, 1842-03-12
TIE ANCE.
From the Richmond Christian Advocate.

ANSN' - Hh>N 'ASh
the half glass of wine, was George Morgan, Of
the State of New York. He began his career
with tasting wine, and soon exhibited a strong
relish for other intoxicating drink. At this pc
siod he made his addresses 10 a young lady, who
was a member Of a temperance society, and IRE
proachfully) denominated iee- totasr. Her reply
was 10. She then added, there was 4 time when
/ would have given a different answer. An ex-
PLANTATION followed. She alluded to his increas-
ing relish for wine and other intoxicating drink,
as the cause of her present opposition to an un-
ion with him, and of her determination not to
enter matrimonial life with any man, who drank
any thing stronger than water.
There was TO be a temperance meeting on the
Sabbath afternoon following. She was willing
to engage hcrselt conditionally. The conditions
were these: He must attend that meeting, and
enter his name 10 the temperance pledge, and 60
through a trial of twelve months TO ascertain the
strength of his principles. He went, signed,
and served out the period of probation. The
preparations were made for the wedding, ruth
the exception Of one thing. The question was
whether wine should be provided: but it was
decided by the parties themselves, and their
friends, that wine should be excluded. But the
mother of the girl was in favor of wine; not Tor
her own sake. but for her friends a~lledging that
it was only for once, and that ii was the last OPP
porfuniiy Git being her last daughter that she
uould hare for entertaining her friends.
The long expected evening arrived. Wine
was handed and refused by many, including the
bride and bridegroom. 1t was handed again and
nestly solicited to share a wine glass between
them. She drank first, and pressed him TO fin
ISL the glass. The old appetite was awakened,
and was not easily satisfied. He drank again
and again, and was intoxicated, beastly so, before
the company retired. Alas. this was hot all ;
he died about twenty-eight months afterwards,
never having had a sober interval from the time
of drinking, on the wedding evening, that fatal
shalt glass of wine"
From this story, which is told as a fact, we
learn that it is possible for drunkards to abstain
from all intoxicating drinks, as multitudes of 9TH
er instances show-that wine, innocent as it is
said to be, leads on to strong drink and that
there is no safety or hope for one who has begun
to sip, or wishes TO reform, but "to touch not,
taste not, handle not the unclean thing"
As an illustration here, drawn from experi-
ence, not theory, l will introduce a remark made
on this point by the reformed drunkard who told
this story. He had reformed about 6 years, and
had been a hard drinker for Is years. Said he,
were / to taste a drop of wine it would excite
my old appetite beyond the control of myself or
others, and before midnight should be prowling
through your streets with all the fury Of a ma
mac
Wine and cordials, like milk to the infant, pre-
pares the stomach for something stronger. The
milk is drawn from woman, and shall we add
what this story says, as well as thousands of wit
nesses, that these preparations for stronger drink
are provided too on festive and social occasions
by woman. The motive may be the showing OF
kindness to the guests-perhaps TO avoid the sus-
picion of favoring temperance, or TO escape the
insinuation of meanness and parslmony, or IN
submission to long cherished custom. The iact
is indis putable, let the motive be what it may
But the preparation is not all. They make the
hook and put on the bait. They do not look In
to the vista of the future, and see the future
drunkard in the slipper of a 'half wine glass;
The taste of wine, at least, is not agreeable to
the natural taste and must require the grace and
smile of woman to lead to the first transgression.
The old maxim, and a good one, 'auoid Begin
nings," when ever broken, should never point
to you as offering the temptation, neither in the
preparing the drink, nor soliciting to its use: for
remember "the half glass Of wins.."
Ladies, if you would have sober husbands
sons, or fathers, beware of even the half glass
Of wine exclude cordials and wine from your
social evening parties, and erer4 your grace ana
5eaaty, these are your arms, to influence your
husbands, friends, fathers, and sons to touch
not, taste not, handle not the unclean thing
One who adopted the resol.dion 70 years ago.