Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-05-23
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ron THIS SPIRIT OF THE AGE. :
The Distillery.
Who dwellest in yon dismal hut, I
Beside that muddy stream,
Where ghOstly vapors ever rise,
And nightly fires CLEAN ?
And listen, list l-what horrid sounds,
Doth that rude cabin Gil,
The horrid oath, the maniac laugh,
Will cause your bloodVo chill.
/ hear vauswhisper, who can dwell,
Within that dreary den
Il il the home Of ghost or tends,
Or can it be of men
But no, II cannot be of man,
In Gods own image made;
For man would mover thus presume
That image to degrade.
/ marvel not that gloomy fear,
Should DER you slowly creep
You quake. for evil spirits near,
Their midnight orgies. keep.
But no, q thought more sickening still,
Is stealing DER my brain
A thought which rends my very heart,
With widest, keenest pain.
A pain more deep than consciousness,
That demons revel near
The learned, the good, the talented,
The loved are sometimes there
The noble in that drear abode,
Pray, what can be the charm?
From the stillworm's hideous mouth,
The poison howeth warm.
All classes, high and low alike,
The Demons snare has caught;
They drink, they love the poisonous draught,
With death and ruin fraught
They know it drags them to the grave,
IL ruins health and fame
II dims those glorious mines, and yet
They quaf the liquid fame,
Yet he not harsh, but drop for them,
The kind, the plying tear;
The tempter in that portal stands,
And lures his victims near
Come on, he cries in friendly tones,
Come, leave your peaceful homes
Your wife may weep, your children plead,
Yet leave them all and come.
If you were i'll your wife would die,
To keep you from the grave
Your children watch through midnight hours,
Your precious life to save
And should you die upon your tomb,
Would fall the briny tear
Yet leave them, leave them all, and come,
A mcrrier crowd is here.
Come on. young man, thy step is firm,
And black thy waving hair;
Yet on thy marble brow / trace
One lingering shade Of care
/ offer thee forgctfulness,
Oblivion for thy woes;
The Lethe from yon brazen coil,
All warm and sparkling flows.
Come on, here is the gaming board,
And piles Of boarded gold
Come drink and play and you may win
Wealth, aye wealth untold
Come drink, your eye will brighter beam,
Your footsteps prouder grow
Your laugh will louder, clearer be,
Your thoughts more freely flow.
AMI by and by your brain will reel
You'll sink in slumbers deep1
This, this is iorgetfulness,
The drunkard's trance.like sseep
But come, you know this bowl before,
Hath oft your grief beguiled );
Forget the tear your mother sheds,
For you, her darling child.
Forget your sisters loving kiss,
Forget her warm embrace
The look OF love your brother casts,
In pride, upon your face;
Come, though your father k~neeling low,
Prays for his hayward son.
Yes come, come on though you should bre,
The fond heart you have won.
You love her, yes, the m~antling blush,
PrOclaims that she is dear
But yet her smile, her doyelike voice,
Can draw you not from here
But you may come, it matters not,
If you should break her heart;
What care if the swelling sigh,
From that fond bosom start.
Yes, gentle maiden, die with grief,
With tears your pillow lave
have him here, no human power,
Your lover now can save
Mark, mark the iron sway ! hold.
draw him from bis home
Fen from thy side | draw him off,
! call and he will come.
-. a jovial life | give,