The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-05-02
ga LITTLE UNsTEADY.v

wine and strong drink to the point Of be-
ing overcome, raving, stupid, drunk.
"Whnt is the matter with Frank II?
The last ime heard of him, he was do
ing well in college; his teachers spoke
we'll of him. Now he is at home again."
"Oh, he is little unsteady He be-
gan with wine and supper parties, and
then his jaded stomach crayed more slim
ulants. This appetite he has INDUCED,
has grown worse and worse, has broken
the heats of his old parents, and becams
"a little unsteady"
The o i. our friend James M. He
married, with tho brightest prospects,
Why does the wife of a year look so pale
and anxious. Because he is "a little un-
steady" With all his pleasant ties at
home, he will seek pleasure abroad, be-
cause he can there satisfy (allay | should
have said) the craving ofa depraved ap-
petite So he goes abroad for excite
ment, and his wife grows pale at home
because he is "a little unsteady"
Bridget is out of a place. She is only
a cook, and you go by reference to en-
ouire her character. She is an excellent
cook-tidy, neat, reliable, but she is "a
little unsteady" tits only now and then
that she is overcome, but now and then
the charge is too true. Exhausted with
her never-cnding work, she takes just
drop. Perhaps the appetite was stimula-
ted by the odor Of wine given her to use
in cooking, or by aportion left in bottle
that had been used up stairs. Her mas
fer and mistress and their friends seem to
have an easy, happy time in life, and
yet they need the support ola social glass.
Why may she not have it in her tolls!
only ifshe happens to be overcome her
work is not done, her FAULT is discovered,
and she loses her place because "she
drinks"
Many woman in high station lies in
bed from sick headache, and no one
dares to say the same of her, nor even to
hint that she is "a little unsteady" 1t
would not sound we'll John is coach
mar, an excellent man, is master OF his
business. faithful us the sun, but he has
lost his place. What is the matters-
Nothing except that he is "a little I'M
steady" His master has command Of
life, but works hard, and when Jaded
with the business Of the day, "a glass of
wine reviycs him or if friend dimes with
him, they take social glass-always in
leration-nothing more. They have
little temptation. John knows this. By
the sparkling gas-light he sees the shining
table, the crystal, the silver, the decanters.
Poor fellow he has no crystal, no ocean
ters, not even a table to which to invite
q friend. But with the social princi le
strong within him, he invites James into
the corner grocery, and they take So
cial glass just for good fellowship-only
one. 1t seems innocent; but the poison
Gus and fiery liquor mounts to the brain
and sets the blood ON fire, and they per
haps call 70, another to appease the burn
ing thirst. Overcome by this, (and the
poisons now in use make ten-fold havoc
with the nerves, he falls into the wide
vortex of drunkenness, neglects his work,
drives into another vehicle, and so his sin
is discovered. He is dismissed because
he has not self control, poor man, and
cannot re 4ist temptation. His wife is tsis-
cradle, his children suffer, and all because
he is "a little unsteady.
Visit ycnder abode Of poverty and mis-
cry: worn and weary woman, hungry,
pining children. ''My good woman, are
you widow? have you nothing to de-
pend upon?'' ''Ono, / am not widow;
but he is "a little unsteady" Some
times he gets work, and there isn't kind
er or better man when he is sober,-but
the drink makes him wild"
You look around al the hopeless desc
lation, and murmur, $50 this is the con-
sequence Of being "a little unsteady"
sTerrible railroad collision. Loss of
life. No one to blame" The engineer
went with the wreck Of his train, and
when you venture to enquire carefully,
you will hear that be was 3 most compe-
tent engineer. faithful devoted servant
to the company, bu. he Tas "a little IN
steady"
Another ship goes on the rocks just as
she should have been entering the har-
Dor; a new fast vessel, that seemed almost
proof against the elements. There ohe
| lies, 6 broken wreck, and al because