Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-07-27
For the Spirit of the Age.
The Wine Cur.

In looking over the wide, wide world, we :
see amid the gay who pass us by, some whose :
steps are not light-whose eyes seem oft used
to weep, and who with a dropping form and
weary heart pass their days in sadness
They are the pale, suffering ones, whose
hearts are broken by the intemperance OF
their friends. We see them with hearts :
moved to pity. Then the harsh, wild song
of the drunkard falls on our ear, and we see
him staggering to his home, to make 1t
wretched by his vile wickedness. TIL heart |
sickens over the degraded followers OF the I
wine cup.
The weary, broken hearted wife weeps over
her 1ailen husband. who visits the place
where death and ruin are measured out oy
the quart and pint or glass-full. She once
looked on his noble form, clothed in the hon
or of manhood, with hope written on hiss lefty
brow, with feelings of pride and affection
but soon she saw the tempter coming and
the sparkling wine cup dazzled his eyes; he
saw not beneath the bubbling foam the sting
of the serpent lurking there, to destroy the
fairest and brightest hopes that ever bloomed
in the heart of a woman He drank, not
thinking that if once commenced, his course
would be downward until the dram-shop
would be his delight, and he-miserably
poor, and wretched, the most wretched of
sorrows victims, and the miserable drunk
ards wife-Eould drink sorrow to its very
drugs.
These delnded followers of the wine cup
were, perhaps, once the pride of society, the
hope OF friends, the strength of their coun-
try's honor, whose true hearts beat fondly
and warmly for those around them; but
lured by wicked associates they left the path
of rectitude, wasting their time, money and
talents, and worst Of all, running their own
precious souls forever. Pitiful indeed is the
drunkards course; pitiful his condition, as
he staggers to- his once loved home and weep
ing wife. All! wao has a heart that melts not
in pity as her voice of sorrow reaches them ;
her murmurlng prayer greets the ear. Have
mercy on a drunkards wife, thou God of love:
and as she gazes on him she once promised
to love and obey, with his swollen eyes, his
noble form clothed in tattered rags, and
thinks. oh! so sadly, of the time long ago in
the spring time of her life, when she left all
for him, who now lies before her a disfigured,
~unsightly form, sunk low, very low, by the
grossest intemperance; then a mothers
voice fell softly like fairy bells on her heart,
and a fathers fond blessing rested on her
youthful head; a sisters love made her life
a joyous dream, a brothers strong protecting
arm offered to defend her through life anC
her childhoods home there rose before he1
in its indescribabfe beauty, tempting her t.
remain there, for the light and Joy of thos
who loved her. She listened to them fondIg
Thoughtful for their love; but she turne,
from them, and giving her hand to him sh
) loved, she whispered, II am thine" An
as a trusting bride she went forth with hir
. to- live for his happiness until death shout
, come. And now this is his return!
She weeps; and well she may for love, h
has given vile curses for strength promise
u to her, be has inflicted on her heart the mos
e cruel wrongs. Suffering marks her for i
!, own victim. Her step once so light, is no
L weary and slow; her voice once SO sweet ar
n cheering, has sunk into a sad low whisper
r her eyes once sparkling with beauty, are no
t" dull, their lustre dimmed by weeping. So
row has robbed her cheeks, once painted |
l. the rose tint of health, of their beauty, al
the pale face is a fit index to a suferii
n heart which is ''sighing all the day"
d And then how miserable is the home whe
y the follower of the wine cup dwells. Not
= pleasant cheerful home and wife meets /
l. eyes, as he returns at night. No, indee,
n-fac-alltbeIaisJa and wretehed. The WI
u the chairs broken, his wife weeping, his pc
DC little children, like frightened doves, hidi
q from their father, who should be their ch
% joy. Poverty dwells with those who 10
the wine cup. Mercy casts over them /
n sable mantle and they are lost to time a
L eternity. Without doubt few ever intend
become drunkards. They only listen to t
y tempter's voice, which whispers lust ono
in their ear, and he sips the sparkling vii
and then he tries it just once more, and
last he finds his way to the bar-room, a
there forgets he is a man. Then he avail
to a consciousness of his degradation ano
aChomod of hiTncolf. than ho Jcoruo1 ~
r. feeling in quafing poison from the wine C,
n. Poor inebriate, ifh only knew it, he is OF
h. bringing more sorrow on his heart, and de
ening his heart felt burden of sin and inf
m ing more misery upon the loved ones at hor
We Many who are sitting there lone and we,
ne in their homes, which do not look so invit
d. as they did when that son or brother brou
n. nightly the wealth of his love and Interest
of make home happy but he has followed
wine cup; love and duty are nothing to h
Intemperance is sweeping over our ];
now, and before its power many are fall
falling from home and renown. Many
er. the influences which are leading men or
no ruin and despair, and it must be confes
ITS that the ladies are not as particular as t
Tn should be in regard to their influence in
ro- temperance cause, Many who now sleeI
in a drunkard's grave, received their first dr.
avn "ihS up piCoCntCu ny "OtId
she perhaps refused at frst, but with a SUI
smile and joyous laugh she urged him
rt- taste for her sake, he could not resist
ad tasted; and this was not the last time;
,ed no and soon the grave received another
in rifce to the Rum-God, and the region
,rt despair another inhabitanti
Ter Is this your mission here, oh m
pse Were you not placed here to do good?
adj stead of increasing the growing evil,
Fou should exert the most powerful infiuenc
obi abolishing it from the land. Then will
nee not, young ladies, as you go into life, res
ear to do something for the temperance cat
eks Woman has a powerful influence; let i
airs exerted all for good, and ever against
18th sparkling wine cup let your words be
owl ken. To those who resist the temptation
drink the liquid poison, let your swee
smiles be given, and be not Instruments
leading any from the paths of sobriety to
ways of sin. When all shall use their 81
81; est infu nee against this evil, ministers,
TsI yers, legislators, teachers, writers, every
~ we may hope our country will be hapK
~ and tears will cease to flow and heart
oan break over the followers of the wine cup.
h E. ]
50" ANONYMOUS STRENGTHENING is n
superlatively cowardly than SANDER, "
shelters itself behind an anonymous shiel
Whapo a rnor occrponS fho rncnnpcihilit