Only One Fault | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 9, 1882

"Only One Fault."

I WAS riding through a bowery country town in Vermont, when I chanced to notice a concourse of people in the church-yard, evidently encircling an open grave.

It was a warm day, and I had ridden ten miles, and I drew the rein under some trees that arched the road, to allow the horse to cool and rest.

Presently a villager came toward me, and I said:—

"There is a funeral to-day in your town?"

"Yes—Stephen. He was one of the largest-hearted men I ever knew. We all owed something to Stephen."

Then he added, in a tone of regret:—

"He had only one fault."

The light fell in pencil rays through the trees. I sat in silence enjoying the refreshing coolness.

The man resumed the subject:—

"He had great abilities, Stephen had. We sent him to the Legislature three times. They thought of nominating him for Governor."

"But," he added sadly, "Stephen had one fault."

I made no answer. I was tired, and watched the people slowly disperse, leaving the sexton to his solitary work.

"A very generous man Stephen was. Always visited the sick—he was feeling—when any one was in trouble. The old people all liked him. Even the children used to follow him on the streets."

"A good man, indeed," I said, indifferently.

"Yes; he only had one fault."

"What was that?" I asked.

"Only intemperance."

"Did it harm him?"

"Yes, somehow. He didn't seem to have any power to resist it at last. He got behindhand and had to mortgage his farm, and finally had to sell it. His wife died on account of the reverse; kind of crushed, disappointed. Then his children, not having the right bring-up, turned out badly. His intemperance seemed to mortify them and take away their spirit. He had to leave politics; 'twouldn't do, you see. Then we had to set him aside from church, and at last his habits brought on paralysis, and we had to take him to the poor-house. He died there; only forty-five. There were none of his children at the funeral. Poor man, he had only one fault."

"Only one fault!"

The ship had only one leak, but it went down.

"Only one fault!"

The temple had only one decaying pillar, but it fell.

"Only one fault!" Home gone, wife lost, family ruined, honor forfeited, social and religious privileges abandoned; broken health, poverty, paralysis, and the poor-house.

One fault—only one.—Youth's Companion.