The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-12-10
ccMMuNicATED.
OFFICERS AND MEM BEish.

In compliance With your request, |
feel an unusual amount OF iiflilcncc, yet, ,
trust ing TO the most excellent taste Of
your worthy chief, and believing him To-
bo gcntlrman Of cultivation. submit n
few thoughts for his pcrusul hoping IN
the hnguagc.uf some tyro at defamation,
he will
Met view me With critics eye
Tut pas. my imp,rfcc,om by"
The theme of Temperance has claimed
the time aud talent Of all ayes. Ministers,
standing IN the pulpit, have cShntc mcn
to be "tcmpcrBte aud sobcr-mindcd,"
and showing the sin aud shame following
not only in this life. hut through the
Eternal ages, have inspired thcir hearers
with sudden enthusiasm and high resolve.
Good men from philosophic point of
view, have told to the world the bcnt ilis
uf accuing from n lite OF total abstncncc,
the quit of the soul when man has
reached the meridian OF life, the peace
aud joy of a " green old aye" the cniuy-
mcnt rf every God given faculty, aud
all emotions of mans heart. Poets have
sung Of gushing rills and " bubbling
I founts," until fancy has suggested all
that Is sweet and beautiful in rOmancc..-
Authors have written of the crime aud
degradation, the sorrow aud woe as con.
scqucnts ofn life Of dissipation until we
have turned from the picture of darkness
aud sought culm in the golden sunshine
among birds and flowers. Aud vet, not
withstanding the claims this theme has
always had upon mankind and through
It's voiarics have knclt the worlds bright
est intellects, the tide of ofintcmperuncc-
brond, deep aud swclli"g -'ih ',''h' on
dclugins the world in misery, crime aud
woe.
At every crossing in life We see hag.
gard faces, aud clasp trembling hauds.--
Alas too PLAIN indccs to dissipation
aud by too many hcarlhstoncs sit pale pa
tient forms, waitng--yet hardly hoping
for tho bright happy days even carth's
add st sons aud daughters desire TO scel
In our cities, boys whose dreams
should be only visions of mother aud
home, are seen ircqucnting the brilliant
saloon ur entering the bnr-room, Young
men who in coming years must guide the
ship OF State, upon whom rests the iu-
turc veal ur woe of America, are rccling,
trembling, tottcrng into the gutter -
SidiWdri men, strong of frume, vigorous
Of mind ure slipping of the cup, and old
ugc which should ever be worthy of our
vencration drains tho contents of the
bowl, and so, though we hustcn our. foot.
steps, aud close our eyes to all this woe
and degradation tho surge sweeps on
the sea grows broader, und all through
our land nre scattered graves over which
no little children love to strcw flowers
and by which women grow suddenly
thoughtful, remembering the morning OF
1 happiness, but turn away shuddering--ns
the later life of dissipation sweeps across
tic memory ard seeing these things one
naturally nsks "why," when we have
and Impressed IN cur memories, Is The
air polluted by the breath OF intoxication! /!
And from this interrogation springs a
rcvcric pursuing its quiet way, avoiding
ohslructons, carefully winding in and
among the shoals OF "couse" and "eficct,'
aud naturally enough, arriving ut 40 def
( mite conclusion. When one wishes very
much for anything to be truc il is easy.
dispensing with logic and argument to
make il appear so to the minds eye,
/ and no theory however well expoundcd
no doctrine however well promulgated,
ever accomplished anything unless life
put on the coloring, transforming, the
beautiful Ideal into u sobtr Real. The
writer when be hus given Us u pleasant
thought on sobriciy dolls the habilimcnts
Of authorship, aud dons the uir Of u child
Of curth, ,-mccts his friends ut the club,
is "hale icllow,"" happy chap" lucky
dog" and from the web of fancy, nnd
woof of thought produces the health OF
all fair ladies' and brave men-thcn re-
turn TO picture scenes of woe, the more
wildly because so recently participated
in. The poet, though he speak Of the
dew drop AS" nectar at the banquet oi
the gods" finds something more fucln'
ating in the ruby wine, and TO a Byron
ard Moore, Shelby, and n Tuylor have
sung of the gr. u, us though no sobi
were siiilcd, no hearts chilled, no voices
hushed, all warmth or joy in the picture
of poet or artist has been portrayed in thu
! blazing fire, and sparkling Maderi, nj
, comfort and gladness have shown forth
, in ROSY countenunce. Can we, then
wonder ut the amount Of sorrow in this
world, when we remember much OF liit
; is marrcd by the contents Of our libraries
/ how much greater effect example has
upon the mind Of men thun the iaircsI
theory or plcasantest reasoning We
forgot that every thread in life's fabric
is deed, aud its hue depends upon our
selves. For
We are weavers all, and the shuttle time
I As It forms the fabric life,
l Rings out clear and joyous chime
That browns all care and strifo
A rosy tint.a su nsLine hue
We braid with wondrous skill
And PASS the shuttle through and througl
Ard weave them at our will
A II morn we wolk with cheerful emile
Will, busy hand we toll;
Lest they our fabric soil.
Al morn the shuttle forward goes
Then backward quickly flies
} Aud minglrs with the white and rose,
The blue Of summers skies,
Ais in some unguarded hour
Some moment Of dispar
We yield--we lose our potent power
Forget our constant care
And as the shuttle forward goes
A thread Of somLre hue
, Is blended with the white and rose
And mingled " ith the blue.
Many months since, visited your vii,
age just us you were instituting an or.
der Of Good Templars. There was en-,
crgy in every action--life in every move.
ment, the FIRE OF enlhusiasm burned in
, every eye, the roses of life frightened
every cheek. Your members were few
but all hearts were interested upon the
one great object, oil souls were resolved
: on the attainment Of the one single aims
? and as weeks went by, others at first wa.
xy ~ .ot ho.siIa-,oinad vnnr r.nl ..n