Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-09-08

| unill ne lell, al last, illSonSiDle upon
the floor.
While he was in this condition, a
vision Of strange, awful but inde6-
mite form, floated before his eyes-a
hideous figure, that seemed TO be nei-
Their man nor woman, appeared be-
fore him. Its face was bloated, hag-
gard. worn into deep burrows aud
ruts, and distorted by maddening
passions and its withered body was
so covered with filth and rags, that
its sex was not 10 be distinguished.
II held drinking cup in its tremu-
lous grasp, which it continually APP
Piled with fierce thirst TO its parch.
ed, feverish lips 4; and as il sighed for
more drink, its breath poisoned the
very sunbeams.
And Alchymy knew that he had
liberated an evil spirit; for soon at
ter, in his vision, he saw issuing out
of the neck of the bottle other wick
ed and powerful demons, similar TO
the one he had swallowed. At first
they came forth in small numbers.
but they soon swelled into myriaGs
over the earth, like waters from a
gushing well.
But what appeared most incom-
prehensible to Alchymy was. that the
footsteps OF these hideous hays should
be followed by host of obsequious
worshippers, who laid down all their
most priced aud cherished objects in
barter for a drink out of their mad
dened cups. Joyous hearts, happy
homes, health, honor, nay, their very
souls, were freely offered in exchange
for a pernIcious and deadly poison.
Though the fearful demon stood I'M
peachcd to every one, IN the name
of things pure and beautiful, as the
pItlless invader of every human bles
sing-nay, though it devoured its
victims at MONDAY, and sowed the
land broadcast with misery, violence,
and crime, vet none of these evils
appeared to warn the poor deluded
victims of the tremendous sacrifice
they were making; although the We
~ air was laden with signs aud des-
olauon, and squalor sat upon every
brow. and covered the sad scenes
with the spirit OF the demons pres
ence, yet the worshippers offered
themselves up in hetacombs upon the
affairs Of these Evil Spirits.
Everywhere lis commissioned a.
gents pied their fatal cup-everv-
where they spread abroad the means
of incorporate indulgence all over
The i nd, $50 II appeared TO Alchymy
in his yislon) myriads of demons
were Systematically and diligently
employ ed, entlclng, cnrrupting, and
recruiting the wasted ranks of the
staggering, rolinI and fallen devo-
tees, aud sustaining, with terrible ef-
iciency, the whole banelul system of
destruction.
II was astonishing TO witness the
effect Of the fatal cup upon different
individuals In some it blighied all
social affections, aud violated the
sanctuary of domestic peace in a brief
space of time. II appeared to be a
bitter Toe To all social blessings, for
il warred ruthessly upon home, and
all the sacred interests of which home
Is the centre. Some OF The poor, in
latualed wrelches, indeed, put on an
arr OF bolSlerous merrIme1t for a
time but it was short-hved, for d.
lapidation and ruin spread all over
them, and they were rapidly pushed
through a career of shame and SIN,
into graves of lnfapy. In many the
pernlcious draught brought on de-
rangement of all their powers, and
wrought them into an unnatural ex-
citemeni, or dellrlum. Then, when
their brains were fired aud whirllng
with frenzy, they were for any wild
act that fancy, n deprayed heart, or
the prompungs of The Evll One
might suggest. After passing through
this slate, the course assumed anOlh-
er form Tor when the paroxysm of
fierce buster was past, il was usually
succeeded by moody sullen slupe-
faction,
But the destroyer never paused for
a moment. To one the cup was but
an impulse TO blood and crime TO
il gave II thirst 10 indulge in
a brutal abuse of his wife and chill
dren 10 another, capacity FOR lust,
violence or murder; another it insti- |
gated TO burglary and theft in brief /
the cup of the Evil GEM was a re- /
posilory where all the iniqult,es and
vices belonging to our fallen nature
might be found. There the incendi- |
AIRY lit his torch and the assassin
his appetite for blood.
In that glass every species of sin,
from a simple indiscreiion to the ut.
most depravIty and guilt, might be
drained TO the very dregs.
As IN dream of moment, ages
may appear 10 pass, so il appeared
10 Alchymy, for in his vision he saw
the effects Of the cup upon the coar-
ser interests of the people. He saw
how the poison wasted their energies
aud preyed upon the roots of The
public wealth. Whole districts Of
wholesome grain were Withdrawn
from the public granaries, and after
being submitted to process with
which Alchymy was familiar, a subj
lie poison was extracted. IL was SO
much bread wasted but II would