The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-05-04

ALAS FOR Poor HUMANITY. "A short time
since temperance society sprang up in vii
lage not hundred miles from this city, under
the most suspicious circumstances, and for a
brief space "all went merry as marriage bell"
The cause found many advocates, and great
number of recruits were added to its ranks
John Barleycorn, at least in that section of the
moral vineyard, seemed to be at last doomed to
the ignoble death which the three eastern kings
endeavored to fasten upon him, when, according
to Burns,
They took plough and ploughed him down.
Put clods upon his head
And they haze sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead:
But the cheerful spring came kindly on
And showers began to fall,
John Barleycorn got up again.
And sore surprised them ALI
And, notwithstanding the war that has been
80 vigorously waged against, and the anathe
mas so copiously showered upon, the devoted
and seemingly inanimate head of the much per-
secuted but genial John, the efforts of the So
ciety indicated have thus far proven as abortive
as those of the trio of crowned heads, and Bar
leycorn still holds his court, and is receiving
back quite number of his recreant votaries who
but lately left him. Some of these frankly adj
nit that they never lost their allegiance to Old
John, but merely "put an antic disposition on,
and played temperance, while others claim to
have been faithful, but allege that the favor of
the " flesh pots Of Egypt" was SO odoriferous
to their olfactory organs, and brought so vi
wildly to their recollection the merry days Of
auld lang syne when they pursued their "spo-
radio excubations' interlarded with "potations
bottle deep" they foated like fairy visions be-
| fore them, and, as will-o' the wisp, lured
| them toward their former Bacchanalian haunts
till their courage oozed out, and their good res
olutions, like the Thane of Cawdors air-drawn
dagger, "wasted away into thin air, and they
again returned to the scenes of their former joys
| Be that as they may-of their actions they
must be their owl censors-with that we have
nothing to do; but on passing down High street.
Portsmouth, last night, very timber object
moored to lamp post met the gaze of ye local,
and being as usual on the qui Vive for anything
of interest, we halted, and was edited by the
following lines, as they were hiccupped by an
| individual whom We recognized as a late MEM
Der of the Temperance Society
| Sc John Alcohol, my 10 John,
We've been so long acquant,
| Although Ive tried to leave you John
| Pve Just found out kainti
Yes, through the winter Just gone by,
We've rolled through mud and snow
| And now In spring pll not leave you,
John Alcohol, my 10
| John Alcohol, my 10 John
| You clever feLeY,
| And when imbibed, my jolly lad,
You make me feel so meller, saa
That though signed the Temperance pledge
Your image haunts so,
/ lcan't withstand your winsome way,
John Alcohol my 10 l-,--.--,--.--.
/ " John Alcohol, my 10 John,
We've travelled through all weather,
| And sink or swim, live or die
Well still keep on together;
| And IT, in stemming life's rough tide
Our cables slip, you know,
| Well both be buried side by Side ,s-
John Alcohol, my Joi
"if the court knows herself and she thinks she do'
Impressed with the beauty and pathos of the
strain, but plying the condition of the solilo-
quizer, we wendell our way homeward, in.
wardly Eliminating on the sad degeneracy o.
poor human nature.