Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-10-10

MISC ELL 4 NEO U s.

VI - y II IL II II ~ II ~ u -
Confession Of Drunkard.-The following
will be read with deep interest, when it is con-
siderod tina, it came from the pen Of the lamen.
tied Charles Lamb:
"Could the youth to whom the favor of his
first wine is delicious as the opening scenes OF
life, or the entering upon some newly discover
ed paradise. look into my desolation, and be
; made to understand what drcary thing 1t is
when man feels himself going down precl
pice with open eyes and passive will--to see
!; his destruction, and have no power to stop il
and yet to feel it all the way emanating from
himself; to perceive all goodness emptied out
=, of him, yet not be able to forget time when il
was otherwise; 10 bear about the piteous spec
tacIe of his own self ruin: could see my fever
ed eye-feverish with last nights drinking,
and ieverishy looking for this nights repetl-
ton of the folly; could he feel the body Of death
out of which | cry hourly with leebIer and
feebler outcry TO be deivered--t were enough
to make him dash the sparkling beverage tc
the earth in all the pride Of lis mantng temp.
Itation.
o! ifa wish could transport me back &c
those days of youth when draught from the
next clear spring could sake any heats which
summer suns and youthful exercise had power
to stir up in the blood, how gladly would re
turn 10 thee, pure element the drink of chill
Idren, and of child.like hermls! In my dreams
| cun fancy the cool refreshment purling owe
my burning tongue. But my waking stomach
rejects it. That which reireshes innocence
only makes me sick and faint
But is there no middle way betwiXt total alb
stinence, and the excess which kills you?-fo
your sake, reader, and that you may never at
tain to experience, with pain must utter th'
dreadful truth, that there is none, none that
can find In ny stage g. Ct habit speak not
iieye 10 be prudentiaD in the stage to which
have reached, to stop short OF that measure
which is sufficient to draw on torpor ana sieeI
the benumbiug apoPlectlc sleep oil the drunk lir
ards TO have none at all: The pain o! sell
denial is all one. And what that Is had IA
Their the reader should believe on my credit thar
, know ON his own trial He will come TO kno"
Iit whenever he shall arrive at the state IL
which, paradoxcal as it may appear, reason
shall only visit him through intoXIcatlon; ioi
liz is fearful truth, that the intellectual iacul
ties. bv repeated acts of intemperance, may DC
driven from their orderly sphere OF ACTON
their clear daylight ministries, until they sha!
be brought at last to depend for the liant man
, festation of their departing energies, upon the
returning periods of the fatal madness, 10 WINCH
thew owe their devastation. The drinking
man is never less himself than during MS SO
Der intervals. Evil is so far good.
Behold me, then, in the robust perloa Oh ne
reduced to imbeclity and decay. Hear me
count my grain, and the profits when l nave
derived from the midnight cup
Twelve years ago | was possessed OF
healthy frame of mind and body. ] was never
strong, but think my constitution, Tor weak
one. was as happily exempt from tendency 10
anv malady as it was possible TO be. scarce
Ilv knew what it was to all any thing. Now
excent when am losing myself in sea OF
drink. | am never free from those uneasy SEN
sations in head and stomach, which are MUG"
worse to bear than any defnielpains and aches'
At that time was seldom in bed alter SIX IN
the morning, summer and winter awoke
refreshed and seldom without some merry
thoughts in my head or some piece oil song lo
welcome the new born day. Now, the hrs'
feeling which besets me, after stretching Out 'o
hours Of recumbencc to their last possible ex'
tent. is n forecast Of the weurisome day thai
lies before, me with secret wish tnat coulo
have lain on still or never awaked.
Life itself, my wuking life, has much OF the
confusion the trouble and obscure PerPle%lty Of
an i'll dream. In the day time stumble upon
| dark mountains
Business, which though never particularly
adapted 10 my nature, yet as something OF nc
ccssity TO be gone through and therefore bes
Undertaken with cheelulness, | used TO enter
upon with some degree of alacrity, now wea
ries, afrrights, perplexes me. fancy all sorts
/, OF discouragements, and am ready to give vi
an occupation which gives me bread, from
harrassng conceIt Of ncnpucity. The slight
!. est commission given me by my friend or any
small duty which have to perform for myself
as giving orders to tradesmcn, &c. huunts M
as labor impossible to be got through 81
much the springs Of action are broken.
The same cowardice attends me in all my in
tercouyse with mankind. ! dare not promise
thu, mans honor, or his cause would be safe
in nv Keeping, if we're put 70 the expense Q
anv manly resolution 10 defending it, 81
. much the springs of moral action are deoden
B ed within me.
NV fayorite occupations in times past nov
ceuse TO entertain. lean do nothing readily.