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About The Hustler of Rome. (Rome, Ga.) 1891-1898 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1896)
••• ?§A RUINED LIEE. : * 'BY VICTOR WILKE R.) * :• W.C.T.U-h 9 5&9999 • • • ••• ••• BWOO •iftwmperauce is an unmitigat'd ' £vil, undermining the found it ion I ofwociety. It is the tn ld w that . haeblightid many a blight in»i l-| lect, just developing into the| strength of manhood, arresting its! growth, ami crippling it forever. It has robbed thousands of their ( manhood, their inspiration, ano .their idwnls, and set them adrift, to be finally dashed upon the rooky shores of despair. At tirm?« there locnis up before my mental vision the venerable form of one of my early teachers. He .was the first to create in my mind s thirst for knowledge, and to inspire me w ith lofty ideal?. He was-a 1 frequent aud welcome visi tor at my father’s house. For hours I would listen to the words of wisdom as they fell like musiQ. from his lips. / fHis knowledge was comprehen sive, suul his powers of communi cation wrr * wonderful His Latin ity was >cf 'Ae purest, and the facility with which he wielded the classic idoms of antiquity is rarely in this country. « v?or was he ls?s conversant with the intricate question-' in theology and philosophy. The history of earth’s nations he spread out like a panorama before our astonished gaze. As a pulpit orator, his elo quence was simply gruid. I have heard the celebrated preacher of England, and listened to the three greatest that America can boast of. but t h»y did not hold their audiences so spell-bound, Sunday after Sunday, as he did . His extraordinary capabilities will appear less incrpdible when I state that he was the son of Consis- t >rialrath at one of the German courts, and had received a superior education, the best that money and European universities could furnish. You may ask, "How did this man, who certainly might have filled the highest positions in Ger many} come to tuk-i charge of a congregation in America?" At the 1 time this was a profound mystery, which people vainly endeavored co -Hnetrate. After a sojourn of (.me year, however, it was discovered ♦hat he was the slave of strong drink . Having b.»en found intoxicated several times, he was obliged, at the end of the second year, to dis solve his connection with our thurcli,.abd left for parts un known. Jlany years had passed since the events transpired that have 1 been narrated above. The youthful student had developed into man - hood, but the image of his former friend and instructor had never faded from his memory. Some years ago, during the summer va cation, as 1 was traveling in a Western state, 1 met an old ac quaintance, who, in the course of conversation, stated that he had, heard of a small rural congrega tion some eight miles distant whose now pastor was creating a sensa tion. by means of his wonderful ■ pulpit eloquence. .As I was traveling for recrea- WUOf The man with the tattoo L •A -marks on his skin would be • 1 foolish to attempt to wear them A a off by hard work. The per- • f son with a severe coi.gh or • £ cold is about as unwise to at- • f tempt to wear that off. This T T “wear off” idea has cost T ■ ■ many a life. T «• Scott's Emulsion f < > - ——— • 1 ' Os Cod-liuer Oil, with Hypo- T • ’ phosphites, gives immediate • ( , aid by soothing the cough and I . t supplying tonic remedies to the I ■( i weakened system. £ »> 50c. and SI.OO at all druggists. A turn principally, f resolved to in terview this modern Bossuet. Ac cordingly, at an early hour on the following morning. I started for the vil lage designated I■v my friend Inquiring f or the residence of the clergvman, I was directed to a small log-cabin in the rear of the miniature chapel. On knocking, the.door was open ed by an elderly woman whose ema ciated features and haggard look* indicated that she had seen hard times. 1 was told that the Herr Pastor was still in bed, but if I de sired to see him he would soon be at my service. It was net 1 >ng before the cler gyman made his appearance. I judged him to he about seventy years old. Hi? beard aud hair was [ gray, and his features wore anex- I ceediagly haggard expression. Soon our conversation was iu full flow, and we talked with as much freedom as if we la i I< ng be n intimate friends. Wben we happened to touch classic ground, and began to dis cuss the ancient world with its language, literatures, philosophies, and antiqu ties, a strange inspira tion se-m-d to come over the old man. His eyes began to sparkle, the color came back to his pallid cheeks, and his voice grew tremu lous with excitement as he poured forth with astonishing facility stores of ancient lore. Dinner was announced, but the frugal meal did no* interrupt our conversation nor change its tone, for an hour or longer we sat at the i table, ei joying the lutellec ual re past, but neglecting the food iu- I tended for our bodies. Thus the conversation continued with un abated interest until late in the a'ternoon of that long, hot sum u er day. . When I finally arose to take my , leave, my host sprang to his feet, ' saying, “S:'r, you must not leave today; stay at least over night! For the first time in many years I have met with some one with whim I can converse. I am a lone mam completely isolated. My peasants do not understand me, and there are no inteligent persons in the neighborhood. Bpt tell me, if 1 dare ask, what is your profession, and where is your home?' Whei I had answered these and similar questions to his ; satisfactisn, I, in turn, told him that his personality and the tone ' of our conversation recalled vividly jto my mind the many pleasant hours I had spent while a youth with a teacher of cherished re membrance. -who,” continued I, ‘•reeinbled you so much that I should be led to believe vou are he if your age did not render such a supposition impr< bable. ‘’The gentleman in question can not have passed his fiftieth year, since, at the time when he was my teacher, he was a young man, and ! that was about twenty years ago. If it were not for his display in age, I should certainly take you to be my former teacher, Dr. R. S of the University of G , and for some time professor in the Uni- 1 I versity of M . Scarcely had these words es caped my Ups. when the old man cried out with a quivering voice, “Ah, sir, *ou are not mistaken! I I am that man. Mv name i 8 ,R. $ • Twenty years ago, you j said it was? Let me see. I was then i pastor of a congregation in C ■ in the state of I , where 1 used to 11 equent the house of one of my i parishioners, whose son I was in structing. The youth’s name was 1 remember well was V but 1 had changed it to Greek, and called him Nikon. Ij it possible that you are my Nikon ?" The conversation which follow-} ed was sad. Partly from what he I, related to me of his own free will I THE HUSTLEROF ROME. SUNDAY. MARCH 29. 1896. and partly from his wife, with whom I had an opportunity to J speak in private b.-fore I left, 1 learned the history of these last' twenty years. It would make! angels weep to relate it. Suflice it to say that sinca his I student days lie had been the! slave of an indomitable appetite, I which had ruined him, body and soul, and was dragging him into; an untimely grave. It had crushed I his genius, paralyzed every liable! effort, smothered the fires of his ambition, lowered his id»a!s, ex tinguished the lamp of hope, broke down his iron constitution, and brought him to the verge of des pair. At times, especially after his marriage, he had made efforts to snake off the demon that was j ho'ding him so firmly but his I reformation was always transi- i tory. He had received many a I letter f oin his parents, especially from his Dious mother, entreat ing him, in the name of all that was sacred, to conquer the habit | that was slowly but surely ruining him. One of these lettess, written by his mother, was once f mud by a church officer inthevaca.it par son age, after the pastor had left. Qn reading it, the decon wept like a child. It seems he was an only ( son . The mother called him her dearest hear.-darling, her only much lamented but dearly be loved lost son. She begged of him, for his own sake, for her sake, for his father’s sake, for Jesus’ sake, not to drink any more. She wrote words of cheer and encour agement, told him that all was not lost, that there was one mighty to save, that Jesus would accept him, and that t’ e e was free grace f<>r all. She said that he was not only ruining himself, but making his parents extremely unhappy, and that it wen Id be the happiest day of her life when she should hear the glad tiding that her long-lost son had been found, and was safe. It seems to have been all in vain. He could not do without strong drink. He cursed it, but he must have it. His whole being craved | The ilbhappj Wife inquired of me whether I could not do some thing for her husband. She thought that a position in some institute of learning, w here he would move in a more intellectual atmosphere* and enjoy the society of the schol arly. might possibly enable him to overcome his terrible appetite. If he only had friends to speas a good word for him! Did I know of an opening m some college? W as there no vacancy in the school with which I was connected? If so, would I use my enfluence in his favor? Alas! what could I say under the circumstances? What could be dene for a man who during his whole lifetime had been the slave of an indomitable appetite? Was there a reasonable prospect that he would ever reform, no matter what his surroundings might be? W ith a very sad heart 1 took leave of the unhappy old man. While pressing his hand I spoke words of encouragement to him. I recalled to his mind an impressive sei mon that he had preached { more than twenty years previous, on the power of God to save to the uUermost. I ”Yps,”he replied, “at that time I still had hope: but now hope is dead. J fear I shall never be differ ent.” “W ith God all things are possi ble. He can save to the utter most," was my parting word. Though requested to write me, he has never done so. I learned, however, that soon after he was obliged to resign his position as pastor of that small church, and left for parts unknown. \\ hat a frightful drama such a life presents ! It is the struggling of human soul with its most [pow erful enemy, a'cohol. A man high ly educated, and a minister of the gospel, having in his student years contracted the habit of drinking, becomes a slave to tha intoxicating cup, sinks lower and lower in degradation, and finally, ! after many unsuccessful efforts to . break the tetters of his shameful 1 slavery, gives way to black des- I P«i’- What an important lesson for I young people, especially for those away from home, surrounded by ! temptation, and importuned at , times to take a social glass! Let ; them beware. There is danger i ahead. Young men, do not trifle with the enemy. Like the boa constrictor, he will slowly but firmly tighten his muscular rings around you. Arise in th« majesty of your manhood, and say, “I will not touch nor handle." 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