The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-06-24
From the Massachusetts Life Boat.
Two Incendiaries Rum and Arson.
BY REV. JOHN PIERPoNT.

The fire alarm THE cry of " Firen
Swels on the night wind, higher. higher!
Touched by the lightning, every bell
Swings in its tower, the tale to tell
Forth rush hremen, one and all,
At duty's or at dangers call,
The peril.and the praise to share;
Their engines rush, their torches fare;
The light Of the devouring fire,
Reflected from the churcIl's spire,
Piercing the clouds with ruddy glow,
Tells of the ruin wrought below.
Why sounds that midnight toosn dread?
Why towers that column black and red,
That, leaning on the leeward, shows
The way that the destroyer goes?
Let your Imagination stretch,
And you shall see bastard wretch,
Skulking away from human sight,
And wraptup In the cloak of night,
Putting a loco focO match
Where he is sure the flames will catch,
That when the crowd is thither drawn,
He may before s the peep Of DAWN
With his fingers force a loan,
From others pockets to his own.
What are to him the larEm bell,
The blazing roof the fearful yell
OF horses roasting in their stalls,
OF hremen crushed by falling walls
What are to him the crash and din
Of states and Taiters falling in;
The shTieks Of hOuseless women flying,
The feeble gasp of infants dying,
And the loud waling of despair,
That loads the sufIocating air2
What are all thee things 81 him? His turn
BY them is seTved;--let others burn!
What is all this to him ?.--Why, sir,
He wakes mp people, and they stir;
Is tried, and hanged on 6sed to be;
Laws may, but justice does not alter; at
He 'scapes, tho he deserves the halter;
And were he doomed TO it again,
The people would all say d" Amen ~
And yet, how coolly, let's inquire,-
What does this villain set on fire
Boards, shingles, timber--''wood, hay, stubLle,'
A vapor, that is seena day,
Or hour; then 6 vanished away;"
That's all. TIL ineendiary felOn
Does nothing more we need to tell on.
But he that fills his neighbor's cup,
With liquid fire, Is burning up,
Not edifces framed of wood,
Not princely mansions, fair and good,
But that for which such mansions rise:
The heir apparent OF the skies;
Nan; who from heaven derives his birth,
Man, Gods vicegerant here on earth,
house that ouly God can build,
A temple with His spirit filed;
tenement indeed of clay,
That no DIS its dWeller for his day;
A house that falls, in time, to dust,
AS other earthly DIV, llings must;
But one that holds--if not burnt dozen,
The heir of au immortal crown.
But let the fire that fills the cup,
Be in that house we'll kindled up,
And strength, and peace, and pure desire,
And manly purpose feel the fire;
And Reason stumbles on and gropes,
Barking, Mid smother'd Joys and hopes,
And Faith, and every upward aim,
And heavenward impulse feeds the fame,
And Virtue falls, and Courage flags,
And Childhood roams in tattered rags,
And haggard Want makes earth his bed,
And homeless Hunger begs his bread,
And scottish Dizziness mOpes along
And maniac Mirth bawls out his song,
And PhrenZy stands with vacant stare,
And Madness rends his matted hair,
And Murder stabs his weeping bride,
Then, dies himself, suci9e;
And yet, what is all this to him
Who fills up to its sparkling brim,
The glowing glass of liquid fire,
Drowned in whose poisonous depths, expire
Wit, wisdom, common manhood even,
All earthly Joy, all hopes of heaven;
"Aye," to his nmOst self, says he
g What Is the consequence 10 me
What is, to me, the depth of woe
That follows where my liquors flow ?
So long as | the match can get,
So long as the fire may set,
So long as / can have my way,
So long as those who drink, can pay,
So long aa they will serve my turn,
What is't to me how much they burnt 7"
These tive ineendiaries stand
Before you, neighbors, torch in hand;
Both ply their trade, e,--both fill their purses,
Tell me--which, of the two, the worse Is?