The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-01-19
Tho voice of God for Tenn
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gem on crown of silver. Its lin
pid waters lavcd the smooth pebbles
i'll its shallow bed, and seemed TO pol
isl them as tiny mirrors to reflect
the faces of twittcring birds. Mcrrily
the little strcalnlct played through the
vale and woody dell, and the sweet
flowers: pecping out from the grassy
banks, smiled as the sprightIy riIl i'm
printed Il kiss, and danced along. The
lively warblcrs of grove and garden
dipped their bills in its censer,
and struck their harps to swcctcr
notes, us if in praise Of Him who
taught the rivulct to play. The wild
hare sportcd upon its howery borders,
the busy bee sung amid its tufts of
mint and cowslip, and the gentle gale
waited tho fragrance Of myriad flowers
over its wind:lg pathway. But one
voice asccndcd to the skies, and that
was the voice of gladncss that God
had made the nILL. The rill itself, in
unison with the song of shower and
dashing waterfall, the pcaling voice of
river and ocean, seemed to cXull that
God had mingled no poisonous clc-
mcnt with its delicious beverage.
! looked abroad over the wide do
ninion Of nature, and every living
creature was temperate but mun.-
Birds, beasts, fishes, and even the his
sing reptiles, rcjo;ccd in the abundance
of summer showers and gushing
springs; and all sportcd in the full
tide of luxurious health. No destroy
ing pestilcncc ever swept through their
leaty chambers i'll grove or forest, and
deep sorrow never crushed their iucr-
ry hearts. On wings Of imagination
rose to see the clouds pour out liquid
poison . instead Of rain, and The fur
morning distil intoxicaling drugs in.,
stead Of dew; and forthwith he green
earth was withcrcd from mountain to
main, the blushing flowers dropped and
persllcd for want Of the crystal dew
drop, aid the caroling birds folded
their tiny wings and died.
saw II child, fair rs the morning
when the gildcd momtain-tops pro
claim II bright and cheerful day. Tho;
blush Of tho summer rose was upon5
her check. and the elastic bound ofthcf
deer was in her step. Beauty, trim
med its roscatc garland upon her brow,
aid she pi,N cd and sung as Il creature
too fair and beautiful for earth. ! gaz.
ed, and said. surely this is !. divine plea
for temperance for the w ming child
has never slipped the tempting wine,
nor poisoned her hcalthtul blood by
drinking from the river of death. Be
fore the whitening breath Of intcmper-
ancc her beauty would fade away, and
all her bcwitching charms perish rs
vcrdurc in the path Of 4 si.occo. The
angel child, in the hand of this demon
vice, would part with the last trace of
human loveliness, and sink to 4 hope
less grave us revolving mass Of cor
rupton.
| saw an aged man trembling at the
portals Of the drunkard's grave, with
all the kindly affections crushed out of
his once devoted heart. AS cring-
ing slave he bowed before the sway OF
insatiate appetite, and seemed to love,
as music, the sound of his canking
chains his frame trcmLlcd in every
muscle and fibre; his eye balls, blood.
shot and glaring with inward heat, roll
led fcrce!y in their sockets; and
through every vein and artery rivers
of flaming fire seemed to run in angry
tides. AS he stood at the door of
death, his body burned and Scared
from head to foot, and his heart cmpti-
ed Of love and virtue, loatllsomc
frightMl specimen Of ruined human ma
turc, exclaimed What thrilling
plea for the cause Of temperance It
is Il Divine lecture, beyond the power
Of genius or imagination to report,
written i'll burning characters upon
the human frame, and read to us in
bIasphcminS words and cries of ago
ny. 1t is the strong uttcrancc of God,
full, clear, and terrific, to IL wrccilcss
and disapatcd world. Not all the
learning and eloquencc ofschools and
forum can portray the evils of iiltem-
pcrancc with such power as Jehovah
does in the bloatcd, scathcd, and per-
ishinG frame Of the drunkard Stand
aside ye gifted orators, upon whose
lips OF glowing cloqucnce, mighty au-
dItorlcS have hung cntranccd, and let
the God of nature speak through his
broken laws Lift up the SCARED in
ebriate to the view Of men, and let the
tongue that is in every fostering sore
and wounded muscle proclaim the ruin
and death that lningle in the wine cup!
Lay bare his heart, and show that eve
ry noble charity is withercd up, as if
the lightenins's fiery bolt had struck
and shivcrcd the many virtues. from
branch to root! What more conyinc-
ing argument can mortals have, unless q