoullor the innocent helplessness of our babes There is no safety but in abstinencein unflinching un-flinching conflict with its evil influence in-fluence There is no danger my dear Mary none at all Stimulant I must have 1 cannot exist without it Some day I may entirely abstain but not now Ah I you know not what you say Already arc our friends forsaking ue Already Bro we straightened for means aye I really Buffering 0 I think of our love our hopes our desires de-sires and the welfare of our children those pledges of our affection and love tbink of their eternal welfare wel-fare No more Mary j I will not bo driven to anything of the kind I care not for the opinions of other You have no cause to complain Do not think even you can change me Such was one of the many conversations conver-sations that took place between them to be followed most likely by a drunken spree that almost destroyed him After that would come a season of repentance and remoreo a period of making now vowsvows only to be brcken In a moment of forgetfulness forgetful-ness the fiery poison would be swallowed swal-lowed to be again followed by despair and gloom As his wife said his friends fell oil one by one and he was pointed out as a neer do well fast going to the doge The grip of poverty became harder and more severe se-vere Responsible work was no Ion gar submitted to his care for the most enient of men dislike to be repeatedly re-peatedly dieappointed He would promise its accomplishment in good faith but the dropping in of a comrade com-rade the drinking a glass of spirits almost any trifle would cause him to put it off for tomorrow with him was as good as today One night as he wended his way gloomily towards his miserable home he heard the sound of voices Hearing his own name he could but stop and listen The night was dark and his presence was unperceived and in his I despairing halfintoxicated mood he felt no shame in playing the eavesdropper I eaves-dropper As the conversation proceeded pro-ceeded what was merely idle curiosity deepened into earnest and intense Interestan interest that was fortunately for-tunately to give a complexion to his wtole future life I tell you Mr Hunter there is no good in GeorgoEHswprth Manhood Man-hood seems entirely banished from his bosom His suffering faimily bus in him no kind protector and no bountiful proviJer in fact be is but a blight upon them The gutter and a paupers funeral will be most likely his end aye and a fitting ono to his life of senseless debauchery Nay my friend I cannot look upon him as entirely lost 1 remember remem-ber of old no moro many form nor warmer heart boat in the bosom of anyone Nor can I look upon him now aa EO entirely debased so dead to better feelings that no spark of his old honest warmheartedness w Lever L-ever again be manifested I know in the first place he was innocently led to partake of the poisonous fluid for he never was of the nature ta rush into sin and vice for its own sake Could his conscientiousness be reached through the medium of his reasons could his heart be roused into the warmth of love once more and his perseverance be awakened into energetic action he would yet become useful and respected Your confidence is misplaced Though an honor to your heart such views would prove to be folly He is on the road fast bound for destruction destruc-tion nor can anything human prevent him rushing headlong upon it I do not think so Hal I the opportunity I would show that I had confidence in himI would not prove it i by words alono but by actions to his stubborn soul He is now at the most critical pericd of his life He knows as well as you or I there is no joy in the life be is leading His momentary joys have turned to ashes his hopes into ecorpion stings Habit is ttrong within him His system craves stimulant though his mind rebels against them But who has approached him rightly When first descending the ladder dissipation showed him its prospective horrors Men laughed and joked about his frequent lapses from sobriety but no word of friendly warning or of brotherly counsel was heard I do not think even the wife of his bosom foresaw the terrible danger awaiting him or appreciated the full horrors of such a lift She is a uoblo woman worthy mans deep tet and toIest love and she bravely clings to him and prays and hopes for his awakening Now people have turned from him and ho is desperate The change has been gradual until the poor mans nature is i encrusted with suspicion and almost hate for his fellows l Than this there is no more terrible state of gloom darkness and suffering But there ii a Way to reach every heart did our wisdom I enable us to fInd it Tho true philanthropist phi-lanthropist who silently persistently and persevering pursues his way amid the devious raths of human selfishness and sin knows this truth and by ikiilful taning of the heart chords anthems of praise diacojrse to high heaven tho salvation of an immortal soul Eo do I look upon George Ellsworth He is cot altogether alto-gether lost altogether bad He is still true anti upright at heart but that heart is BO encased by selfishnea suspicion and distrust that to approach ap-proach it properly is a difficult task I trutt you are right in your theory but fear it will ucver be proven true in his case It may not be Gcd alone can tell l however I trutt it may The friends separated and George Ellsworth went his way Bat a new light had dawncd upon hid soul For the first time he really knew the position posi-tion he had loct How low ho had fallen and how still moro terrible would be his fate should ho pergid in his debasing infatuation Then afiiin the pale euflering face of his wife aroso in his imagination and his heart felt sore with selfreproach She in the midst of all had loved him and remained true had hoped on even in pite of repeated failures that ha wculd finally reform and triumph over the brutish appetite How had he provided for her Wherein had his protecting cherishing cherish-ing care been manifested How had he provided for the little ones God had sent to bless their union Ahl he had bt en false to every trust to every hope and had little by little crushed out all joy and hopefulness and mirth from the heart of his wife Yet he loved as much as ever and contradictory as it may appear the tenderness he felt when first their fortunes were io ned had never departed de-parted though drink had well nigh cast out from his nature all semblance of manhood Now in the silence of night t jese things were vividly brought before his mind There WAS no escape from them One by one scenes of folly and pitsion and sin in mental panorama pano-rama passed before his remembrance and he grcaned in anguish Had ho indeed fallen so low thru there was no longer hope for him Must he ba always scourged by the stings of an outraged conscience Nol He felt there was still a lingering of rmulnol in him Men might have lost confidence confi-dence in him but he had not lus confidence in himself They who eq > fled at the drunkard ehould yet see him redeemed Not that he felt arrogantly confident He knew his path was thickly strewn with thorns and brier that it would be us walking walk-ing over the burning coal of a furnace fur-nace or the glittering sands of a great desert Suffering and toil and trial were before him but upheld by a sense of right and the great love others bore him he hoped fearlessly to face them Arrived at home he had not much to cay His wife saw there was a change but what it portended she could net brace He was kind kinder that he had been for a long long time and ai he kissed her as of old she could not help hoping a brighter future was in stOle for them 01 I how in her inmost heart she prayed it might be so His sleep that night was sweet and refreshing moro so than for a longtime long-time before The consciousness of good intent overcame somewhat the torments of physical appetite Still ho eaid nothing to his wife and although he had solemnly registered a vow in heaven he dare cot prematurely prema-turely speak of his intention Let her have good cause to rejoice first let him overcome and triumph over tho demon first then ehe would have good eolid grounds for her hopes Ales I how often had she been doomed to disappointment in consequence of his failures Ho ate his breakfast and went out He had done a great deal of thinking during the night He had formed his plans and would perseveringly carry them cut first Le went to the man who bad spoken eo kindly in his favor the previous night Ho told him of overhearing the conversation and how much good it had done him how it had caused him to reflect and perhaps had saved himself and family from lifelong misery and endless perdition And now said he by the grace of God I am determined to cast ofl such a debasing habit It ia uphill work but the reflection that it may succeed that it is my duty and oaakes those I love happy will support sup-port me Mr Ellsworth replied his friend you will be sure to succeed if you seek the guidance of the Lord Not in your own strength alone can you stand The sympathy ot all good men will be yours Diligently apply yourself to labor and you will prosper and be happier far than ever before You will find it difficult at first per hap to find employment but do not ba disheartened I have something you can do untl 1 you can get better Remember all depends on yourself I can hope but you alone by Gods blessing can make reformation lasting last-ing and permanent I thankfully accept your offer Mr Hunter for labor is what I need and what still strengthen my good resolves re-solves Nor was any time lost in getting to work Although toilsome and strange he labored on faithfully through the day He did not go home to dinner getting it from his employer but at night ha wended his way thoughtfully homeward His wile looked at him searchingly and when she saw no signs of intoxication a more hopeful expression came into her eyes His absence at dinnertable Lad not been noticed for such had been his common com-mon practice For a week this went on and when he entered the house on Saturday night with the proceeds of his labor be sought her out and putting the money into her hands said Mary my deer wife I trust your dark days are over I have been very unkind to you yet with your forgiveness for-giveness to buoy me up I hope to overcome my ev 1 passions Drink I will never take again We are poor made so by my insane folly yet God helping me never will it be EO again 0 I God be thanked for this great joy I cried his wife casting her arms around him You know not what happiness I feel to Gee you thus once more We are yet young and God will prosper us if we are industrious indus-trious and deserving There was joy in the habitation such ai angels might feel over the caving of an immortal soul Life looked better and brighter than ever before Love with all its attendant joys had come to bless erring sinful man Years passed away but George Elk worth lapsed not from the noble stand he had taken Often was his voice heard in the holy cause of temperance and many a weak and erring brother had cause to bless hia kindly counsel for snatching him from a drunkards fate Prosperity attended him and today heis rich and respected All who know him unite in bearing testimony testi-mony to his worth and usefulness |