Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-05-14
The first glass of Wine.

The first glass of Wine.
Zone gla$" said a sweet voice " take
Just one gldsivith me-" said the speaker,
a dark-eyed iii. looking bewitchingly at
her comparbl and gracefully profering
him a goblefushed with the rosy wine.
They wed Sitting at a richly laden din
ner table, az the choice liquors, which
tor years hd mellowed in the hosts cellar,
were clrculdngg freely. Ladies and gentle
men, the ydng and the old, even little
children, we drinking at that good Christ
mas feast. of all the merry company
gathered tffe only one abstained from the
intoxicating bowl, and that was he to
whom theS winning words of persuasion
were SO mlically addressed.
He CLAMP around at the guests who
were watctag him, and replied firmly,
but gently: "
"No, thfk you; [ never drink wine.n
This wahoble language from him, and
proved thf he was not destitute of that
moral coug BE which leads its possessor to
brave anything rather than make a sacrifice
OF pure an lofty principles. But nobody
appreciate the deed. Manygazed at him
In a%stonisla lent, and the lady's lip curled
with an e1fessionthat told plainly enough
how seldo1 The lightest wish was thyarted
"You srkly will not refuse me SO small a
favor" shA continued in a manner half
proudand A1ghty
Anything but this" was the reply
in a low tie, which was only audible to
her for wBV the answer was intended.
"My fatlerldied a drunkard, and over
bis ssvsf tfsss's eoga5ggr promise that |
the lightSE you are e ger gin You can iss2g,nea
erately withoutpy danger. For ma sake,
now, take this, md she again held up the
sparkling MadeiA.
For a moment here was a terrible conflict
in the young mans soul; duty, long-estab-
lshed habits, and 4 desire to win the re-
gard OF the temptress IS, waged a stern war
fare. But at length the latter conquered,
and he drank the first glass of wine.
Do you sas it was harmless act, reader !
1t was the ift step in a path which ended
in worse; tina no pen of ours can describe;
the germ Of aharvest of misery, which he
reaped ere tine had siIyered his hair or
measured out alfthe span allotted to NOR
tails.
A year afts that hour of trial he stood
ut the altar sih the fair girl who had
thrown around mn the spell Of inebriation.
She was ~prondlred his bride ; and when
friends crowded round them to offer con
CALCULATIONS, his heck wore the flush, his
eye the fatal brilliacy which the red wine
had kindled. Bulbs hopes were bright;
he was gifted and realthy, and none pro
phesied that his sr would soon set or be
obscured in fast gaering clounds.
Time went on, al he drank daily with
brother lawyers in dendid saloons and at
his own festal boar Fortune yet smiled,
business yet incresd, honors and wealth
poured in upon hir but there we're those
who mar ked in The xpression of his coun-
tenance that perniils practice which was
yet to prove the cue of his life. Years
again rolled away 4 his affairs began to
assume a changed sect. He had grown
neglectful of his prfsion, and old clients
had lost their confdelfn his stability. Half
his estates had beendd, his library was
mortgaged, and evedhe old homestead,
which he had resolyeo keep as lone as
h lived, had passed iuthe hands of stran-
gers.
His wife had grownI e and eane-ruunu
&C., viyacitY k lie same gay girl
who urged nm to IS first gSass of
aoiue.
Fivey years were pl, and he was a con-
frmed sot. His prok had been wasted /;
his intellect deadeneis loftyaims crush
ed. A mere hut Ared him and his
destitute family, e was no fire there;
no food rome of theforts which he had
bartered for strong a.
In his blasted visaA tremblingfanae
there was little to reAdthe beholdf of
the elegant and intellAu Aooking yeng
man who once so nobnrased to pare
of the intoxicating drarhAn then yie
ed and sank Mto the snteA I
That fair, lovely tenb&s now lies
, the churchyard in a pab& grave, an
sometime a group of aaeehildren gat
er together to weep ove1tHf lost mothe
IN while their father idleskw his time
the lowest haunts of the v and deg
:. ded.
At that moment when II crisis In
oil destiny came, had he pose4d power
ii turn a deaf ear to the syrel I'd adhere
lg his principles, how much beer it wo
n have been for him here a~ndhdNafter. !
II reader, wherever you are, letf beg yo
y beware of the first glass Of we!