Temperance | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 2, 1880

Temperance.

WHAT WE SAW.

JUST after leaving the office, a few days ago, we saw a man, well clad, moving very slowly and evidently very drunk. A pretty little girl, five or six years old, her face wet with tears, was holding the man's hand and trying to lead him along. Two little boys were with them, and all the little ones seemed deeply concerned about something. The man at last stopped, reeled off the sidewalk, sank on his knees, and then sat down on the sand. He was all the time muttering to himself, and now seemed endeavoring to say something to the children.

The poor little girl that had been leading her father, was greatly perplexed when he sat down in the dirt. She went up to him, and lovingly threw her little arms around his neck, as if to charm him by her love to another effort to go home. We saw her tiny hands as they met back of the father's neck. Strong men, hurriedly going home, stopped and moaned at that spectacle of helpless love, and maudlin drunkenness. The little girl was very neatly dressed, and the apparent gentility of the group gave hideous emphasis to the lesson before us. "What can we do?" said a stalwart gentleman near us. With our hearts bursting with sympathy we answered: "Nothing, but to get a policeman to take him home." How long, O Lord, shall such things be! A little further on stood an unconcerned saloon keeper in the door of his shop.—California Christian Advocate.