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Death By Agreement

Death By Agreement image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
July
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Pome thirly or furty yenra ago, Tho. F. liunt figared as atempéranos luuturer. He was a Virginiati by bir li, and a iuin-f ■' of the Presbyerian pvrsnabíod. H B pi-r onal appearanoe was peouli&r. in ohildhDod diaease producid a weakness in hTs btek whiefa resnlted iu deformity, He was tbereby huinp backe), of short body, and of unusuully long arnis. Suob a rriisfortuno often teuds to sour tho disposótion. But cd tho otlier band, dcfurmity sometimes is the countctiiig link betwecn the outward world aud snuie of the nohlest couls of tho race. Of such was Mr. Hunt. His largo liLart was snid to beat n sympathy for the wnes ol his fellow men, especiaüy the inebríate, but woo to the liquor-vender, whenever ho met hiui. Suoh a storm as he uover beard in bis bar-room woukl fiour on bim from a man who feared uone of the ora ft, druuk or sober. Air. Hunt, as was to havo boen expected Irom his vocatioo, traveled. Ju llie time between tlie ycarg 1830 and 1840 ho visited Wilmington, N. G. In ihat town ihere were 38 devotoea of the bottle, who ftyled thcmselves "the jjlorious 38 " This association stuck up posters, calling a meeting at a certaiu ale house, nearly opposito the Presbyterian Church, on ihe Lord's day, for thepurposo of singing the lOOth Psalm, and of taking measurcs to givo Hunt a eather medul (a conhide). ïhe meetng was held. ïho next Öuturday two drunkards died suddenly, and were juiicd on Suuday. On tbe same evening (S jnday) "ttie glorious 38" held another meeting. On the next Saturday another drunkard died, ard was buried on Sunday. On the next Friday night iievions to his dealh, Hunt was sent for n an awful storm of rain, thunder and ghtning, to see him. I will hero let VJr. Hunt teil, in his own words, the en ainder of the fearfnl story, preuiising with the remark that, it is doubtfui whetlier the Iínglii-h language e:in produce a moro grapl.ic picture of horrors : "I found him in awful agonies, his nerves preatly excited, and his mind ïlled with dreadlul lorcbodirigs of apiroaohing death and eteroal sorrow. I ondcavored to soothe him, and partiolly ueceeded, so that fibout 2 o'elook h. in ie feil into a kind of sleep, f that hard, suffocating breathing, and henvirg, nud witohing, and jerkisg, wbicb cuuünuud duiing his elumber, could be called leep. His beart-broken wife, like a ninistering angel, was watching by his ule. He puddeuly awoke in awful ïorrnrs. Kis inind wua wild, and affrighted, aud waudering. Every movemuit in the room causad him to starlle vitli horror. Ho would clinch liis tists rit his teeth, cómpreos his lips, kuit his rows ; thtiu seizing the bed-pnsts, would Hieously beseech us "to savo bim from hem." lic was undcr the impressioD that the if'i(!rs cf justice were ufter him, to trrett bim for the coBimissioQ of some loniblc crime. Then he apprehended .hat God wiis gazing on him n noger. Ie Iried in vain to avuid the gaze. Curo wbicb va.j ho would, closo his ■jes burj his head unler the clotliet, still he buw those IhiIj, piorciog ejes eamii g wrath upon him. He could car the cali for judgment. It eeemed o liiiu louder than auy eound mortals ever h( ard. Useless was the effort to stop bis earí; the sound rose fearfully dist'inct abovu the roaiiug and burstiog of the s'onn then raging in its viole'ice Ie wils certain that a legión of devils was about ti dush at him, and drag ïiin, ïeluctant as he wa?, in all his sins, o mtet his God atd his doom. ith unnatural streng' h and aotivity ie startt'd froin bis bed to llee, and hide imself in death from the indescribable ■orment and horrors of the moment. His wife threw her anus around him to arrest his fiight. He seized her by the hroat, aod with an nnyielding grasp, and demon langli, held hor at arms' ength, exclaimiiiür, "(;ff, oil." Her aco lutned pui ; her tongue lolled out; her.cyes beuinne blooc'-siiot Hut ie huid on laughing, and exclaiming witb loud sliou'f, "UIT, off." Violent neasures had lo bc cmployed to rescue ler. During this storm of the elementa, .loib without and within, the affrighted children were huddled in a corner, joinng their screams to the more than i'ear'ul cataftrophe. He afterwards becamo more oalm. ïe desired to give his drinking comKihiniiF a parting admonition. Tbey efused to come. They dared not witless his death. He solicitud me to preach at his funeral, and &t his burial o warn his companiona, for him, to orsake thcir thoughts and ways. "They will come," he eaid, "to my funeral, although they are unwilling to witness the death from which I desire to warn tbem.' Just beforo his death he desired his wife to remind me of his wish, and uot l'ail to fulfill it. I endeavorod to do it faithfully, plainy, and affectionately. They feit it ; tears stood in tbeir oyes. They thought tboy would heed t, but they did not. They bardcned thoinselves agaiost tbe truth. Oq the way to the grave two of tbem were conversing about the reoently ahirmiug doaths and burials. "I wonder," said one, "wbo will die next?" "I will," said the other, "if you will agree 10 die tbe Suüday after, so that Huntiuay keep bis band iu ol preaching temperance." Jostingly it was agreed to. Tbey went from the graveyard into the grogsbop. There were desperate darings in thoir doings. Tbat Sabbath night, bowever, tbey had sinncd ; before tbey trans gressed itgainst warniue; and eonscienoe Tbey ?inned hard. ïheir revel had been seldom exceeded lor noise and blasphemy. The uproar was furious J)uiitig the progresa of the dobauch, wben every rabjeót, holy and profane, bad for atvhile bccome exbausted, it was rein -ked tbat two of thera had agreed to die on tbe succeeding Saturdaya, and he biiried on Sunday, i'or tliu honor of the 38. Tliey were boih called upon by acclaiuation to pledge themselvesto their work. Tenderness without a capncity of re lieving onl' makes the man who feels i more wretcbed tban the objeot whiol 1 sues for assbtance, - Goldsmilh. Thtir glasees were filled; one aróse and volunteered thus to die. Amid shouts of apprabation, the glasses wuro áraioed and again fillcd. The socon.i then aróse, gises in band, ai d 4 a e, "Here is for the honor of 38 ; sucoet-s to our cause, and a pledge to die ihe S'aturday after '" Dtmous inighl envy tlie laugh and Banda be affrighted at the slineks and stamps, nuil yells and howls ibat fullowed t!io toast. They drnnk a glorioni resurrectiou to tbe drunkard - eternal nfainy upou ail temporalice men. Tliey callcd their lielüsb bacchanals ''the Last Supper." The evening passed away in sin, the week ended in death. Strange to teil, the first man died on Saturduy. In the strogele, in tbe ravings of inania a polu, he believed bimself riding witti tbo devil to hell, and rais ing himsell to tho posture of a race rider, he shouted, "I have beat Lim !" He was buried on Sunday. Wbon bis companio.i, who had volunteered to folluw him, heard of bis dcath, he taa so mucli alurnied us to taks to bis bed, and for awbile it seemed as tbough hewould die. By skillful treatnient be revived, and on Saturday raornng was in tbe market purchasing provisions. Some ooe met hiui und beguu o joke, "What, you hare? Had you uot better be ut borne ? Did you not [dow that you had to die to-day ?" "It may be fun for you," he replied, )ut not so for me. I would give the world "if I could livo tbroughout tbe !ay. I was merely jesting wben I igreed to die ; but so was , and be s pooe !" lio becatno sad and desponding; went lome and took to bis bed, and bufore unduwn was a corpse."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus