Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-09-14
women and wine,

women ana Wlnes
Woman has never been associated
with wine without disgrace and dis
aster. The toast and the bacchanal
that, with musical ALTERATION, couple
these two words, spring from the hot.
lips of sensuality, and are burdened
with shame. A man who can sing OF
wine and women in the same breath,
is one whose presence is disgrace,
and whose touch is pollution. A man
who can forget mother and sister, or
wife and daughter, and wantonly en-
gage in a revel in which the name Of
woman is invoked to heighten the
pleasures of the intoxicating cup, is,
beyond controversy and without nit
igation, beast. "Dost thou think,
because thou art virtuous, there shall
be no more cakes and ale Ay,
cakes and ale, if you will, but let it
be cakes and ale. Let not the name,
by which we call the pure and pre-
cious ones at home be brought in to
illuminate degrading feast.
Of the worst foes that woman has
ever had to, encounter, wine stands
at the head. The appetite for strong
drink in man has spoiled the lives Of
more omen-ruined more hopes for
them, scattered more fortunes for
them, brought to them, more shame,
sorrow. and hardship-than any other
ssil that lives The country numbers
tens OF thouzands-nay, hundreds Of
thousands s-ot women whoare widows
t(rday. and sit in hopeless weeds, be-
>.,use their husbands have been slain
Ly strong drink. There are hundreds
of thousands of homes, scattered all
oyer the land, in which women live
ives oftorture, thro1ghall theehanges
OF suffering that, lie between the ex-
tremes of fear and despair, because
those whom theyslove, love wine bet
Ter than they do the omen they
hrve swornsto. lpve. There are wo-
men by thoussl,its Who dr4aj to hear
al the door the step iilat once thrilled
them with pleasure, beeause:that step
has learned to reel under the inAu-
ence of the seductive poison. There
are women groaning with pain, while
we write these words, from bruises
and brutalities inflicted by husbands
made mad by drink. There can be
no exaggeration in any statement
made in regard to thismatter, because
no human imagination can create
anything worse than the truth, and
no pen is capable of portraying the
truth. The sorrows and the horrors
of wife with a drunken husband,
OF mother with a drunken son, are
as near the realization of hell as can
be reached in this world, at least.
The shame, the indignation. the sor-
row, the sense of disgrace for herself
and her children, the poverty,-and
not unfrequently the beggary,-the
fear and the fact of violence, the lin
gering, lifelong struggle and despair
Of countless women with drunken
husbands, are enough to make all wo-
men curse wine, and engage unitedly
to oppose it everywhere as the worst
onoro,, &c +boi, COW
Woman, there aresome things that
you can do, and this is one: you can
make drinking unpopular and dis
graceful among the young. You can
utterly discountenance all drinking
in your own house, and you can hold
in suspicion every young man who
touches the cup. You know that no
young man who drinks can safely be
trusted with the happiness. OF any,
woman, and that he is as unft'as a
man can bel for woman s society. Have
this understood: that every young
man who drinks is socially prescribed.
Bring up your children toFregard
drinking as not only dangerous but
dill disgraceful. Place temptation in no
mans way. If men will.make, beasts
Of themselves, let tn IN do it in other
society than yours. If your merce-
nary husbands treat their customers
from private stores keptin their count
in g-rooms, shame them into decency
by your regard for the honor of your
home Recognize the living, terrible
fact that wine has always been, and
is so-dav, the curse of your sex; that
ii steal he hearts Of men away from
you, thtt it dries up your prosperity,
titt t -n,lsngers your safety, that IL
t. pulv bring you evil. If social
r1b;oih compels you to present wine
II your easts, reoel against it, and
;aake : social custom in. the interests
of virtue and purity. The matter is
ve,y m m4e il Noi4 own lands. The
dIncn o. Tie eopptry, in what is
:aiiel Yoilte society. can do more to
ldke the nation temperate than all
~ .ea.s:ayprs and tumultuous refor-
qrS ti,at are struggling and blunder-
1 IN their efforts tothis end.-Scrib-,
,.,.'s Monthly