Temperance by Rechabite

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Aug 3, 1882

Temperance.

By Rechabite

Wanted His Wages Raised.

THERE are some young men who may see themselves in this incident, which occurred at Bridgewater, N. Y. We asked a young man to attend the temperance meeting on Sunday evening, and his reply was, "My clothes are not good enough to attend church. My wages have been small, and I must have them raised another year, or I sha'n't work for my present employer."

"How much are you receiving this year? You are working on a farm?"

"Yes; and I get $200 for nine months, and my board."

"When is your time out?"

"It will be out in two weeks."

"How much money will you have coming to you then?"

"Not anything. I have drawn more than my pay now."

"How much of the $200 have you spent for clothing?"

"Not quite $40."

"Have you any one beside yourself to support or care for?"

"No, sir; I am for myself."

"What has become of the $160?"

"W-e-l-l, I—I've spent that."

"Oh, you have. Did you put it out at interest? You don't seem to have any great desire to tell where it did go, do you?" Well, let me tell you. In June you drew $20, and went up to Utica to a circus; you got drunk, bet on three-card monte, lost all you had, got into a fight, got whipped, put into the lock-up, (the man who gets whipped, always is the man who gets locked up), and in the morning the Recorder fined you $10. Is this true?

"Yes, sir; but how did you find it out?"

"That don't matter. It seems they did not leave you anything. When the races were at Utica you drew $50 more, and went there. You drank freely, you were just full enough to bet on the slow horse, and lost all you had. You had another fight, and, as usual, received sound threshing, was taken before the Recorder, and for a second offense paid $25 fine. You did not even profit from this transaction. You went to a hop dance; whisky was plenty, and you partook freely. You imagined some one insulted you, and the result was a general row. This cost you $25 more, beside the costs of court, and the paying of your lawyer. I should think you would want your wages raised."

He stood looking at the ground, and then said:—

"I can see it all. What an ass I am. Why I have worked five years for my present employer, and have not laid up a cent. I have worn poor clothes; have found fault because my pay was small. If it had not been for drink, I should now have $500 at interest, should be well dressed, and respected by honest people. I will be at the meeting just as I am, and sign the pledge for life."

He kept his word. He took his pledge that night. He has been true to it, and is now one of the leading young men in Oneida County.

Young men, can you see yourselves in this picture? If you can, heed the truth, and be made better by correcting your mistaken way of living. —Rechabite.