An Old Man’s Story
An Old Man’s Story
1695
“Tis only an oid man’s strory-a tale we have oftheard told
In a thousand forms and fancies, by the yourg sa ni well as old
A tale of life drenged hellwad bound down by a demon’s chain
Till the friendly hand of temp’rance had rescued It back again
Though only a thile at the time, friends, I well remember the night
Of our first great temp’rance mecting-it came as an angel of l’ght,
Midst the darkness o vile intemperance, its myr lad crimes an i sin:
A gulding light to the path of right, that all might enter in
A hymn, a prayer, an address; then the chairman’s voice was heard-
To call on any one present just to kay but a warning word
Our pastor rore midet cheering, but he strongly denounced the new cause
As “a movement which none bat fanatics thrar, hear, and loud applause)
Would engage in to injure the business of such respectable men,
And break up the time-honored usage of the coun- try”-but just then
I saw, whilst a death-like silence reigned, an old man slowly rise
On the platform and fix on the speaker the glar ce of his piercing eyer!
That look held the audience spellbound, and I noticed my father’s cheek
Turn deadly pale as the stranger caused before he began to speak
At last, with an effort, the old man said In ac-cents low but clear: cent
“You’ve heard, friends, that I’m a fanatic, that I have no business here:
As men and Christians listen to truth, hear me and be just:
My Me sancs tast are running out, and speak to- night I must!
O’er a beaconless sea I’ve journeyed, Ilfe’s dearest hopes I’ve wrecked:
God knows how my heart is aching, as I o’er the past reflect
“I’m alone, without friends or kindred, but it was not always so
For I see away o’er that ocean wild, dear forms pass to and fro
I once knew a doting mother’s love, but I crushed her fond oli heart:
(He secrned to look at some vision, with his quivering lips apart)
“I once loved an angel creature, with her laugh-Ing eyes so blue
And the sweetest child that ever smiled, and a boy so brave and true!
Perhavs, dear friends, you’ll be startled, but these hands have dealt the blow
That severed the tien of kindred love and laid those ones low
“Ah yes, I was once a fanatic; yea, more-a fiend, for then
I sacrificed my home, my all, for the riots of a drink fiend’s den
One New Year’s night I entered the hut that charity gave and found
My starving wife all helpless and shivering on tho ground!
“With a maddened cry I demanded food, then struck her & terrible blow:
‘Food, food’ I yelled, ‘quick, give me food, or by heavens out you go
Just then our baby from ita cradle sent up a famished wall:
My wife caught up the little form, with its face so thin and pale,
Saying James! my once kind husband, you know we’ve had no food
For near a week Oh, do not harm my Willie that’s so κουὶ”
With a wild ‘Ha ha!” I seized them, and lifted the latch of the door:
The storm burst in, but I hurled them out in the tempest’s wildest roar,
“A terrible impulse bore me on, so I turned to my little lad
And snatched him from his slumbering rest-the thought near drives me mad:
To the door I fiercely dragged him, grasping his alender throat,
And thrust him cut, but his hand had caught the pocket of my coat
“I could not wrench his frenzied bold, so I hit him with my fist
Then, shutting the door upon his arm, it severed at the wrist
I awoke in the murn trom a stupor, and ldly opened the floor,
With a moan I started backward-two forms fell flat to the floor
“The blood like burning arrows shot right up to my dased brain
As I called my wife by the dearest words, but alast I called in vain
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“Aye, sign it-angel would siga ich he exclaimed with a look of joy,
“I’d ca it a theorand times in Blood if it would bring back my bey!”
My father wrote zame down whilst to trembled In every limb:
The old man scanned i d’er and d’er, then strattate ly glanced at him
My father raised his left arm up cry, a convul sive start-
Then an old man and his injured boy were sobbing heart to heart!
Ere the meating closed the evening encls offered a fervent prayer
And many that night who saw the sight, rejlerd that they were there!