The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-09-26
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Philadelphia U. S. Gazette.
A REASON FOR ESS.
BY JOSEPH r.. CHANDLER.

JOSEPH II. CHANDLER
Nearly forty years ago we were sitting on q
rock that jutted out towards the plymouth pay
a slight breeze swept up the channel and rippled
its cIlrrent-far off, but between the two project
ing capes, was the line Of the horizon resting Oh
the blue circle of the multitudnous sea. There
was nothing to disturb the scene-it was the
hour of noon-and silence reigned along the
shore, and within the habitations because the
stable is there blessed before enjoyed and the in
vocation, if it bring not down the spirit which il
seeks; lifts up the heart which it reaches.
We had been despatched, that day, with the
dinner basket and the bottle, to The man laborns
among the rocks, and gathering the debris of the
shore. In those days piety herself prottered the
glass, and temperance solaced herself with the
regular cup.
The man had busted himself with his fare, bu
he rendered to us portion of his food-we de-
clined it having already dined.
81 will not offer you any thing from the bot
tle," said he, cit is bad, very bad for the young
and worse for the DID, Nevertouch it Joseph
as you hope for respect in life"
Let us say, that the speaker was the son o
one of the most respectable persons in the coun
try-had been well educated, and started in man
hood with competency but took to rum
From one grade to another, he had gone down
to the rank of common aborerin the town o
his birth, and earned miserable living for a wifi
and numerous children, by the moss mental OF
fees, and went home beastly drunk whenever
he could get rum enough to make him intoxicat
ed He was lost man, miserable object
"Never touch it," said he, Gas you hope fol-
respect in life. 1t is deadly poison, palsying al
physical and mental powers-with its use, mar
is a brute, slave to every one who wishes to
command hm-without it, temperate and indus
trious, he may be what he pleases."
"No man can hope for respect who INDUCES ir
rum-but temperate, and with the education tc
be acquired in our schools, he must grow up in
G i'm
obtain competency. Indulge in this" and he
held to the sun the halfemptieG bottle, "and
shame, poverty, and toll follow; avoid it, and you
may command the services of every one that
sins in this way; may you never be thus com
handed"
The man had been a sot proverbially, from
our earliest remembrance, and though we knew
he possessed spirit of kindness towards Others
we had never heard him thus refer to the sin that
most easily bcset him. We gazed, therefore, tol
some time upon him. before we ventured reply:
at length we said, in a tone marked rather by af-
fectonate solicude, than the forwardncss OF
boyish imperlnence-"lf respect is only found
by avoiding excess in drinking, why then do we
SO many forfeiting that respect" Mr. -
looked little confused, but he was soon prepar-
ed with a reply.
cit is, perhaps, because they have no one to
point out to then, their errors"
"But," said we, "some know their own errors
and can point out the consequences to others
Why do they not avoid theIn!"
A cloud passed across the face of the poor
man-but it was u feeling of pain, not of anger
He rose from the ground on which he was sitting
and standing few moments by my side, his
feelings subsidized to the calmness of the delight
full bay upon which we were looking
"You ask, said he, s'why they do not avoid
the evil consequences of rum. Alas you are
too young to know the influence Of appetite
when the means of qualification are within reach.
z1.a..
is the spirit of intemperance. AT times, it seems
that good resolves will spring up, but the temp
taton is not removed, the evil is repeated; could
there be found some powerful influence, some
humane beip 0 remove the sufferer from the
plague, to RAJ i'm above the attack, he would
perhaps, be say ed BIT who shall do!!?"
"Look along this shore, nearly its whole OK
tent is marked by barren sand, abraded peb
bles-not spire of grass shoots up; for every
tide washes the whitened surface; and should
there at any time spring up beyond us few
green spots of heritage, the acrid waters of the
returning spring tide would destroy it all. There
is far up the bay single exception Mr. -
shutting out the tide and elevatng the soil, 10
portion of the salt water now reaches the en-
closure, which is as green and fourishing as the
upland fields And Just so it is with the drunk
ard. The poisoned glass returns to his lips, as
regular as the tide to this shore. Every house
eIterS, presents tno ETH tuTlCc Il
day his employer provokes and gratfes an APP
petite for the accused poison, in order to stmu
late his muscles to labor. And if single reso-
luton of abstinence is formed in sickness or in
want: it is swept away by the wave of dissipa-
ton. When see the murderous effects ofdrunk
enness, stand astonished, that those who have
got something to lose, should put all to risk upon
every days gratii cation; if they cannot elevate
the fallen above the influence of the waves of
lntoXlcatlon, they might at least place the feet of
their children above the tide"
We were not astonished, child as we were, at
the correctness of the mans perceptions. The
wonder was that he should have ventured upon
expressing them.
"Ifthe effect of drunkenness" said we, 'sis so
injurious, and sobriety is so certain to bring early
respect and ultimate wealth; why do we see so
many; why, indeed one that knowing these con-
sequences INDUCES, in intoxication?"
Cor rather" said the man starting suddenly as