Ari t ginat tiymmunitatitoto. THE FATAL DRAUGHT. By Rev. Peter Stryker, D.D. " Sir, will you, come this afternoon, and attend the funeral of my wife Often before had I received such invitations, for alas! a large part ea pastor's duty is to com fort the bereaved, and assist them in paying due respect to the dead they must soon bury out of their sight. But this was a peculiar cue. The first glance at the countenance of the stranger who. stood before me, afforded ample evidence of this, fact. Poor man! he looked the very .pertionifica , ., tion of despair. He was young, probably,u,ot,over, twenty-five years of age. He was sprymptly ;in humble circumstances, yet very respeo Wl.ein his person and demeanor. His answer to a few general questions :whichl , necessarily asked him for information, reycaled a desire on his part to tell me his history. • His heart was overflowing, and it was an actof benevo lence to listen to his tale of sorrow. The ac count he gave of himself is full of painful inter est. I rehearse .it not because it is tragical, but because 1 trust, it may suggest some useful les sons to my readers. Let me give it as ()ming, from his lips, although the words may not . be pre cisely those be used in relating it to me. "1 was married aboitt a year ago to her who now:lies a corpse at my dreary home.. She was kind and affectionate, and very pleasantly we lived ; together,.., I . was brought up in _the Reformed Dutch Church, and attended the ministry of the Rev. Dr. S., of whose church my mother is still ; a member. After !marriage my wife and myself attended the Methodist,Episcopal Church. W often went to the.meetings held on week evenings as well a.s.those held on the Sabbath day, and both of us became deeply interested in the subject of religion. With good health, a prosperous bus iness, industrious habits, and affection for each other, and Ltrust an increasing, regard for God and holy things, life with us passed pleasantly along. "But oh 1 how short the joy ! . Through. the treachery of one who professed friendship, the money w j hieh.for severallyears I had,accumulated by my industry and economy, in one day, was torn from me. I lost my position in business, and was left penniless. This exceedingly, mortified as well as discouraged me. "With a weary heart I left and in the great cOmmereial, metropolis, New• York, sought to,obtain business and establish a home. Having. obtained comfortable and• respectable apartments, I brought hither my wife and furni ture, and, our hope was, with youth / and strength, and earnestness ion our side, we would be prosper ous, and in time be able to regain that which we, had ,lost. "But our 'misfortunes had only commenced: like, landlord with whom I had formed an agree ment, regardless of his word, and 'careful only , to secure his own pecuniary interests, had let our rooms to others, and we were, compelled to. take temporary residence in a tenement house in a wretched part of the city. This greatly depressed us both.. Still we rallied each other,, hoped for better things, and tried to be cheerful. "My first effort now 'was to find work. lam by trade a silver plater`; and although only a journeyman, often do what is called over-work. The poisonOus'sOlatious used in our husinesi almost always had' mimed - at my home; ready to be used as opportunity 'offered. This "gave me no . care, 'as there were no children or servants about who migh'theinjuied 'bythem. My wife knew all about the nature of these solutions, for she often saw me Prepare and-use them. Only a few days ago when I was preparing one of these so lutions, she playful* , asked - if a draught of it would prove fatal. I feilied, I did not know, probably 'it would, but certainly it would produce very serious injury to any one who might taste it. 'The day'after this conversation I went out' again' itr search of employment. Weary and un successful I - Tett:lined in the a . fternoon f and judge of my astonishment and mortification, when I per ceived- from her looks and words and actions that my wife was partially intoxicated. 'This was a new trial, and greater by flu* than all the others. We had iboth always. been temperate, strictly. temperate. , How then •had this occurred•? " When I questioned ler 'she said an English woman had enticed her, and had induced •her to drink a glass of liquor., I reproved her for being so intimate with a stranger, and especially for drinking` Witlf her: My poor wife—she was very quick in' her teniper—l 'cannot think she meant to kill herself. Stimulated by the vile liquor which she' had' taken; She surely could,not have' known what , shO was about. Instantly she be came enraged at my Words ofcensure, end nothing conld-1 say to pacify her. '"With a Sad heart h dropped into a Asir, and leaned trithead upon my hand, thinking what I cOtild:sity to - quiet her temper. While thus mus inkover 'my afflictions, I heard a elickoind tam ing,lntw nit wife hOldingle cup-the' poison cup— the very.odeishe]had'i day'or two before askdd me abouttLana it etas eoin . pty. She had just drained it of its Atftents. 'How do you like that, for a chan;9B7tVida t eh f e. The 'dreadful truth - flashed over -niLt•iil ssir it-in the empty cup. I saw it in the already changing countenance Of the but erring one. She was poisoned, and that by THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1868. her own hand. I laid her upon the bed, and flew for the doctor. In a few moments I returned, but it was too late—the draught had proved fatal —she was dead. 0 sir, lam a wretched man. Pray for me, and come and speak a few kind words at the funeral of my poor wife." This was substantially the story of the bereaved young husband as he related it to me. It filled my heart with sorrow and induced a train of re flections. There would be very little satisfaction, dear reader, for you to accompany ms to thellons6 of mourning. All that we can do there is to try to comfort the few disconsolate friends who weep around the boffin 'of that e.rring one. But there s i re lessons of instructien . which may not be, ex pressed in that circle, but which you and I should dimply lay to heart. let us now glande 1. One step in, life leads to another. Ifuman experience is a chain, and days and deeds fur' nisli the links of which it, is composed: The, man who basely cheated that young mechanic out , of his accumulated saving:s.was guilty of mur-, der. Pprhaps he did not 'intend this. But he forged the - first link in that chain which teftni natea iti . the Tearful death wp haVe notfced. , Nay God have mercy on him. , :and' the thousand of other iron=hearted wretches in' the commercial' community who, like hnugry beasts of .prey, fat ten on the bodies and souls of their weaker fel low .mortals That landlord, who for a trifling consideration, violated his verbal contract. - and deprived' that young couple 'vf their' home, was guilty of mur der. He forgkci the second' great link in that chain which lea I to death. May God have mer cy on • those rapace us capitalists who speculate on: the hearts and hoa of the poor, and'hesitate net to defraud the ,hell aif they can add a farthing to their own unhallo d abundance l • That rumseller . - wh sold the drtigged liquor which:proved so, evil in its consequences,,and the stranger who;, not content with making a brute of herself, - enticed another to swerve from the path of sobriety and safety—they each were , guil-• ty of the crime of murder. It would be 'useless for such persons to say they only sell , or give to those who wish to buy, or are willing to .drink. The terrible effects of the liquors now in market are', well known. They are nothing but poison. May God have mercy on.the thousands'of guilty ven-, der.% and the ten thousauds of giiilty:tempters who decoy the young and unstable •in paths of inebriety arid death • ' ' The. subject. of cause and effect is very, exten sive: LetUs see to it,'When the great day of rev elation appears; and these intricacies are uurav elled, when our treacherous memory is revived, and truth in its various bearings and dates re , vealed--let us see to it we do . not then stand among : the guilty throng who hy temptation and. fraud have brought ruin upon our neighbors.and destroyed them soul and body. 2. That one glass of intoxicating liquor proied fatal, for, its immediate effent led to the draught of poison. It is the first glass that always does the mischief. This makes the drunkard. .This, leads the,drunkard often to the depths of crime as well,.as dissipation. If all would-avoid the one glass, the first glass, what a different 'world this would be! No inebriate woUld then - walk our streets, or roll in our gutters. ' " Fa`milies would not be disgraced, and hearts and homes would not ,be , rendered desolate. The scaffold would then hardly be known. Our prisons and jails might be cloged, and offices of justice would be gentlemen of leisure, and. civil law might hold a long and happy jubilee. Imagina tion can hardly picture the beautiful scene that would then spring to view, Earth would again 'be changed to,Eden, and innocence , and joy again bless our race. And why not pray to G,od i and plead with , man,' and try with 'self to , -secure this blessed idatiltl Why P44OO l OE l * ?, shy not, I ask,.by example and :perguasiorr, and , ' iffarnest, 'holy, untiring influence;' endeavor' dash to the ground that first glass; <Which - so often leads to ruin? Nie)pr44oni , !de - not with your irresistible, voice and , smile, ask that young man to take.from.,yourland thakone: glass of sparkling beverage, for it may lead ,him to drunkenness, debauchery, eternal,death. MAW? Christian, do not lift that one, glass to your lips, lest : your child.; or 'some beloved young .friend, who depends mach upon your ,ex.ample, should see t the act, and, imitating you,. drink, ,drink deeply, and, die. Dear youth, listen ; to our im portunate entreaty Think well before ypu; touch the intoxicating bowl. .",,Look not up,on the wine when it is red, When. it giveth,his . color in the cup, when it,movethritself aright, At last it biteth like a serpent and ! stingeth, like an adder." Prov. xxiii..3l, 32. There is a demon lurking in that ond glass. His eye is fixed on you:: lie has selected you as his victim. Only drink, and he will ttike up,his abode 'within you, and commence those, insidious operatians which will bb likely to end in your everlasting destruction: , Refuse the.liquor,!tread on 'the head of the ;vile: serpent; , and you Will be safe. In, this' age of ,temptatioii, fraud , and ine briation, the only sanctuary 'for, moral virtne, next'to piety, is in total. abstinence from! all' that will intoxicate, and the great hope is ,in the youth, who as yet` is 'uncontaminated' Iby the deadly poison ; 3.'What a.danyferous thing t's•an9dr. Likel rniiawa'y ho'ne, it breaks through all restraint, and considers not whither it goes, or what will be the final result of its action. How careful should we be to keep our passions in control. Conscious of the fact that there is much in this world that is irritating, and that we are liable at any mo ment to meet with that which will tend to pro voke us, it is the part of wisdom for each to guard himself against the trial, come in what form it may. By prayer, by the cultivation of meekness and forgiveness, by meditation, gld more than all, by trust in Jesus andfe imitation of Hid'forbearance and .holy suffgring, we should. constantly brice ourselves for the season of pro vocation, which sooner or later will come. Hasty brother, put your tongue under bonds to keep the peace. gtibject your passions to bit and bridle, and then, like a good reinsman, hold on Gaily and VatchfnllY. Let your judgment ever preside over the citadel of your mind, and keep'all the forces in therough command. "An ger resteth in the bosom of fools," Ecc. vii. 9. " He that bath no rale over liis'own spirit, is like` a city that is 'broken. dawn and without walls," Prcii • Go to the coffin of that young wife, and as leu loOk upon teat form dad and arrayed' for burial, think of the folly bran'ger. One wiCked• thought,' one wicked yielding,to Satan, One hasty deed, and what a sad and aWful result And So it may be with you, passionateman. With your excitable disposition you are in constant' and, imminent danger. Be persuaded to watch and pray lest . ,you enterinto temptation. ReStrain your thoughts' and feelings, your words and deeds, or in some unguarded moment yea may speak a word, or strike a blow which will end in disgrace, perhaps death to another or yourself. "Passions indulged beyond a certain bound Lead,to a precipice, and plunge in woe Tli'e,beedleis agent." • - REV. A. At. STEWAIVPS LETTERS--XVW. •CAL}FOR.NIA;'ST,A4E PAIR Words often'ehange , their meaning, as do per sons their conditions, or a. people :their habit's. Our Vanglish'word FAIR, requires 'an academic education in order to comprehend its varied ark- Plications, and the'idea's and things it is used to cover. With the adj'ective-noun , State prefixek we are not expected to write of things clear, beaui tiful,Ture,4en, favorable, candid, spotless or honest as maybe done under :this' same volatil e word. If as a State affair ; the word be derived from the Latin Forirm—all right. -The Forumi was a wide open space, where our Latin grandamesl with their gallitnis , met together to talk, and gos-i arulhear'speeehes and in , gbneral way killi time: TheVietee nary Jew_aad. _cunning crafts .man, though at first on . the sly, introduced 'for' safe-their wares and pelf into this fashionat;le ,gathering. ' It was a hit. The:thing grew, and the gorthia: became at length a Fait. Church • •If charity county''-fairs, State :fairs had I seen on the Ithintie slope even to repletion:— A-strong—desire, however, existed . 49 ~see„i a Fair, , on the _PncifiA l This not so much :in order to look upon the cattle, pigs and fast horses; j the machinery and fine arts; the men and women on this side of our Continent , in all these the Atlantic side must still excel. My special deslie was' to, look upon a collection of fruits ,and vegetables from all party of California. On : my preaching tout frorn i :niddle'pjevada to San Francisco desire was gralited. Saeramento, the State. ;apical, was the place itir - the eibibition of 1868. Here I arrived when thAhoi had been in progress fora week, and to continue in fniiiblast for an additional seven , days. :Could State 'fair projectors in Eastern, &id - die; or N'ortlaern States manve to keep an inimense gathering for two weeks together, with the interest unabatedit their exhibitions? The - se Californians excel. WMBE-RACING AND G*NIBIANG As titid yeketieral impression) i4ideOpettitig, that ,nearly all our Eastern State and county Fairsare• fast degenerating--fallidg under the controllt of torse-jockeys, sharpersland 4/lacklegs. Such ex hibitions may and' ought' to be thade.honorabley , i pleasani ind'pibfitable/for ;advancing 'and perfect- , ing the interests?of - haticuAture, farming and me: chatiism. A .hope didieiist that •California • in. ber.marveliens farmititintere.sta might bean ex-) ceptiori—g - et`a. better start and do ap Fairs More . henestly, honorably, and profitably. This hope is gone. Her. anniversary , has 'been seen and the. impression, was a deep and sad one, that 'the large majority of the, gathering are sharpers,„ jOckeys, blacklegs and abandoneil, wonien, , and by their , speciinfluence the interest of the, fair is kept, up tor' two weeks, together, , . Our train from Nevada across 'the Sierra. Ne vada mountains arrived' in Sacramento; ,at Stage, omnibus and carriage drivers were shoat, ing `at every "street corner; l'out bits to the , Fair grounds." • These •were out from the city, two miles.' .I was soon °Thud there—paid my entrance. fee ,of, tour,bits,.aind stood within the' large en, closure. My .first inquiry,was after the place. of exhibition Tor fruits, manufactures and machinery; and I was coollydnformed; were in the large pavilion back in the city and would be open in the evening." Sold to the ganiblers was' yOur correspondent; and he tried to ,make the'best, of his barter. ' I - Th,e show of horses, cattle and sheep was ma: gre:and! without special .excellence. No pigs, tnrkeyS, geese, duckS•and'ehickens with which E h aftern:airs are alWays.ornaniented; ' L'he races. J• were the fair, and were presently sounded. An immense assembly of men and women, boys and girls was there. Rugged looking men, coarse wo men and rude boys and girls. Was this Califor nia ? My heart was sick and hopes for her fu ture dimmed. There was an openness, a perfec tion, a mere business matter in the stakes, the bets and the gambling, not heretofore understood. As two or three horses were parading and getting ready for the course; a crier, appointed for the purpose, mounted a stand with a clerk on each hand, and shouted; "Who bids r —pointing to or naming such or such a horse. From hundreds down to fives were usually shouted with the mo ney at the same time deposited on the spot—name and amount entered by the clerks. •Thus each horse was gone, over and his favorers heard from.; The race came. Nothing extra either in horses or time; yet ;did that vast crowd of men and wo men sway to and; fro, clap hands, •shout ;and scream; as one or another poor animal, lashed to its utmost speed distances its competitor. A. most degrading scene. Little in advance of a bull fight or the old gladiatorial show. At and around the entrance to the race course were tiumerdus . large tents and hastily constructedl wooden .buildings, in which gambling was carried on, informs, and to - an extent; which in•my ig norance had not hitherto been conceived. Being in for * the show, I took an extended tour of •ob servation through each and all of them. -Piles of gold Itnd silver, as in a bank, were on billiard; card, dice and faro tables; and constantly chang ing hands. Here andthere'a fashionably dressed female was handling the dice and the 'money with a quickness and facility, which did credit'tn the most adroit blackleg. During rny inspectien, occasional hanter‘for a •Stake and a 'throw were' given : , .1 escaped, however, by a neglect in early education, not knowing the difference between one card , and another. California , is thus •reaping. some of the sad fruits, outgrowths from that wild fever after gold which, in years past; so flooded all her territory; nor has as yet altogether abated. Strung along each side of the way from race course to city and into the city, were all manner of shom4, giin-cracks, fables, wonders, and gerry-- manders—all with signs and voice inviting' pas isers:bie to enterand be amused for a considera-. tion. It' was" , in such a place that Whitfield :erected his stand-and successfully preached Christ. 'Ohl for Whitfield's zeal and eloquence here.. • EVENING .EXHIBITION A new and beautiful world it seemed. In an immense pavilion hall, , with .high .basem9nt for. Ifruits and vegetables and adjoining sheds for 'machinery, was, held' the fair proper. 'Not ,orie of the crowd racers and . gamblers seemed to 'be present. A new generation of humanity was 'there. An assemblage of real gentlemen and ladies —refined, fintelligent antiinterested--eiOwded the spacious'corrid'ors. How delightful 14 tontiast with 'the' gathering of the afternOon I Hope for CalifOrnia yet. In machinery, mainafactures and industrial arts, the Exhibition was pleasing and promising , --)Terhad I 'Seen larger and finer. inierdst 1; was the basement among earth's immediate ,prodnetimis. ' Horticultural exhibitions and beau ' itiful ones too, had been seen in various Atlantic I :States ; yet nothing like this. I had never im , agined that such product;ions grew on tiees or in the ground. Stich apples, pears, peaches, plums, I rneetarines, figs; lemons, oranges, pomegranates, almonds, strawberries—strawberries all the year 'round, anitgiwpes, than which Esdhcol could have yiel'de'd none finer.' And'all these produced with a certainty, a re.ularity, with 'an ease and in ari ~ a.bizindanee only;ualed :by the demand. ' Even' mow the amount of these coveted fruits far ex ceeds any demand or want. Abundance of 'fruits th,t would amaze Philad.ilphialnarkerers, dedaYs jupbritthe ground' for lack of consumers t. ' The fegfetdble grcivith is equally abundant; d 'even more *Onderful. I almost hesitate, for fear ordisbelief to name the'weight of the fergetabied - I )everything in California goes by wei:ght: Onion `s` and potatoes weighing pounds ; and beets from teil'toa hundred and fifty pounds. The endr anneS oned'not the growth.of 'a single : season,-biit .bn't -twO or threo years together. By easy this wonderful region may.readily Made tie' '"Garden of the world?' lia.Twe not antieipate'ere long a railroad from here to Philo,- , delphia., New York, and Boston, and used for no other purpose than the speedy and not'toO costly 'transportation of California fruits and vegetables. Delightful' union this between the Atlantic and Pabific. 'A. M. , SITEWART. - 'Sept., - 1868. - , ,-,OUR OWN MISSIONS. Kansas City is on the extreme western border of Missouri. A few years since it was .the head quarters ,Of the ,Border Ituffitans—the outpost of, civilization. With great difficulty religion gained a footholditt:that reckless community. A church was plaiated,.other churches followed, there and, beyond; far into the wilderness. The work, goes on bravely . On the, first Sabbath of •this month (October); : 'Kansas City witnessed `a strange eight , r-a thril= ling, scene. The Synod of Missouri were in' ses sion. Ten young.men, all, of them buf; two .from the last senior_ class . of New York,Union.TheoloL, gical Seminary, college-bred; one of them,a,,Co,• lonel and.,manther a Major in, the Union 'Army,- :made ; aphaationrto be ; ordained to ' t4O : NvOTk. of 'the gospel ministry. Their application was grant- ed. The ordination service took place in the evening. The use of the Southern Baptist Church was courteously granted for the occasion. It was a new thing under the sun. No such scene had ever before been witnessed beyond the Missis sippi. The next day they went forth to their work— the most of them among the new settlements in south-eititern ICansas,—all of them having been commissioned and sent forth by the Presbyterian Committee of Home Missions. The event was signaltzed by the prospective erection of the Sy nod of Kansas,—two new Presbyteries, Humboldt and Smoky. Hill, having 'been created for the purpose. • These results, so cheering and so full of prom ise, have not been reached Without a large outlay ,of 'missionary appropriations, involving a heavy burden for years to come. At the same time, new missionaries have been sent to feeble churches in the East, in the Center, and in other parts of 7 tie West—to Wisconsin, lowa, Minnesota, Colorado and California—others will soon be on their way to Wyoming Territory, and the Pacific coast; The Committee . have deemed it their sacred duty to avalfthernselv - es, of - every providentialcp ,portunity to send forth laborers of suitable quali fications into the vast harvest field, and to extend the boundscf the Church as:far and as fast as God , opened the. way. ,A.t,the same, time, they have withheld aid from none of the feeble churches that asked - it, in any part orthe field, when ' ap plication Rhea been ;properly, made, and recom mended. To meet these increased expenses .they must look to-the Churches .the 'almoners cf . God's bounty., While the American Board was appeal ing so loudly, of late, for'the .$200,000 of which they stood in need, it was not deemed best to make a special appeal for Home Missions. That, exi gency has happily passed away. And now another ;exigency is !won us. Our own Missions here at ho'rne demand a large 'iAcre . ase in contributions. To 'meet the claims of the missionaries the Trea surefliaS been compelled"to procure loans to the amount of eighteen thousand dollars, leaving in addition to thisnum an indebtedness to the mis sionaries of more than . ten thousand dolla.rs.. Not less 'than thirty thousand dollars are needed to-day to meet these and other accruing obligations. All this is needed at once, and' should be forthcom ing. This state of the Treasury is owing not to any extraordinary deficiency in receipts. The income for - the past five months has been in excess of the corresponding months in 1867. The summer months, however, yield much less than the winter months. Consequently the latter must be dis °counted to help out the former. In the mean itime, the work las,grown rapidly. Larger con ;tribntions are demanded from the friends of Mis sions. Fifties should 'be made hundreds, and hundreds thousands. Ile who gave ten mustgive twenty dollars. Thank offerings should flow into the' treasury for prOVidential mercies. All our pastors and sttited'auPplieS should see to it that the annual collection be not delayed; that the people be thorOughly infermed as to the greatness of the work, and the pressing need of funds, and secure as large a contribution for the cause as possible. An urgent'necessity is •on us to extend 'our operations Southward among the Freedmen: and arrangements are new in progress' for earnest and speedy work in this 'direction, of which the churehes will soon'e duly infoemed. then, to the reseue. Put the Committee in funds." Bid them"go forward. One church, that gave last year' $278; gives this year nearly 01,006. .others are doing nobly. Let every church - do its best, and do it speedilY. In behalf of the Committee, EDWIN F.' HATFIELD, Ohairtrtcr`rz and actirig Secretary. AmoNat WommeS most indisputable "Rights" must be reckoned that of settling the principles and'methods of her own dressing according to the dictates of 'common sense. The following rehear ses a movement which is certainly in the" right direction 'and would bohr copying in other parts of the' world "A Conference of the women of Germany has been called to meet at Stuttgart on Saturday last. Among the subjeCts tcl ; be . discrissed a reform in women's dress by: whichthe vagaries of fashion will be obviated. As : a basis for such a reform, the promoters of the Conference have agreed that no thing shall be regarded as old-fashioned which has once been found useful, appropriate, and be coming; than nothing new shall be adopted until itlas ;been proved to, be,.suitable and in good taste;. that all garments and, al.l appliances of the toilet that - are,,unwhelesome shall be cast aside; and that,aa inquiry shall be made whether a large saving May not be :realized in articles of dress. En that expettetti may be brought more into harmony with income." , Self SupportAnionOgstem.Christians.—The Harpoot ('Turkey) plismon has fifty-nine preaching stations, in a district comprising ®istered Pro testant population, of 2910 souls. 01 this whole number, .2,834 on an average attend the Sabbath Eer vie4deaving - only an - average of seventy-six per' sons-at'hotne or.unreprtsehted. Our.church edifices would .):)e '" too strait forms ".,if any such , phenome non of devOtion were to 'happen in America. Again' t h e n cOntribUtion's of '`this' thia- oppressed and poverty `stricken people incraasedlast, year-f rom 90,0()0 to 1113,000, Tiastres; "dnaost, all giving a tenth of all thfy got. In the city Harpoot, the ChriF- Alan who 'does mot igive iiitc-tenth is -an exception (here, the one who does, , is.the exception), and the 'rule is rapidly growing to a universal one through out the-mission churchiCa.'The same principle is be ginning to takezoot. among.the native pariatians in India.
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