Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-08-23
TEE WORM OF THE STILL.

RY CONRAD 4. LusK.

READ BEFORE JACKSON COUNCIL, NO. 30
FRIKSDs OF TEMPERANCE.
o monster OF hideo1s and terrible mein,
On every hand thy fearful ruins are seen;
Thou takest the form Of fair, ailuring vice,
Thy poor, weak victims TO ensnare and entice
o what misery and despair thou'ss made,
o how many happy homes IN ruins laidI
Thou hast broken down the sltars Of love,
That We're sacred to God and angels above.
o'sr the vast universe thy balefui breath
Hath swept like bosom OF ruin and death,
o dread agent Of rage, tumult and strife,
Thou hast poisoned the pure springs OF life,
And with siren voice of pleasure elate,
Lead thy yictims 70 e terrible fate,
Fierce, yeIliag monsters from thy f1ghtfu
nav
ThOusendost forth. defyins order and law,
Entailinz on man Gn niad Of woes,
And mercy stands aghast, while her hear
-throas
With pity, and looking mp thro' her tears,
Points tbs way 70 Heavens eternal years,
And with voice sweet as musics dying fall,
Bids fallen man llve-cast on sims dark pail
The furies, 4 hideoRs and dreadful pack
Begotten by thee, never ct thy back,
And crouch spectre-iike by the cheerful hearth
o, to destroy the parest joys of earthl
Like the cyclone sweeping o. 'er the vast plain
Or the storm bowling Ger the heaylng main,
Their pathway is marked By desolation.
Lighted by the touch of coahagration,
We see her sisters, Hate, Murder and Death,
With hideOus cries On the Night winds breath
Acting well their parts in the fearfm role
Thou hast east them, oh to destroy the soul,
And shstter its frsiI tenement of clay
To q CHASTITY wreck OF ruin and decayl
o thou sparkling, ruby nectar OF woe,
Poor sinful man S direst, deacliest foe;
o with want. misery and death thou st fiaughi
And what tongue can tell the ruin thou st
wrought?
seeyOu poor wretch In the dungeon dreary,
Tired of life, of the world sick and weary,
And Oft in the long and shadoEy night,
He wakes from his sleep in fearful fright,
For he sees has pale victim standing there,
And hears his wild sArefk OF Dreadful despair;
And thus night after night in the sad hours,
When darh pall O'er him lowers,
He sees that speetre-form with ghastIy wound
Glowering there in the darkness profound,
And he can but weep and wall and shiver,
For he knows that form will come fereVerl
This Is some Of thy work, worm that never dies,
He struck hi. fellow down, unheeded his cries
For mercy, and now In the prison's gloom
For life. tho only in manhOOd's first blOOmi
Come with me. on, fiery demon Rum,
And I'll show thee another victim, come
See that poor maniac In that iron cage,
His face ali black and distorted with rage,
With his eyes rolling wild and distended,
And cleaning with fear and fury blended:
Ali who is he9 and what brought him hither7
We know him not, and the Lord knows whittier
de came, one thing we know, alas too well
OF this poor wretch attest earthly type OF
Hen,"
BIS mind Is In ruins from thy deadly bowl,
lone more unfortunate''-onlya lost sOult
Come with me once more under the starlight,
And III show thee q sad picture tonight,
And portray as best can to thy view,
Humsn frailties and human sufIerings too;
It's midnight. We approach hovel small,
With mQnldering roof and dscsFing wall,
And full many q shattered EindoY pane,
Thro' which fast driffs the snow and bests the
rain,
There's SO light in the Window let US draw
near
And look within, perchsnce there's misery
here,
For 'tis winter, cold, cherries and dreary,
And the winds are wailing miserere;
We look thro' the window, what do we see9
God . what sad picture of miseryi
The slckly candles faint, fickering light
Reveals aghastly Eeene-a dreadful sighti
There sits the mother, wan, weary and pale,
Listening without to the signing gale;
Sitting there In want, misery and dirt
Singing moqrnfllly the Hsong Of the shirt"
Poor WomanI 4orn and weary toiling for bread
While the lamps OF Heaven are psiing o.
head;
Her eyes are sad and hollow, but as bright
As the far-on holy stars OF night,
Soft, beautiful, apOealyptic eyes
In which the pure light OF Faith never dies.
ROuad the dying hre her children hover,
Dreading their hard beds and scanty cover;
And the poor mother. her eyes dim with tears
Looks at her little ones so young in years,
The bright visions OF their once happy hours
Gone like the fragrance Of persisted flowers;
And = Wild shrek Of heart rending despair,
Like the WaIl Of 9 lost soul is heard there;
Her babes famished. perishing, almost dead
Are crying in the darkling gloom for bread,
Crying for thst which oh! she cannot give
Just for = little bread that they may live,
Come with me, We change the sad scene, anS
soon
Wind our way to the glittsrIng saloon,
Where the votsries ct Bacehus' fair shrine
From tiny goblets sip the ruby WineI
There's q sound of mirth, reyelry and song,
And we Join the giddy and festive throng,
Here's an old man tottering to the grave,
| To this deadly vice still an abject slave!
And there's youth in LIES glowing morning
Deaf to bis fond mothers solenn warming,
And he alls his glass to the Level brim,
Ali his future Is hopeless, all dark and dimi
See that man in the meridian OF life,
| He's the husband Of that poor nalIid wife,
| The father Of those babes In that sad home,
10 they wonder why father does not come
| Poor little Children ahi too wen they know
The sad canRe of theiE deep and Foiceless Hoe
Once all 70 them vas beautiful and bright
Now they grope In a long and starless night,
Poor starving waits Ia lffe's great wilderness
Doomed, oh! SO early TO want and distress!
To one more picture, attention we ask,
| And then We close this sad and mournful task
IT'S the last scene OF all. afuneral thronE
In Goods acre" are sing Ing = sad, sad song,
That fath0r once so manly, true and brave
Sleeps dreamless sleep in drunkard's grave
That husbands soal has gone O'er the dAr
To Him who gave Il, the mercifal gtEer;
His children LIN their sweet voices in prayer
! O'er their dear father, pale slumberer therS
The wife draws a vail OF his many crimes,
Her love wss true, tho sorely tried on times;
when he vas the soul Of honor and truth,
And as she looks back to those happy years,
Her grief finds vent tpe aoOd Of SAD tears
) And she thinks Of al that was and '.migl
hut for this appalling vice and dreadful sin!
Vnekann Tam Ausuaf Hfh- laT9