Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-11-04

the demon within him, in the shape of dis-I
eased nerves and craving appetite.
So went away crying with Johnny
Hodges, "What curse! Can nothing be
done to put stop to this intemperancew
We look with peculiar compassion upon
man with drunken wife, and it is pitiable.
There is something so unnatural in wo-
mans being the slave of so vile an appe-
tite, there is something so cherries and
forbidding in such home. Yet the man
has one resource, he can leave it, and leave
her, but alas Still more for the woman
with drunken husband, she can not 60,
or if she try, he may follow her and claim
his home the law gives all to him-wife
and children-and she has no redress.
What curse! Can nqAhing be done /?
After an absence, need not say precise
ly how long, these visits Of mine were re-
peated; but | was astounded at the change
that had taken place. | found in each
house comparative comfort, smiling wife,
tidy children, good furniture, abundant
food-all the elements Of simple comfort
Peter Sykes overlook me on the walk, and
led me to his door with evident pride
John Holmes met me at his door with a
smiling face, and each one greeted me with
on evident consciousness Of better times.
was puzzled-something, saw, had beer
done-but merely congratulating them up
on their happiness, | refrained from asking
any questions, and had just stepped into q
shop at the corner to inquire what hac
taken place during my absence, when
awoke-and, behold this was dream
The evil was real the reform only Wis
ion.
| was disappointed to have awaked Sc
soon, only again to cry, "What a curse
Can nothing be done 2" My waking
thoughts do not lead to any way out of th'
difficulty. In Norway and Sweden, legis
lative enactments have arrested intemper
anee, by heavy duties on liquors, putting
them beyond the reach of the poor. Blu
we have no such power here. More thar
this, "whiskey is the poor mans wine" y
Why should he exercise more self-denia
than the rich.
Recently there has been panic abou
poisoned liquors, which has actually fright
ened some men into abstinence. Perhaps
in my dream, they had grown so poisonou
that they killed off the drinkers and fright
ened others. This on the whole would nc
| be bad move. ..s
1t could hardly have been done by th
pledge. Satan has attached too much cd
um to that.
Was there liqnor law and was it Ell
cry, ! ! ft4. 55oiEell, naver knnw--but still
/ 81 L. lone to, tF,t
,ess~= of the drunkard's wife, and to sa
/ poor children from the miseries entailed u
on them, body and soul. as the drunkarC
children?
J, We must stop this accursed traffic Il
dealing in "souls of men" 1t is curious
hear men excuse the wholesale business
i doing no harm. eve do not sell SIN;
}, quantities" as if one should refuse with he
ror to sell single glass, but should impo
it by the cargo.
q We know what taxes we pay to the
mon of drink. Beyond those imposed
| law, and we know those to be heavy enoug
f we have all our charities, hospitals our as
lums, and "homes," and all we give fro
day to day-not one tithe of which wou
! be needed but for strong drink.
1t is like the dragon of old, deyouril
our strongest and our best. Can nothi1
be done9 What curse G. III. /.