Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-03
The Social Glass.

Oh that social glass of brandy, drank BY
those yoong men the other evening in -.
What, porchance, was in it? What combi-
nation Of evils, and Of woes unuttcrabe Dis
eases of almost all descriptions, fever, govt,
droIey, palsy, deliriam tremcns-crimes innu.
inerablc, Ellsohood, profanity, outrage, theft,
Fjll,ery, murder. Hear the cries, heart rend-
ing, Of that poor unfortunate victim of delri-
um tremens Now, he fancits that lie is sur
rounded by hydra Loaded srpents, with lorked
tongues Kissing in his face. Then, legions Of
devils, with darts dlppel in bells NEST deadly
ingredients, pierce bis very soul, willis with
desperate struggle he cries in vam for rel,ase
Perhaps, through the skill Of medical men,
he may obtain relief f)r season, and then he
sees that rum is the sole cause Of al lis trouble
and as the yawning gulf opens before him, he
rscoils, he woeps aud prays, Resolves and prom
Uses, and seeks it yet again. Wretched man
lie has placed himself in the bands Of u giant,
who never piti1s and who never r3laxes his iron
gripa lie may struggle bat be is in chains
liz may cry for release bat it CONS not, and
lost. lost, may be inscribed upoa the door posts
of his DWELLING
The above no mere fancy picture. The
reality has been often witnessed in our commu-
nifty.
Men of superior talents, who but for their
drinking habits, might have stood in the front
ranks Of society. have persisted miserably, died
just in the prime of life, victims to the cup,
and from their graves come mp words of solemn
warning for our young men saying Total Alb
stinence is your only safe course. Thousands of
drunkard's graves, all over our country, echo
the same sentiment
Young man, have you begun to acquire q
taste fora dram? Do you think you must have
a little brandy now and then, feeling that a
very little stimulus viii do you no harm?
Think of those who have fallen, and beware.
Yon may not be aware but that you are tread
ing where all is safe. They once thought SO,
too. They had no idea of ever becoming drunk
ards. They despised drunkard, " and had an
angel from heaven, proclaimed to them that
they should be all that they despised, they
would have repealed it as thing impossible"
g But what Is thy servant dog, that he
should do this thing ?" Advance little far
ther, and ere you are aware, the ground upon
which you tread will give way beneath your
feet.
The insidious foe appears not at first IN his
true character. He charms, that he may the
more surely destroy. Were you invited to join
a bacchanalian rcvel and unite with those upon
whose brow the name of drunkard is ndellibly
stamped, you would Indignantly repel such an
advance, but, be assured, you are no less GER
tainly within the power of the destroyer The
social glass Touch it not. 1t Is gilded bait,
thrown out to lure you onward in the path of
woe. Asyou value life, health, happiness and
Heaven, touch it not. The oftener you yield to
its destinations, the less power you will have to
resist; till at length an INDUCED appetite ari-
SEES in its might, and in spite of the struggles of
your better nature, you will be obliged to con-
fess yourself its servant, and slavelike obey its
mandates
Would you, then escape the power of so for
midable an enemy, take one step backward,
while you may, and upon the vantage ground
of total abstinence, you may safely rest assured
that there your foe is powerless; that there you
are in no danger of falling victim to that cru
ell and relentless enemy, which has sent thou
sands, who once, like you, thought it safe to
take the social glass, to an untimely grave, en-
shroudlng their memory in the winding sheet of
ignOminy, and ushering their never dying souls
into the presence of that God who has said,
no drunkard shall inherit his kingdom.
Rock BoTToM.
Orleans County, Feb. 81, 1859.