The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-01-27

rhc rich or the poor the great or the SMALL
rhc man who drinks rum is the greatest Of all.
THE PER1Ls OF DRuNKENNEss.--At a
conference lately held in New York city,
largely Of ccrgymen and ply
sicans, the eminent DR.. Willard Parker
gave an address upon "alcoholism,' of
which the following is an extract:
alt is half century since the temper
ance movement was first agitated, but it
seems that there has been during the past
year in this city and country as much
drunkenness as there was before. The
fact is We arc going backward. Alco
holism is a disease occasional drunken
ness is not. A healthy man can refrain
from drinking, but an unhealthy man
cannot. Alcohol is poison whether in
the form Of porter, sherry or beer. Water
and milk, tea and coffee, are the peoples
drinks, although too much tea or coffee
produces palpitaton Of the heart, and
wakerulncss, but alcohol passes into the
blood, tants it, and causes an unhealthy
circulation. Alcohol has its use in cer-
tain places for instance, as a medicine,
though in many cases | would not pre-
scribe it, If man is sick, and | were
called in and knew the patient had an ap.
petite for stropg drink, | would try and
prescribe something which, though not
so good, would answer the purpose.
Drinking is IA sin, and a man under the
influence of liquor is not responsible for
what he says or does he cannot tell the
truth and his will power is gone. The
inebriatc asylums are doing an immense
amount Of gooG. There are eight Of
these institutions in the country. In the
one at Binghampton there are 249 pa.
tients, and or :lesc 100 are the children
of drunkards. a large proportion Of the
patients are excessively nervous, and
though man may be entirely cured, yet
he may have his appetite aroused very
easily If we would stop our drunken.
ness we would shut up one half Of our
insane asylums. Out Of 800 idiots in
this country, l43 are children Of drunk
ards. In 1872 there was paid out in
this country for liquors over s600,000,.
900, which gives about Sl5 apiece to
every man, woman and child in America.
The amount has been increasing annually
and it is time that the legislature was
made to understand alcohol as it is If
We are ,ton ,o ,"' Gnd opt wbSt is Tght
struct the upper stratum Of society. Let
all of this class learn the terrible effect
it has ON the progeny and the progeny.
progeny. Children should also be taught
in the school to understand the matter
Congress should appoint scientific com
mission, who should Investigate the mat
ter, and publish the result to the world
In England things are moving in thu
right direction, and in Canada there i
about to be established an incbriatc asy
um."
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS IN OLp BnITAIN
When the Anglo-Saxons settled i
Britain the patriarchal system was in fuI
! force. The father was absolute maste
) in his own family; he sold his daughte
in marriage, hi, son III slavery. Whe
. st Augustine landed in the island tn
5 maiden was simple article of property
) her price fixed at so many head Of cattl,
Q The primitive mode OF prcclriDg n vii
t was this When youth had fixed hi
l choice upon Il mailen, he went with
D. baud Of friend, and carried her off, prot
ably with her own secret connivanc'
|. The relations followed in hot parsuit,
c feud between the families ensued, an
J. was only appcn-ed hy the lover agreelr
d to pay the vaIu fixed upon by the iatl
d er for retaining possession Of the mai
l. he giving Wed or security for h
n performance of the contract-hence Il
&c word wedding This custom ofsfeallr
1t the bride is as ancient as the Spartan
RS aud is still kept up in Brittany, where
forms one of the ceremonies Of the ma
lo riage festivities. The bargain made, Il
&c amount OF the "morning gilt" settled u
d on, the contracting parties took each 9th
n, by the hand and procalmed themsclv
man and wife; the llng was placed
Il the first finger of the left hand ; and t
;, father, having received the purchas
n. money, delivered his daughter over to h
y, husband. The transfer of'authority "
-. made by symbolical gift; the faith
If delivered the brides shoe TO the brit
n groom. and the latter touched her oy
n the head with it--a ceremony which To-
.r its origin in the custom of placing
a foot on the neck Of slave, and was tyI
n cal of the wifes subjector to her husbA
~ "A ceremony still preserved in the por
nc lar custom of throwing the shoe" 1
No day after the wedding, the bridegro'
nj gave the morning gift"-supposed to
he voluntary, but according to the va
nd stipulated 1t was general among
al Teuton race, and often estates Of so
or value were thus bestowed. When Ath
=. stan's sister, Eadgirth, married the L
psror Ohio. his morning gift was the c
49, Of Magleburg.
M Wasn't that waste of powder" 5
ne an Irishman to Ken.uckian who
lie llst brought coon TO the ground "
10 his rifle from Il large tree. "Why
IN Pat ," asked the hunter. "S'rc the
n.y. would a kilt him"
on Samivel, Samivel, beware, beware
m the vimmen as reads no newspap
lso Your father married woman as r
IN none, AMI you're the sad consequeI
lpg You're as hignoraut as a 'orse. lilG
en- rant people say its throwing money a
ant IN take naners and foolin' away tim
II