The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-11-18
TIE MOTH Axu TIE GAMBLE.

TrE MOTH SSD THE CANDLE.
Editor Exchange:
Every moth leaffts fr itself that the
candle burns. Night after night while
the candle lasts, the slaughtergoes on,
and leaves it winglcss and dead around
it. The light is beautiful, and warm
and attractive; and, unscarcd hy the
dead, the foolish creatures rush into
the flames, and drop, hOpelessly sing
ed, their little lives dcspoiled.
1t has been supposed that men have
reason, and moral sense. 1t has been
supposed that they observe, draw con-
illusions, and learn by experience. IN
deed, they have been in the habit OF
looking down upon the animal world
as Il group of inferior beings, and rs
subjects of commi>eration Oh account
of their defencelessneSs; yet there Is
large class of men, reproduced by eve
ry passing generation, that do exactly
what the moths do, and die exactly as
the moths die. Around certain class
of brilliant temptations they gather,
p;rbt ofter birht and with singed
wings or Iifelcss bodies, they strew TIE
ground around them. If they wcs
moths in fact, they could not be sillier
or more obtusc. They are, indeed, 50
far under the domination of their
animal natures that they act like ami
mails, and sacrifice themselves in the
flames that tho worlds experience has
shown to be fatal
A single passion, which need not
be named-furthcr than to say that.
when halloHcd by love and lcgiti-
mate gift of life to life, it is as pure as
any passion of the souls one Of the
candles around which the human
moths lie in myriads Of disgusting
deaths. If anything has been proven
by The observation and experience Of
the world, it is that RIGHTEOUSNESS, and
all Illicit qualification Of the passions
involved in it, are killing sius against
a mans own nature-that by it not
the wings are singed only, bit body
and soul are spoiled and degraded.
Out of all il'icitindulgence COME weak
ness, perverted moral nature, degra-
dation of character, bcnumbed sensi.
bilities, disgusting life, and dis
graceful death.
Before its baneful fire, the sanctity
Of womanhood fades away, the ro-
nance of life dies, and the beautiful
world loses all its charms. The lives
wrecked upon the rock of sensuality
are strewn in every direction. Again
and again, with endless repetition,
young men yield to the song Of the
syren that 5eguiles them to their
death. They learn nothing, they see
nothing they know nothing but their
wild desire, and on they go to dcstruc-
ton and the devil.
Wine and strong drink form anoth-
er candle in which millions of
men have singed themselves, and de-
stroyed both body and soul. Hcre the
signs of danger are more apparent
than in the other forms of sensuality,
because there Is less secresy. This
candle burns in open space, where all
men can see it. Law sits behind, and
sanctions it. 1t pays princely reve-
nue. to the government. Respectable
ity uses it to light its banquets.
In many regions of our country it is
highly respectable candle. Yet, eve
ry year, sixty thousand persons in
this country die of intemperance; and
when We think of the blasted lives
that live in want and misery, of wives
in despair, of loves bruised and blotted
out, Of children disgraced, of aims
houses filed, of crimes committed
through its influence, of industry ex
tinguished, and of diseaseengendered,
and remember that this has been go-
ing on for thousands Of years, wher-
ever wine has been known; what are
we to think of men who still press into
the fire? Have they any more sense
than the moths? 1t is almost enough
to shake a mans faith in Immortality,
to learn that he belongs to race that
manifestsso little sense, and such hope
less reckless men. All men know that
drink is curse, yet young men sport
around it as if there we're something
very desirable in it; and sport until
they are hopelessiy singedi then join
the great sadarmy that, with undlmln-
ished numbers, presses on te ruin, deg
relation and death.
We would not be considered an ex-
hortef In these columns; but We love
our young men, and their moral eie-
vatihh Is 4 thesse around which cur