Mysterious Parchment; or the Satanic License

Front matter

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Doty reading his License. See page 116.

Preface

Gentle Reader : I have written a book, and I kindly ask yon to read it attentively. I have aimed to make it both interesting and instructive. If I have failed, it must be attributed to want of ability, and not to my theme.

The subject of temperance has occupied the thoughts of the good and wise of our country for many years, and has to some extent secured their favor, prayers, and hearty cooperation ; and yet intemperance is running rampant over the land, desolating some of the fairest portions of our goodly heritage.

At the present time, the young men of our country are in imminent danger of being drawn into the mighty concentric currents which sweep fearfully through every community, the centre of which is the vortex of irretrievable ruin.

In writing these pages, it has been the author’s constant prayer that he might gain the attention of

PREFACE.

that interesting class of readers, and incite them lo guard themselves against the encroachments of this mighty foe.

Sympathy for the inebriate and his family has also had much to do in producing this volume. The author has long been a laborer in this reform, and has been intimately acquainted with that class of men. If there is such a thing as sorrow, woe, suffering, and anguish of spirit, it is found in the drunkard’s family. If there is such a thing in our land of plenty as pinching want and extreme poverty, it is to be found in the wretched abode of the inebriate. Many of the incidents in this work are true, which have fallen under the author’s observation, and which he has taken from public prints.

Indeed, some of the most horrible and shocking which are mentioned are true, with little or no variation ; such as the death of Howland by falling from the bridge — Philip Hopkins, who froze to death — Philip Saxbury, who fell in the fire and burned to death — Davison’s son, who was killed by drinking too much whiskey — Mrs. Sturdevant, who was knocked down, her flesh and limbs hacked with a sharp knife, by her drunken husband, which resulted in her death — Jenks’s taking the half bushel of corn meal from Rigden for rum, and pushing away his wife, telling her he had a license ; and

PREFACE.

many others mentioned in this work are true, and are given without embellishment or color.

The author’s object in doing this was to transfer within the narrow compass of a small volume the deplorable results of intemperance as they daily occur in real life ; to awaken the reader’s sympathy, and secure, if possible, his hearty cooperation, in this glorious work of reform, that we may have the Maine law — which is the only sure remedy in the wide range of human instrumentality.

The author, in this work, has aimed not to misrepresent the numerous classes of men in this country who are engaged in the traffic. It has been his desire to spread out their characters as they appear to an enlightened community, that they may “see themselves as others see them,” repent, and abandon their work of death, before it shall be too late.

THE AUTHOR.

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INTEREST AGAINST PRINCIPLE, ....... 269

CHAPTER XVH.

FORCE OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT, ...... 278

CHAPTER XVIH.

LEGITIMATE FRUITS, 299

CHAPTER XIX.

THE CLOSING SCENE, 315

THE MYSTERIOl 8 PARCHMENT,

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THE SATANIC LICENSE.