. Platform echoes: or, Living truths for head and heart . rthat, early next morning, a bitter cold morning lie went toher house. There he found the little creature alone in asqualid room, sitting by an empty fireplace, her arms tightlyfolded round her, as if to keep her little shivering frame fromfalling to pieces, racked, as it was, by the cough from whichshe suffered. Elizabeth, my child,* said the physician, what are youdoing here? Why are you not in bed?* I have not beento bed, sir. Have you not been to bed all night? No. sir. Where are your father and mother? ••They havegone to bed. sir.
. Platform echoes: or, Living truths for head and heart . rthat, early next morning, a bitter cold morning lie went toher house. There he found the little creature alone in asqualid room, sitting by an empty fireplace, her arms tightlyfolded round her, as if to keep her little shivering frame fromfalling to pieces, racked, as it was, by the cough from whichshe suffered. Elizabeth, my child,* said the physician, what are youdoing here? Why are you not in bed?* I have not beento bed, sir. Have you not been to bed all night? No. sir. Where are your father and mother? ••They havegone to bed. sir. Why did they go to bed and leave you up? Father A PITIFUL CASE. 233 brought home a bottle of rum last night, and they drankit and went to bed. And have you been sitting here all night, my child?Yes, sir. Have you had no light ? No, fire? No, sir. Have youbeen sitting allnight in thecold and dark,alone? Yes,sir. Think of thesuffering in bodyand mind thatlittle girl en-% dured in thelong hours ofthat bitter win-try night, sittingfrom night till. j morning, in a bare and deso- V -m THE PHYSICIANS DISCOVEKY. late room, ill, no fire, no light,and without sufficient cloth-ing to keep her frail bodywarm. And there, in an ad-joining room, lay her father and mother beastly drunk. Isay, then, there is no power on earth that will make a manor a woman a devil so quickly as the power of drink. Look at the effects of drunkenness upon a man. Godmade man in his own image; what mars that image andstamps it with the counterfeit die of the devil? Drink does it. Man by nature walks erect and lifts his forehead to the 15 234 GHASTLY WITNESSES. stars, and he is crowned lord of creation: what breaks hissceptre, tears his crown from his brow, and degrades himbelow the level of the beasts ? Drink dues it. What searshis heart, and dams up the fountain of pure and holy altion ? It is the drink. What fills our almshouses and ourjails? What hangs yon trembling wretch upon the gallows/It is the d
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecttempera, bookyear1890
