Spirit of the age., 1861-06-12
Does He Drink 2

Young lady reader, we beg you to ask this
question in regard to that young man who is
trying to win your love. Though he may be
al smiles, all Establishments, all a seeming
soul of honor, and golden prize that you
may be proud to gain, yet ifhe puts the des-
troying cup to his lips, spurn him from your
presence. Crush the growing bud of love in
your heart to death at once, if you value
your future peace. You may think that you
will possess the power to restrain him in his
degrading indulgence, and that for your sake,
after marriage, he will put the vice far away
from him but in bitterness you will discover
your mistake and repent of your error when
it is too late. Never risk your happiness
by becoming the wife of one who drinks.
Disregard this friendly counsel, and
what will happen You marry him, and
the wedding day seems so bright that you
think surely no cloud can ever gather its
gloom to darken the glowing prospects OPEN
ing before you. You 90 to new home, not
like your old home, but with fully as pleasant
shade trees shadowing it, and with full as
merry birds singing in the welcoming boughs
Your soul throbs With pulsations of a noble
and generous love, and you wonder how any
wife can be unhappy in world so bright
and full of promises. Ahl it has never en-
tered into your heart TO conceive tse terrors
that are embodied in the phrase--a drunk
ords wife. Months roll by and you begin
4 tt~~-=~l;--.-il-i-.4 IllAana,a
love that he once vowed to you You try
in vain to persuade. yourself that he is not
becoming drunkard, but the evidences are
too concluSive-too overW helming. His even
ings are spent abroad, and by-and by he
comes home reeling and singing in the delrium
OF beastly intoxication. Curses linger on
his lips against you his tongue is on fire
with abuse his hand that you clasped at the
altar and pledged to take for better or worse,
is raised against you, and you begin now to
realize the misery, the anguish and sorrow
of drunkard's wife,
: Yea, indeed, more terrible scene awaits
you. All of your earthly possessions-th
little legacy your good old father left you
all, all will be sqnandered but that is not
the greatest calamity awaiting you. Your hus
band was strong when you married him, but
the continued blows of the rum devil have
laid him low He is, physically and morally
shattered wreck. He is great and hope
. less sinner lying at deaths iron gate Yol
see a dim and terrible vision through tn,
food of tears that blind you. Your once
I noble husband gasping after fieeting breath
: and in whirlwind of delirium and despair
P cursing heaven, earth, hell, and Saviou
that died on Calvaryl
e You see the last agony of the poor man
and you know that his soul that YOU lovet
so wildly has no rest, but that it is lost an
e torn by shrieking storms Of everlasting de:
n pair on raging sea of fire, where the worr
l. dietb not and the fire is not quenched. Thi
of is the great and terrible calamity awaitin
Y. you, and it will rend your soul with anguis
Of in years to come, after the sod has take
o deep root and grown green on the spot whel
W your lost husband mingles with the dus
IS You have lively hope that you will gai
d. Heaven III the end and rest from your labor
is but you cannot hope to meet your. husbar
, there for your own faith ofthe knowlede
OF of the Gospel forbids it. Heis lost-lost
er you-lost to happiness-lost to aHeayer
10 Lost !-LosT !i-LOST!!!
at Avert these terrible calamities, dear your
K, lady reader, by jealous care OF whom yc
10 meet at the sacred altar, there to pledge yet
lie love-faith Better not marry at t.all than
e reap any of these alanities:
an Does he drink Spurn him away-crus
ne the growing bud of love in your,bosom as
ne serpent that would sting to death--listen
tn no promises of future amendment for v
on do assure you that it has never entered in
elr your young heart to conceive one-half d
anguish ard misery ofa drunkard's wife,