Spirit of the age., 1853-05-18


destruction. It is astonishing to think thaU
noble, intellectual being, endowed with Wis
dom, and possessing GIFTS WORTHY OF MINOR
TALITY, will indulge in practice so fatal IN
its effects, so terrible in its mlldest form-a
practice over which humanity weeps-a prae- /
tice which makes man something less than a
demon, practice more desolatlng than wars, |
pestilence and famine combinedl Its approach |
is under the guse of friendship, but be upon
your guard it is serpent whose coils VIII
enchain you, and whose pangs will sting you
! to death-a death more fearful than that OF
the in4nisition.-fsf ssssssst ~@.t
| The time has been when it was thought
to be the sure indication Of a noble spirit to
| indulge in dram drinking It was the Gus
tom of that day for the host to regale his guest
with some "good old peach," g fire Madei-
ra," and even the '' genuine bald-f face" itself
was set forth, if nothing better was at hand
The more liquor man could drink the more
highly he was applauded. 1t mattered not
If he would sometimes get tight bree-
zy," g under full sail" or as the terms i'm
ply, decently drunk ~ it did not detract one
particle from his character. No indeed be
was looked upon by his bleared-eyed compan-
ions, as being a clever fellow-a perfect gen
tleman in every respect, even if the gentle
partner of his bosom was at home weeping
ly crying for bread. We would not have
you to think that the present day is exempt
{ from such disgraceful scenes-far from it =
, 1t is fashionable in many places to indulge
IN dram drinking, that person may keep up
with the times" as some drunken exquisites
term it. "Hold On" is the exclamation of the
, fawning votary of Intem mperance. 6 Hold on,
, you must not assail the fashions of the day
it is tolerated by men of influence fashion
has established it, beware it is forbidden
ground upon which you must not step, un-
; less your feet arc shod with golden slippers"
Very well, we will simply notice the practice
as it is, and then letthe world judge of its NOR
E its
We said it is fashionable to indulge in
n dram drinking, that a person may keep up
:. with the times. Now it is self-evident to
? every rational mind, that the drinking of
spirituous liquors is highly pernicious in its
r effects. 1t disqualifes man from filing the
: most humble office, it deprives him Of reason,
o corrupts his heart, perverts his judgment,
= stains his reputation and debases him in the
: sight Of all upright men. But it stops not
:, here. ANY man addicted to DRAM DRINKING,
is liable to become a drunkard, for the afini-
e ty existing between the % dram drinker" and
confirmed drunkard, is as natural as the af-
o fnity between the pig and hog. Dram drink
t ing always leads to dopn-right drunkenness,
o to pai1e to misery and to death To prove
/ this assertion is no difficult matter, and for
the sake Of argument, we will take up one OF
! those fashionable dram drinkers, who merely
: drinks that he may keep up with the times,
. and see to what end this practice will lead
him. Take the man who frequents the club
. -rUonT. At first he drinks yery moderate. be-
cause his companions do the same, although
E at times he is astonished to see some of them
: reellng from the room, but he MERELY drinks
q that he may KEEP UP WITH TIE TINES IT Is
', TIE FAsHION-HE MUST DRINK, or forfeit his
i position in the club In the mean time his
Y potations become more frequent, deeper and
e deeper still, and more strong, until at length
o. we find him in company with the swine, OF
= swinging to some friendly post for aid. We
J., find him a confirmed drunkard! In the be-
IS ginning Of his downward career he dranI
= very moderate he dreamed not of danger
q for he merely drank that he might KEEP u
g WITH TIE TIMES But alas he trusted to q
, broken reed he soon found himself borne
! along with a rapidity that defed all his at
70 tempts at resistance. He joined the stag
Ia gering ranks of Alcohol that he might bt
fashionable, and now he finds himself reeine
]. into an awful Eternity He perceives his
n danger, feels his impotency f; hope is lost
81 he has 30 recuperative energy on which tt
!. stay his confidence: he feels he is lost be
$ fore him lies the yawning gulf of destruc
ID ton, there is no way open through which t.
n escape in the anguish Of a lost spirit h,
canks his chains " and cries for help =
But alas he cries in vain, for reeling friend
have him in captivity; they double his mas
sive chains and shout in derision at his erie
Of wo. All! had we but language to pain
the depth Of his anguish, and the anguish 0
his friends. A fathers prayers 50 up to tn
courts Of Heaven for his sons reformation
L. Il mothers tears baptiSe the midnight pillow
as a brothers admonitions are UNDECIDED, a sis
ol ter's fair arms are twined around his neck
Us her tears battle his bloated cheeks, but all i
ID vain, for downward still he plunges. Hi
II wife, his gentle, devoted, affectionate wit
er prays, entreats and weeps, but in vain sh
Ut still hopes on, she clasps his hand, but sh
ce clasps the hand of a maniac. She falls, NJ
Ell { by the aid Of wasting consumption, nor b
III scorching, consuming fevers-she falls b
cN e the hand Of her maniac husband; and b.
! Ia- too, falls by his own hand, and fills q 81.
1Iy cide'S grarei He was, at one time, man
KS talent, of responsibility and reputation, bl
lCS he steps from the ranks of virtue and sobri
III ty he became an OCCASIONAL dram drinkt
eo that he might KEEP UP WITH THE TINES, ar
az io finally filed a drunkGrd's loathsoBte JrGt
ILL., unacept, auanaourned and unldmented!
nc CONCLUSION NEXT WEEK
ed - S.
~ FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.