Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-01-21

"A question more easily asked than answer
ed. 1t we had been asked what rumseIlers
were doing-what moderate drinkers were
oolng-what church-members Who "tipple"
were doing-we might have answered with
out much hesitancy, that they are doing now
what they have been busily engaged about
Tor the last half century, 1. e. in making
drunkards and stilling the voice Of warning
and the voice of conscience among such a
ought to be answered by the one and ap-
proved by the other
If we had been asked what are our pe;eh-
bors who sleve liquor. doing, we should saw,
they are as active as ever Tin mixing strong
drink" and poisoning the fountains Of Jus.
uce, and spelling young men IF their for
tunes and robbiDg homes Of their ueace-in
entrapping the thoughtless and running the
innocent-in planting thorns of sorrow in
the pillows of widows and orphans.
But what are we doing? The question re-
turns upon us.
Where are our Divisions rooms our week
y gatherings our public assemblages; our
temperance pledges How many have we
rescued in the last month or the last week?
How many names have we secured to the to-
al abstinence pledge? How many Sons"
lave we added to the list of temperance ad-
yoeatesf
Our orators-where are they? Time was
when in Virginia week did not 90 by with
out witnessing long professions and immense
gatherings and stirring speeches and crowds
focking to our banner, to support the true
ause of virtue and humanity-''the cause
mankind"-when from every village and
amlet, from every mountain-top and valley,
ne temperance hosts were shouting to each
ther IN tones of triumph, and the cesse of
ne temperance reformation was onward and
Upward. May we not hope for a return Of
hese scenes: or shall we be listless and dull
ifeless and inactive, while the enemy is pro-
,ressing with giant strides though the land
altering death and desolatiou in its path
ay, blighting hopes and blasting homes.
ltherng the affections If youth. stripping
"me of its JOY, and peopling the church
ards with new graves, and filling jails, and
enltentiaries, and almhouses, and lunatic
;ylums with his victims.
What are we doing? To make the aues.
on more directly personal, let each man ask
imself, What am | doing ?" and if the
.Elst has been misspent let him improve the
iture in doing good to his fellows-uphold-
lg the temperance REFORM and hy word and
ction, in thought and in life, urging forward
.e great temperance movement Firqinia
Conductor.
LOVING AND FoRGIvING.-Man has
4 unfortunate readiness, In the evil hour
fter receiving an affront, to draw together
II the moonspots on the other person into
outline of shadow, aud a nigh; piece,
! nd to transform simple deed into whole
te-dlTefis the 4pissssu1re. d being
ngry. In love, he has for,anatelythe op-
'osite faculty of crowding together all the
ight parts and rays of its objects into one
ocus, by means of the burning glass of i'm
lgination. and letting its sun burn without
any spots; but he too generally does this
s'nly when the beloved, and often censured
oeing is already beyond the skies In or
ler, however, that we should do this soon
and oftener We ought to act like Win
lemann, but only in another way. As he
isually set aside a particular half hour
f each day for the purpose of bcholding
nd medtating on his too happy existence
Rome, so we ought daily or weekly to
edicate and sanctify solitary hour for
he purpose Of summing up the virtues of
uF families, our wives, our children, and
ar, friends and viewing the crowded as
.mb!age of their good qualities. And,
adeed, we should do SO for this reason,
nat we may not forgive and love too late,
'hen the beloved beings already depar-
I'd hence, and are beyond our reach.
Richter.