The music ceased, and, rising, the drinker passed from the place, unheeding the call of the barkeeper to “stop and take another drink.”
I followed him home, saw his wife and lame daughter, and learned from the state of their minds that he had resisted all their pleadings to remain from the rum-shop, and had even raised his hand threateningly to his child. He said nothing that night, but went quietly to bed. In the morning I was there. Softened and humbled in mind, the man sat looking out of the window. I went to his daughter, influenced her to call her father and talk to him, as she had never done before. It was the voice of the spirit calling to him to look up higher, to pray for a strength to resist temptation, and to strive to live a better life. Amid tears of contrition he promised; by the bedside of his invalid child that man took the pledge, and so far it has been kept, and his family are content, while his spirit child is happy.
On another occasion I was at a home, drawn there by a spirit who solicited my assistance for her brother, who was addicted to drink. He, too, had a wife and family of little ones. At the time of my visit, he was possessed with an insane desire for liquor. I heard him promise his wife he would take none, but I had no faith in his word.
He went out. I influenced his little girl to follow him. She was a child of about eight years of age, and evidently stood in great fear of her father. We followed him, saw him enter a liquor saloon. I tried to induce her to enter, but she was afraid. “I’d like to follow pa,” she said, “but I don’t dare; he’d beat me.” Still I urged, and at last, gathering firmness from the spirit world, she boldly entered the saloon, and addressed the barkeeper, who was mixing a drink for her father, thus:
“Don’t you give my father anything to drink, mister; it makes him crazy and sick, and everything is awful bad at home, and mother cries all the time.” She was greeted with a loud laugh by the bystanders, but taking no heed, she seized her father’s hand, saying: “Come, father, don’t stay here; let’s take a walk.”
“Yes, yes, little girl, let’s take a walk; this is no place for you,” he answered, and, winking to the barkeeper, and whispering: “I’ll be back soon,” he suffered the child to lead him away.
I impressed the child to lead her father toward the water. The evening breeze was blowing cool and refreshing. “Father,” said the child, “doesn’t God see us now?”
The man was evidently startled, but answered: “Yes, I suppose he does, if there is any God.”
“Oh, of course there’s a God,” pursued the child. “Don’t the minister say so, and didn’t grandma use to pray to him? Grandma’s an angel now. Do you ’spose she saw us in that horrid place, papa?”
“Good heavens, I hope not,” answered the man. “Come, you’d better go home.”