Middletown transcript., 1871-01-21
ilopuiW s,tlistrllann.
Fer &c " iiaopa TramorYt
TuEy sax lIE DRINKS.

Mrs. Jones what is The matter with Dr.
Smith? he used to be So cheerful, aud had
kind word and pleasant smile for every
one he met, now he is 50 indifferent and
careless that he does not appear 70 be the
same man besides his iina property Is
going to destruction, and every thing has
the appearance Of decay and ruin His
beautiful wife also seems to share his
trouble, for she Is not ike She was form
erly, gay, cheerful aud hurry, but down
east aud detected Why is this? The
mystery is easily explained They say he
drinks. The fatal rum bowl has transfer
red the bright genius into semi-dcmon,
and to-day, ruin, decay and death are in
delibly stamped upon his carcworn and
haggarcd countcnnncc.
There goes young man. the pride Of
his father and the joy Of his mother His
dress, his manner. his accent. all has the
impress Of n cultivated intellect Yes he
has had the advantages OF education aud
refinement. His parents have strained
every nerve and toiled diligently TO e1n-
cate that son aud make him man lie
Is possessed with talents, gentle manners
and kind heart, He has all the rcq'i-
sites Of noble manhood and future en-
mence; but dark cloud has obscuei
that shining intellect and blasted, perhaps
forever the fond hopes Of his dotiug pa
rents. Il is the dark cloud Of iu,cmper-
ance. They say he driuks.
Did you see that young man Mt tho altar,
tina, blooming lady is his bride. how hap
py they are, observe his intelligent face
bcaming with kindness and love, see his
clear keen ego denoiin- talent, intellect
and worth Years have rolled since then
that beautiful bride IL now a poor heart
broken wife and mother. She has been
reduced from wealth and social position to
the lowest depths Df poverty and misery
want and dcsiiiution is her portion, and
the cries OF her helpless little ones for
bread wrings the hear, of that helpless
mother That husband that was SO hand
some, brave, intelligent, and kind hearted
Is now an inmate of the prison cell Why
was this? II was because he drank.
Why does that young lady weep, when
she ought to rejoice, now in the strength
Of her womanhood? She hears news from
her lover. They say he drinks What n
pity her friends exclam, he is so hand
some but the demon intcmperance likes
. shining mark, nnd like Della Of old. it
has sliorn him Of his strength and left him
poor helpless viciiye, tossed upon the
waves Of dissipation, rcady to be whirled
into the vortex Of ruin and death
Reader these are not fancy pen sketches
drawn from vivid inauguration. but
living pictures Of the evils of intcmper-
ancc, us presented to our reflection by
everyday life. lntcmperance has been
the cause Of more misery, degradation aud
WOO than all tho evils that ever cursed the
nations of the earth. As we look back
over the pages of the past We find that
many noble characters have sunk into un-
timely graves, because they drank. Ed
gar a. Poe. one Of Americas most gifted
sons after misspent youth with profigate
associates died but to fill madnlans
grave. The poet Byron from waste Of
intellect became debased and selfish man.
l. was because they drank. Young man
beware of the gulf Of intcmperance. The
society Of the thoughtless and the gay will
allure you on in the first circle, then like
the ,naelstrom in the southern seas you
will be drawn impereeptibly as it were
into tho vortex. IloMo lseoGSfgrs.
WARWICK, Nd. Jan. o, 1874