Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-05-15
For the VERMONT FARMER.
For the VERMONT FARMER.
ELDER APATHY AND OUR
Worthy Chief Templar.
BY FRANKLIN B. GAGE.

Elder Apathy was pastor of the only
church in Harrison. Harrison was quiet
village among the New England hills. 1t
contained some three hundred inhabitants.
and was surrounded by prosperous farm
ing country. Many villages with that num-
Der of inhabitants have several churches.
But somehow the people Of Harrison had all
come together in one church. Elder Apathy
was their pastor. He had been so for dog
en- years
Elder Apathy was u good man in his way.
lie had good intellect ard undoubted piety.
His sermons were not lacking in intellectual
power. But his preaching seemed only to
put people to sleep and quiet their con-
sciences. He was lacking in social inter-
course and spirituality, those qualities that
are. the best of all means for opening the
door of inpenitent hearts. Hence his preach
ing was blest with but few conversions.
Nevertheless he was generally liked, and so
he was retained year after year
Harrison, like all similar places, was not
exempt from intemperance. 1t had its fash
ionable cider and wine upplers, who consid-
cred it no disgrace to drink their hom made
wine and cider. These were pleasant bev-
erages to offer friend, and I'll up the meas
ure of hospitality. Ofcourse there could be
no harm IN using such drinks. Even Elder
Apathy saw no improperly IN their use In
fact he bought two or three barrels of cider
every year. Some of it he made into boiled
cider Another portion he made INTO vine
gar. The remainder he reserved for his own
use. 1t WAS good beverage for hIm. 1t
gave HIM AN excellent appetite. He thought
there was no harm IN its use, so he used it.
He did not object to using home made VINE,
even. In fact he used ii himself and sane
toned its use.
Such reasoning and practice could not fail
to produce their legitimate fruit. Wine aud
cider drinking were fashionable in Harrison
while Elder Apathy, an avOwed temperance
man. and many other temperance men in
the place, sanctioned their use. Even the
worst drunkards in the place, would defend
their course by referring to Elder Apathy
as an advocate of the doctrine of taking just
little for the stomach's sake. There was
another class of temperate people in the vii
lage. This class was the moderate drinkers.
These men abhOrred drunkenness. They
believed in the temperate use OF spirits, not
in Incorporate total abstinence. They could
drink just enough on every occasion, and
such temperate use was the most judicious
temperance.
There were many such men in and around
the village, and consequently the rum shops
prospered. They drove thriving business,
dragging the souls of men down to destruc-
ton. Although more than dozen habitual
drunkards could he counted in the place,
and others were fast becoming so, the rum
traffic was almost entirely unrestricted. Eve
ny day it kept growing worse and worse.
Such II condition Of things could not long
exist.
The first one to take alarm at this crisis
was Sister Bradshaw. Sister Bradshaw
belonged to the church in Harrison. She
was II strong-minded, stirring, Christian
woman. She WAS intelligent and had excel
lent abilities, indOmitable pluck, aud best Of
all, good common sense. She had two sons
whom she almost ldolized. Her husband
being dead, these were all that were left her.
She had good reason to fear that these boys,
spite OF all her good counsel and religious
training were being drawn into the vortex
of ruin around them.
drunken brawl occurred in the village
one night Two men were seriously hurt
and another died. bnt still no move was
made to suppress the sale of intoxicating
drinks, or inaugurate "A reform.
Sister Bradshaw had got wrought up To n
working pitch by this time. She went ia
Elder Apathy and tried to enlist him in the
cause. She wanted him 10 bring the subject
into the pulpit, and preach against ntemper-
ance.
Brother Apathy listened to her with = great
deal of Difference and respect. He'greatly
deplored the alarming increase of intemper'
ance in the village. He acknowledged II tC
be AN alarming, very alarming evil. But he
could not grant her request. He did moi
think temperance proper subject to intro
duce inte the pulpit He had conscientious
soruples against doing it, He never had
done So and he did not wish TO do ii now
All the way to reform drunkards was Il