Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-11
Written for the Herald.l
Read This letter,

III y D6UT HTI6ftU - nave u SGTODS ue-
sire to write a few words to you upon
the.ue of considerable delicacy. | would
do it in such way as to command your
respect for my sincerity, and also to.
win your candid attention to few ear
nest and practical thoughts.
/ am quite convinced you are indulg
ing, of late, in strong drink. You do not
do it openly; your sense of honor and
self-hood forbid it but you are doing it
secretly, and ! greatly fear this appe-
tite, which you are occasionally nursing,
will, by and by, master you and your
excellent principles will be trampled
under feet, as you are compelled, more
and more openly to minister TO its in
creasing demands. You cannot always
be s'secret" imbiber The laws of
your appetite and physical and social ma
ture alike unite to render it impossible.
Already natureis turning against you its
positive evidence 1t reveals the terri
BILE processes that are going on within.
Its revelations are its voices of protes-
testation. Nature abused or injured
shows readily its abuse. You may not
be aware of all this, but l am. / per-
ceive it in your dulled eye, in the very
muscles of your face, giving an express
sion of lifelessness. not their wont, and
in the restless and reckless. spirit which
is perceptIbly growing upon you; in the
nervousness manifest in the presence of
persons of pure and virtuous habits.
These and other things, will not now
mention, lead me to the positive opinion
that you are in secret Will. boon COM.
panions, indulging an appetite'for strong
drink which one day, andnot far distant,
will prove your ruin.
How can | refrain from lifting my
warning voice ?~-from writing these
plain and kind words to YOU? Lwould,
in this way, try and win you back to So
briefly and virtue. You can turn about
now, and in manly independence be free
from the accursed thing forever. Five
years going on at your present rate, and
you may not be able to turn about GER
tainly not without Almighty struggle anG
a certain loss of manhood energy, you
can never regain, do what you Will
Touch the plum as ii hangs upon the
tree, and you have removed a part OF its
delicate blush which nature can. never
supply. E..
This evil, above all others, wastes the
powers and glory of manhood. In sport
ing with this evil, you are as one sport
ing with the enginery of his obstruction
as one toying with the Instrument of
his woe. ....... --..t.E
BE warned by the hundred examples
all about you. Be warned by your own
conscience Be warned by your own
sense of shame, as you recover from the
stupefying effects of the Intoxicating
draught. BE warned by the physical
cry of distress that comes from. every
muscle. and nerve, and bone of your
body. Be warned by your own desire
for honor and, respect from the good
and yirtuous, BE warned by Your own
souls aspiration and hope of heaven.
am using strong words, know, but
not too strong, for they express but a
1.-THE of the feeling in my heart for
your safety and honor My plea is ur-
gent because the caseis important. Do
not be Indifferent to my plea give my
words place in your thoughts stop and
think and tbi1ek. Every. time you Sc
cretly indulge. you enfeeble your pow
ers and push the hope of your reform
further out into the unoertain, future.
My dear friend, you. are your own
worst enemy. You. are planning for
ruin, and ruin will inevitably and swift
ly come. / plead that you may break
these slender cords that now bind you,
lest by and by, through their multiplica-
tioa, they become as rope binding YOU
as a slave.
Do this for your own salle-for the
sake of your many friends, who are
deeply interested in your welfare-for
the sake of others whom you may influ-
ence for the right--for the sake of that
heaven into which God. declares .'no
.drunkard shall enter - ,.-ti5
-...s.t N,OJrtS TI,Trts