St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-04-12
AN Evil Beast Hath Devoured Him. .


ring temperance sermon il few week,
ago. from the text in Genesis: at is my
sons coat an evil beast hath dcvourcr
him" We make these liberal extract,
from its pamphlet publication hy til,
National Temperance Society:
.JoSeph's brethren dipped their broth
crS coat III goats blood, and theI
brought the dabbled garment to thcil
father. cheating him with the idea thai
II fcrociou> animal had slain him. an,
thus hiding their infamous behavior.
But there is no deception about that
which we hold up to yotT observation
Tonight. \ monster, such aS never
ranged African thickct or HindooSt;iI
Jungle. hath tracked this land. and will
bloody NAV hath Strcwn the continent
with mam"led carc;ISScS of whole gen
ciationS: and there are tens of thou
sands of fathers and mothers who could
hold up the garments of their slain boy
truthtully eNclaimimg, 1T is my sons
coat an evil beast hath devourcd him.
There has. in all ages and climeS. been
Il tendency to the improper Use ofstim-
uIamtS. BY this vice. Alexander til,
Conqurror was conquered. The Romans
at their ttaSts fell of their seats with
ntoNication. -Four hundred millions ui
our race are opium eaters. India. 1u-
key. and China groan with des"lation
and 10y it have been qucnchcd Sucl
lights a> HALEY and DE Quincey. One
hundred millions are the victims of the
betcl-nut. which has especially blasted
the East Indies. Three hundred mill
ions chew hashi>h. and Persia, Brazil
and Africa suffer the delirium. The
Tartars employ murowa; the MeXican>
the agavc: the people at Guarapo, an
Intoxicating quality taken from sugar
cane: while IL great multitude, that no
man can number. are the disciples ui
alcohol. To it they bow. Under il
they are trampled. In its trenches they
fall. On its ghaStly holocaust they
huIm.
Could the muster-roll of this great
army he called, and they could come
up from the dead. what eye could en-
dnrc the reeking. fostering putrefactioI
and heastliness What heart could
endure the groan of agony!
Drunkenness Does it not Jingle the
LmrgIa,'- he, Does II NOT whct the
aSSaSSim's knife Does it not cock the
highwayman'S pistol? Does il not wave
the incendiary'S torch ! Has it not sent
the physician reeling into the sick room
and the minister with his tongue thick,
into the pulpit! Did not an exquisite
poet. from the very top of his fame, fall
IA gihhering Sot into the gutter, on his
WAY Ia he married to one of the talreSt
daguhters of New England. and at the
very hour the bride WIS decking her
self for the altar: and did not he die ni
delirium tremenS, almost unattended,
in Il hospital
No Christian man can I've indifferent
to what. every hour of every day. goes
on at Washington. While the PreSi-
DENTAL Impeachment Trial advanced
some of the men who were to render
their solemn verdict on the subject
were reeling in and ont the Senat,
Chamber the intoxicated representa-
tivcS of IL free Christian people. II WAS
Il great question whether several mem
beers of that high court could he got
sober in time to vote. only recently. Il
senator from New England. ri>c> uI
with tongue 81 thick. and with utter
aIrc 81 nnn>rn>iral. that he is led int
the amtc-rnom. He was Il good Rcpuh-
licam One OF he Middle States has {;
representative who NclN rarely appear.
in his seat. for the reason that he Is :,
great an imchriatr that he can neither
walk nor idc. He L. Il good Democrat
~ t;ud looks down on our State aud
National Legislatures. he holds u> r,'-
>pon>ihlc. We east the votes. We lift
mp the Legislators Will the time never
come when this nation shall rise ul
higher than partiSanShip. and east it,
suffrage for sober men The fact iS
that the two millions of dollars which
the liquor-dcaler> raised for the purp">,
of >waNing State and National lrgiSla-
ton has done its work. and the nation
is 'lrhauched. Higher than legislature,
or the Congress of the United States l.
the WhiSkty Ring,
du not know hut that & pd iS deter
mined tu let drunkenness triumph. and
the husbands and sons of thousands ot
our best families he destroyed hN this
vice. in order that our people. amazed
and indignant. may rise up and demand
the determination of this municipal
crime. There is Il way of driving down
the hoops of Il barrel 81 tight that they
break.
| sketch two houses i'll this street
The first i> bright as home can he. Th,
Ithrr comes at nighttall. and the chill
drcn run ont to meet him. LuNuriamt
evening meal. Graduation. and sym
pathy, and laughter. Music i'll til,
parlor. Fine pictures on the wall
Costly books on the stand. Well-clad
household. Plenty of everything ia
make home happy.
House the second: Plan" sold Nc>tcr-
dIy 10y the sheriff. Wife, turs at pawn
brokers shop. Clock gone. Daughters
.jcwelry sold to get flour. Carpets gone
of the floor. Daughters i'll faded and
patched dresses Wife sewing for the
stores. Little child with an ugly wound
on the face, struck by an angry blow
Deep shadow of wretchedmesS falling in
every room. Doorbell rings. Littl,
children hide. Daughters turn pale
Wife holds her breath. Blundering steI
in the hall. Door opens. Ficnd, bran
dishing his fist, cries, Out. out, What
are You doing here -
Did | call this house the second No
it is the same house. Rum transformed
it, Rum embruted the man. Rum sold
the shawl. Rum tore up the carpets
Rum shook its fist. Rum desolated tn,
hearth. Rum changed that paradis,
into ii hell
l sketch two men that you know very
we'll. The first graduated from one oi
our literary institutions. His father
mother, brothers, and sisters were pres
ent to see him graduate. They heard
the applauding thunders that greeted
his speech. They saw the bouquets
tossed to his feet They saw the degree
conferred and the diploma given. He
never looked so well. Everybody said
What IA noble brow What Il fin,
eye, What graceful manners. What