Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-14
Sobriety.

Every man should be sober sometimes
/ once knew one so unfortunate as to be
sober all the time, and yet an honest man
We have known men that never smiled, or
seldom, whose face was rigid as an iron
mask, and yet they were kind, simple, and
really reliable. But such are exceptional
cases. Uniform sobriety is presumptively
very much against man. He who gives
no play to the gentler feelings, has some
thing the matter with him that should be
looked into before one trusts him far.
Mirth itself is not always honest. But it
tends to openess, to sincerity, tosweetness.
Mirth has better stuff in it to make man
Of, than sobriety has. It, too, is used
sometimes as mask for hypocrisy. But
not half so often as sobriety is.
Only consider how many men, quite
empty and worthless, inwardly neither rich
nor forceful, are kept agoing by the mere
trick of gravity. When some men come to
you it is like sunrise. Everything seems
TO take new life, and shines. Other men
bring night with them. The chill shadow
Of their sobriety falls upon every innocent
gaiety, and your feelings, like birds at
evening, stop singing and 60 to their roost.
Away with these fellows who go owing
through life, all the while passing for birds
ofparadise! He that cannot laugh and be
gay should look well to himself. He should
fast and pray until his face breaks forth
into light!
Here, too, are the immortal billiards who
ii is to be feared, will never forsake the
earth. Dull good men! They live with
the uniform consistency of stagnation.--
They are said to be reliable. You always
know where to find them. Safe men they
are. They are none of your highfyers
never extravagant, always where you found
them last Over their blessed faces hangs
the twilight of sobriety. They are immense
negatives. Nothing saves them from pity
but their sobriety. Men worship that
and so dizziness passes for consistent piety
Behind the mask of sobrety how man.
pretenders pass themselves off! Every ont
knows how wretchedly inconsistent will
honor their outdoor life is, but they hav
such power Of gloom in meetings, tina
men respect their religious experienced
And so the young are taught that one ca
be eminently religious without being strict
ly honest or reliable.
Public sentiments purifying itself Me
are beginning at last to understand tn:
nothing is so cheerful, so full of liberty, s
genial and joyous, as true religion. Chri
called this sort of men children of ligh
He ridiculed and denounced the long face
hypocrites, who ostentatiously prayed ar
prayed, and got further from grace and h,
manity the longer they prayed. After hi
came the apostles. who cry out to all goo
and true men, Rejoice in the Lord alwa
and again say, Rejoice"
With all this, sobriety ought not to
denounced. Men have a right to be Sc
emn, in spots, and on just occasion. If M
Of rigid face live truly kind and uprig
lives, their sobriety should be considered
misfortune, and not fault. But such m
are not the types of christianity. The ty
ical christian hangs full of the fruit of {
cry faculty which God planted in the SO
a man Of reason he is; man of instr
and intuition too; man capable of suffi
ing, full of light and shadows; stern if ne
be, but relenting, placable, and mild str
with himself, lenient with all others; |,
ing this world dearly, but loving the OIL
even better; abhorring wickedness, a
yet the best friend of wicked men, 9
and guileless as child, sensitive as v
man loving joy in himself, inspiring it
others; lover of activity, and lover
rest full of thunder and full of peace al
it-that is the man which the true Cos
breeds. Ascetics, cynics, eremites, m
sobriety mongers are all bastards.
whatsoever things are kind, whatso
or things are honest, whatsoever things
just, whatsoever things are pure, wha
ever things are lovely, whatsoever thi
are of good report. think on (pond
these things - Christian Union.