Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-06-23
The Tipsy ParsOn.
By T. S. ARTHUR.

In village not a hundred miles from Phila.
deiphia, resided the Rev. Mr.. Manlius, who had
the pastoral charge Of a very respectable con.
gregation, and was highly esteemed by them !;
but there was one thing in which be did not
give general satisfaction, and in consequence of
which, many OF his church felt seriously scan
dalized. lie would neither Join a temperance
society, nor omit his glass, whenever he felt in.
S,,ned to take tit is en,S ,a,s ;" say however,
Quent occurrences. II was moro the priuciple
Of the thing, As he said, that he stood upon, than
anything else. that presented his signing a TEN.
perance pledee. Sundry were the attacks. both
open and sec. ct, TO which the Rev. Mr.. Manlius
was subjected, and many were the discussions
into which he was drawn, by the friends of to.
tai abstinence. His mode of argment was very
summary.
| would no more sign a pledge not 10 drink
brandy, than | would sign a pledge not 10 steal
was the position he took. i wish to be free
to do good or evil, or TO act right, because it is
wrong TODD otherwise. / do not find fault with
others for signing a pledge, nor for abstaining
from wine. II they think it right, it is right for
them. But as for myself, | would rather cut OF
my right hand than TO bind myself BY mere ex-
ternal restraint. My bonds are internal princi-
pies. am temperate because intemperance is
sin. For men who have abused their freedom,
and so far, lost all rational control over them
selves, that they cannot resist the insane spirit
of lntenperance, the pledge is all Important
Sign it | say, in the name Of Heaven but do
not sign it because this, that, or the other tenn
perate man has signed it, but because You feel
il to be your only hope. Do it for Yourself, and
do it if you are the only man in the world who
acts thus. To sign because another man whom
you think more respectable has signed. will give
you little or no strength. You mus, do it for
yourself, and because it is right
The parson was pretty ready with the tongue
and rarely came off second best when his oppo.
nents dragged him into a controversy, although
his arguments were called by them, when he
was not present, mere fustian.'
'lIis love for wine and brandy is at the bot.
tom Of all his hostility to the temperance cause
was boldly satd of him by individuals in and
out OF his church. But especially were the
members of other churches severe upon him.
He'll turn out a drunkard,' said one.
i shouldn't be surprised 10 see him reeling in
the streets before two years said another.
lie does more .,arm 10 the temperance cause
than ten drunhard,,' remarked a third.
While others isn't it scandalous y
'Hesa disgrace to his professionn
'He p~retends to have religion
"a minister inheed -
And so the changes rang.
All this time Mr.. Manlius firmly maintained
his ground. taking his glass of wine whenever
it suited him. At last after the occurrence of a
dinner party given by family of some note in
the place, at which the minister was present ,ant
at which the wine circulated freely, a ra.lel
scandalous report got abroad, and soon wen
buzzing over the village. A young man wht
made no secret of being fond OF his glass, ant
who was at this dinner party, met, on the day
following, a very warm advocate Of temperance
and a member Of a different denomination I,
that of which Mr.. Manlius was a minister, ant
said to him, with n mock gravity we had
rara aris at our dinner party yesterday, Per
kins.'
Indeed! What wonderful thing was that
"A tipsy parson.'
a what?
The mans eyes became instantly almost a
big as saucers.
"A tipsy parson'
'Who2 MIR. Manlius 2 was eagerly inqui,
ed.
!, Il didn't say so. call no Names
'He was PRESENT. know and drank wine,
am told, like a fish
Il wasn't aware before that fishes drank wine
said the man gravely.
1T was Manlius, wasn't it, urged the othe
j call no names,' was repeated. All ! saj
was, that we had a tipsy parson--and so we ha,
I'll prove it before a Jury Of a thousand, il n
cessary.'
It's no more than | expected, said the ten
perance man He's 4 piere wine blbber,