Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-03-04
Temperance Reading.

1
men are assembled. All is life and gay
ETY.. A few among them may be youn
and timid. They approach the counte
wine, rum, brandy, are called for. ON
or two may stand back, and say, /" No
gentlemen, we do not drink any pleas,
excuse u.s." Immediately the rest turn
and begin to taunt their friends who re-
fuse to drink, saying they are afraid 0
getting sight" of the ''old man ]" ant
some may whisper audibly, "Well, they
are moon faiinwa--they are afraid ,huJ
will have to spend CENT? Here, yor
see, two very sensitive nerves are touch.
ed, Courage and Cleverness.. Their bo-
SONS swell with pride, and, rather than
bear these filings Of their companions,
they step up to the counter and join in
the revelry. The ice is now broken, and
the first great act in the drama perform
ed. Others follow in natural order, until
the individual who refused to drink at
first, reels along the public street without
shame.
Such is the manner in which thous-
ands of our promising young men are
led away by false ambition and thou
sands more will follow their path, unless
they learn the meaning of courage.
We have in our mind number of
hearted, good-meaning men, who
do not possess strength of mind enough
to face this opposition.
Rather than be called mean. they will
follow up these habits of drinking until
their appetites became uncomfortable.
We advise you, young men, when you
are in company, and solicited to drink
intoxicating liquors, to say frankly and
decidedly that you will not drink. Let
your tempters call you anything, but be
firm and unyielding, and you will COM
mand their respect, and they will be for
ced to admit that your courage is sufii-
cient to bear all their taunts and not yield
the right. Those who stem the tide al
ways meet opposition but never despair
press onward. Our only hope of res
cuing the race from this brutal, slavish
passion, rests with the young. Will you,
young friends, have courage-true, high,
and godlike courage-to face this grow
ing evil, and Danish it from the land
TLI SEE MY PARTNER.-Strange de-
vices were adopted by some of the bard
up soakers on Christmas day, to get the
wherewithal to feel the influence Of the
day we celebrate and none were more
ingenious than the method of a pretend
ed mute, who took in some of the mer-
chants that kept open doors for few
hours in the morning, to catch the early
birds that chanced to fly their way. The
mute aforesaid, after scrutinizing the
sign over the door, pulled slate out Of
his pocket, walked in, and writing on the
slate the words, Got any molasses ?
hands it to the merchant.
The latter taking the nint-namely
that the gentleman was deaf man
wrote down the word Yes The deaf
mute added Immediately the inscription,
How much do you ask for it p The
merchant jotted down fifteen dollars
The deaf man wrote: Let me see it.
The merchant conducted him to the Gel
lar, and gave him look at the sorghum.
Dummy tasted the same, and manifesting
bis satisfaction by sundry signs and grim
aces, wrote upon the slate: I'll see my
partner
He then started out; but as il having
forgotten something, returned and jotted
lown the cabalistic sentence: Got any
irst rate brandy The merchant re-
,lied through the medium of the slate -
Yes-splendd.' Let me see it re-
ponded dummy in the same way, after
,leaning the tablet with bis coat sleeve.
The merchant conducted him to bright,
particular barrel, drew out few 'taster's'
rull and poured the ruby liquor into
,oblet, in which it was illuminated by the
air TO magnificent ad-
,antage.
Dummy took it--there was over half
pint in the goblet-viewed the sur
ounding scenery of shelves and boxes
Trough il for a few moments, then
lightly tasted it; grinued satisfaction
nd rubbed his belly; poised the goblet
or moment in the air, and then quietly
ilted it to his lips, and the brandy dis
ppeared like dream from the aston {
she'd vision Of the merchant. Dummy
Ioisted bis slate again, wrote upon il the
words, III see my partner made bow
nd left. Some half dozen we're called
pon and tasted in the same fashion, by !
be original, who at length gave in, and
nddled down TO one of the numerous
rests for travellers on 18th street, and
ook glorious gratis slumber for the
est of the dsy.-RiehmOnd ErGminer.