Washington Telegraph

A Touching Story.—The following beautiful and touching story was related by Dr. Schmucker of Maryland, at a meeting held in New York, to hear the experience of twenty reformed drunkards:

"A drunkard who had run through with his property, returned home one night to his unfurnished house. He entered his empty hall, anguish was gnawing his heart strings and language is inadequate to express his agony as he entered his wife's apartment, and there beheld his lovely wife and darling child.

Morose and sullen, he seated himself without a word; he could not speak, he could not look upon them. The mother said to the angel by her side, "come my child, it is time to go to bed," and the little babe, as was her wont, knelt on her mother's lap, and gazing wistfully into the face of her suffering parent like a piece of chiselled statuary, slowly repeated her nightly orison, and when she had finished, (she was but four years of age.) said to her mother, "Dear ma, may I not offer up one more prayer?" "Yes, yes, my sweet pet pray." And she lifted up her tiny hands, closed her eyes, and prayed: "O God, spare, oh spare my dear papa!"

That prayer was wafted up with electric rapidity to the throne of God. It was heard—it was heard. The responsive "Amen!" burst from the father's lips and his heart of stone became a heart of flesh. Wife and child were both clasped to his bosom, and in penitence he said, "My child, you have saved your father from the grave of a drunkard. I'll sign the pledge."