The Hickman courier., 1873-02-15
FAIR TE1aPTERS.
New Years Day TippIInE rs "a
Startling POiut for Druna-
ards.

From Hearth and Home.
There is . fragment Of story, the
recollection of which comes TO us with
every returning New Years season,
which it may, for many reasons, be
worth while to give now to our
readers
II IS Of young man. member oi
;he editorial corps OF "A city paper, who
year or two ago, set out one bright
winters morning with Il friend 10 make
New Years calls 1t was his first
glimpse Of fashionable. or inieed any
cav. social life John hid hi'herto
had 30 time for play Fn-t err7ud
hoy. then reporter, critic nigh eiir"r:
many y"uns men have pnsh aud VIM
enough 20 run that course before twer-
ty-twa but few carry into il the stealy
integrity and hard practical sense
which set this Scotch Irshm1n. John
-. apart from his companions and
won their pect. Outside % fhe Office.
-few people knew him Occa5iorai'.
Won would see him IN Ms dre~~ -ui -
long ago IN, and fa,hicn) NJ :"
second tier IT grand concsr' Ni'h ,r
old rray-haired mar beside hn T'e
father and son enjoyed tre re4t
as bows would their Christmas NH.
In hts grave, silent way. john cnupre~
hendej aud cared for music; his fgr.hrr
only cared to be with John The ai
fellow read his paper from end ~ en1
every day; he read. in fact noihing
else Journalism in America, 10 him
meant John.
In society. the young man was not
likely TO be dazzled or tempted hy in
fneuces which drag more hot blooded.
brilliant Young fellows astray. lie WIS
Of slow. cool enduring habit Of body
and mind; had dry vii; keen ye,
tender humor, when you knew how 70
tap The vein; an indomitable Scotch
pride; he meant some dav 10 be a hus-
baud and father, and there was no
man likely to be more loved as both
When he went ont to make New
Year's calls, therefore. the young girls
felt no scruples IN urging wine upon
him. nor any offense when he refused it.
Il would have been against na-urc
to find such man value the pleasure
given by liquor. 1t was an old lady
who succreded in making him drink,
friend Of his mothers we'll bred
delicate woman a. any OF those who
keep open houses on New Years TO
whom drunken man Is simply an OBJ
ject Of disgust. The drink was moth
ing but glass of rare old sherry
But there was one fact which neither
she nor Johu knew, that the taste for
liquor was hereditary in his blood, az
scrofula might be in that Of another
man. Alcohol was simply physical
potion to his stomach and brain. aud
acted physically on both, weakening
first the nerves which infiunce the will.
The story is soon told Tbs ,l,s, n mar ;Il
the liquor; not tempted by the elation
1t produced. but drinking to satisfy
the intolerable craving, aHd, in order
to drink. thrusting aside the arguments
of astonished friends, his old fathers
feeble hold on him, every chance he
had in this world or the next. One
night, late in the fall, he vas arrested in
some wretched haunt on false charge
of theft. and in the morning thrust in
to the prison van ta be carried TO the
city jaiI. When Tie BLACK Maria :"
stopped at the cute, body was drag
ged out covered with rags. and cash
in the throat which men did not care
TO look npnn. ut is not the face of a
beggar." they said. covering it over
The frst mention which his oii
father saw of him III print was that
he had 50 died
Why do we break in on the cra-
ciou.. genial sunshine Of the New Year
with such tale az this? Because
there il not house whore liquor is
offered to day in which its beginning
aud sequel may not again be true.
Eight out of every ten American men,.
phvScians assert. are predi<posed by
hereditary influence. by the effect of
the climate nverwork. neutral affections.
and the mad haste of their lives. to al
cohoFc poisoning. disease ineurable
as comsumption. Yet on every side
fair women. have met them on past
New Years days. holding ont the cup
of death with entreaties that would
not be denied. In the present holiday.
must this be again?