Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-03-22
"TnEsE HARD TIMES. ,,

man who was complaining bitterly of
hard times. He had had little work
during the winter. and his family had
suffered for the necessaries of life. 1t
was not necessary for this man to tell
us that it was hard times in his family
the smell of his breath and the fumes
of his pipe told the tale of poverty. The
scent Of liquor told where this man spent
some Of his money and portion of his
time. and his swift putting at the pipe
showed that one plug of the poor mans
"solacc" would not last him many days.
We had pity for the family of this man.
and some sympathy for the creature
himself. IL is sad thing to sec one
who has completely surrendered body
and soul to the most iguoble purposes.
The clean. healthy. vigorous body that
nature gave the child the man has de.
graded. Like sponge, it has gathered
up all the poison in gallons, perhaps,
barrels of liquor. and out of huge mass
Of tobacco it has reserved all that is moi
some and nasty. until flesh and blood
and brain are saturated and narcotised
with the two worst productions of ma
ture Pity it is that any man will make
himself such standing nuisance by FL.
thy habits. that the sight of him will
reverse an ordinary stomach, and the
scent of him will drive away any respect
able dog aud it is terrible misfortune
to the man and the world that he conse-
crates soul that the Creator designed
for noble purposes, to only one thing
the qualification of a vitiated appetite.
But we have far greater sympathy
for the families of such unfortunate men,
than for themselves. In their houses
are children that are being injured by
the example of a father they are suffer-
ing for food, for clothing are shiyering
with the cold and are deprived of oppor-
tunitles for pleasure or education. The
wife and mother is struggling hard to
keep her children from hunger and suf.
fering she has little sympathy or as
sistance from the father. The effect of
his habits drove every noble feeling out
of his soul, long ago, and he chidcs and
curses his wife for the misfortunes that
surround his family.
Truly, the times are hard with such
men as we have mentioned, and they
will continue to grow harder with them.
every year. The habits that now con.
troll them will be liable to continue. and
more liquor and more tobacco will be re-
qulred to satisfy the cravings of appe
tite as they grow older The effect of
the poison left in the system will be felt
more and more as they advance in years
there will be greater sorrow and want
in their families, more broken panes in
their windows, more debts unpaid, and
finally when they die. there will be
more rejoicing than weeping.
IT you wish to extract any lesson from
this writing that will make the hard
times less hard, break off your bad hab.
its curtail your extravagaucies; use
the little money that you may obtain
during the dull times for bread. not
rum. or tobacco. or tea apply for the
payment of debts such money as you
have heretofore paid out for luxuries.
Do not make the times harder by your
indulgcnces and idleness. Do not carry
hunger and suffering into your families,
by applying your scanty earnings to the
one ignoble purpose of gratifying your
deprayed appetite.