The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1871-12-01
Confessions Of u Drunkard.
BY CiiAs. LAMB.

DchortatiOns from the use Of strong
liquors have been the favOritc topic Of
sober declaimers in all ages, and have
been received with abundance Of ap-
plause by water-drinking critics. liut
with the patient himself, the man thai
is TO be cured, unfortunately their sound
has seldom prevailed. Yet the evil IL
the remedy simple. Alb
stain. No force can oblige u man to
raise the glass to his head against his
will. 'Tis as easy Us not to steal, not to
tell lies.
Alas! the hand TO pilfer, and the
tongue 10 bear false witness, have no
constitutional tendency. These arc ac-
Itions indifferent TO them. At the first
instance of the reformed will, they can
be brought off without murmu:. The
itching finger is but figure in speech.
and the tongue Of the liar, can, with the
same natural delight, give forth useful
truths with which it has been accustom-
cd to scatter their pcrnicious contrarics.
But when man has commenced sot-
. pause, thou sturdy moralist, thou
person Of stout nerves and IA strong head.
whose liver is happily untouched, aud
ere thy gorge riscth at the name which
have written, first learn what the
thing is how much of compassion, how
much of human allowance, thou mayst
virtuously minglc with thy disapproba-
tion. Tralnplc not on the ruins Of man.
Exact not, under so terrible penalty as
fanny, rcsuscitation from Il state of
death almost as real as that from which
Lazarus rose not but by miracle.
Begin with reformation, and custom
will make it easy. But what If The be-
ginning be dreadful, tho first steps, not
like climbing mountain, but going
Through fire? what if the whole system
must undergo change violent as that
which we conceive Of the mutation OF
form in some insects? what If Il process
comparable TO naying alive be to lie
zone through! is the weakness that
sinks under such tiugglcs TO be con-
founded with the pertinacity which
c!ings To other vices. which have induc-
ed no constitutional necessity. no en-
rawcmcnt Of the whole victim, body and
souI:.
have known oncin that state, whc.
he has tried to ah-tiliu but for one eve
ming, though thc poisonous potion
had long ceased 10 bring back its first
tcilchantincn,s, though lie was sure il
would rather deepen his gloom tina,
brighten il. lin the violence Oftlc strug
lrIc, aud tile necessity he las felt in get
ltin- ril Of the present sensation at an.
,wtc. L have known him 10 scream oWt
10 cr, aloud. for the anguish and laiI
OF the strife within him.
Whv should hesitate to declare. tia
! the man Of whom speak. is myself?
have no pulling apology 10 make TO man
kind / see then, all IN one way or an
other ,lcyiatinG from the pure reason. !
is 10 my own nature alone am account
able for the woe that have brought up
OH it.
Persons not accustomed Ia examine
the motives OF their actions, 10 reckon
; up the countless nails that rivct th'
; chains of habit, or perhaps being bount
by none 50 ubduratc as those have con
lcsscd to. may rccoil from this rs from
an ovcrcllargcd picture. But what shor
of sucll bondage is II, which, in spit
OF protesting friends, n weeping wife
and rcprobating world, chains dowi
many poor fellow. of no original in
disposition to goodness. tolis pirc an'
his pot!
/ have seen a print from Corrcgio i
which three female figures arc minister
ing to n man who sits fast bound at IN
{, foot Of n tree. Sensualty is soothin.
him, Evil Habit is mailing him to
. branch, and Re .,ugtiarcc. at the same iil
. stant Of time, Is applying snake to lll
: side. In his face is feeble delight, tx
. RECOLLECTION Of past rather than pcrccr
7 tiom Of present pleasures, languid enjoy
: mcnt of evil with utter imbccility I
J. rood, a Sybaritic eflcminacy. 81 submi'
u sion To bondage, the springs Of the wi
: gone down like Il broken clock, the 81
u and the suffering co-instantancous, q
the latter forc-running the former, rt
y morse preceding action-all this repre-
= scntcd in ono point of time. When
saw this, admired the wonderful SRI
Of tic painter. But when went ava.
:. | wcpt, because | thought Of my ow
condition. \.
a or that there is no hope that it sho,ll
y ever change. The waters have goi
Q over me. But out Of the black dcptl
's could I be heard, would cry out to Il
y those who have but set foot in the pc
" ilous food. Could the youth, to whol
y the flavor Of his first wine is dcliciot
y as the opening scenes OF life or the c'
: tcring upon some newly discovcre
/ paradise. look into my dcsoIation. I'm
T. he made TO understand what drcai
e thing il is when man shall feel hnisc
q going down a prccipicc with open cy'
y and II passive will,-tO see his dcstru
'c tiun and have no power TO stop it. an
ic vet To feel il all the way cmanating fro
!, iimsclf TO perceive all goodness. .cnl
~ tied ont Of him, and yet not be able
'c forget time when it was otherwise !.
'e bear about the pitcous spectacle OF j.
~ scf-ruins could lie see my icvcrt
., eve, fcverish with last nights. drinkin
q and fcvcrlslllv looking for this night
Is repetition Of the folly /; could he feel u
ot body OF the death out OF which c'
T. hourly with IrclIcr and fccblcr outcl
y, to be delivered. il were enough
III ~ IL. IL \ IL ..arLEnr Lnvcl.l.