Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-09-23
COMMUNICATED.
SERMON ON THE HALF.SHELL
BY DEACON pIoGENEs.
INTEMPEPANCE.

Brethreu-Ihere Is demon abroad
in our land, its hands are red with hom-
icidal blood its eyes are blind 10 mise
rvs sight; its ears are closed 10 mercy's
call !; its robes are limp with widows
tears. 1t is lntemperance, and want,
misery, disgrace, brutality, madness.
death and hell, follow in its train. 1t
ruthlesSly tramples innocency beneath
its feet, aid pinions its victim to the
spit of misery, and chars the soul by a
liquid fire, drawn from the caldrons of
perdition.
1t stands by the deathbed OF a once
proud son, and with tiendish delight
hears his rawlings mingled with the
heart-broken sob> of loving mother,
and buries cherished hopes in a drunk
ards disgraced grave.
1t immolatcS the husband, father and
son upon the blood and tear stained al
/ tar of human woe, and with ruthless
| hands dragS down the noblrSt work Of
God TO the dark abyss of misery and
/ degradation, aud stamps upon his brow
/ the mark of Gods condemnation in
deeper, backcr lines ;hau ever marked
the brow Of Cain.
1t carries with it the evil passions of
man. and scatters them broad cast
/ through our land, aS :he husbandman
Scatters his seed in Autumn. II is tho
most prolific source of want, vice and
crime. The miserable Slums, dark eel
lars and iirrlesS hearthstones, are its
abiding places; the ietons cell, peuiten-
tiary and gallows are lis final resting
places.
Brethren, we have all observed tho
great evils of iutemperancc. We sec
them rs a life panorama that is passing
before our eyes every day. We have
seen the strong young man with the
marks of honor and usefulness upon his
brow, leave the cherished home of his
childhood with the chaste kiss of n low
ing mother lingering on his lips, whllo
that mothers prayer followed him into
the wide world, and always assembled
from the family altar, asking Godsprc
tecting care over him in his life con-
ficts. Wherever he went he carried
her hopes and pride By courageous
genius he upraised himself to q proud
! position OF honor and usefulness. He
commanded and deserved the respect
and esteem of good men. lnttmper-
ance, n, last, placed the tempting cup
to his lips, he qualled, he fell, he died.
The scene changes. We see an hon
ored man strong IN virtue and affection,
clasp the hand OF a loving, coniidng
woman at the consecrated altar, and In
the presence Of God and nan, promises
to love, honor and protect her, while
the solemn bcnedlctlon rests upon their
heads The bright sun CLEANS of hu-
man happiness fall around them, as
hand lovingly clasped in hand, they
commence the journey OF lie. As years
pass on, intcmperance in It's hOrrid
form stalks over the threshold of their
home aud shrouds il in a shadow worse
than that OF death. The husband be-
comes brutalized and neglects the bro.
ken hearted wife he promised God to
protect. Poverty and misery clotho
his offspring in rags and educates them
in vice aud crime The husband dies q
drunkard, and disgrace guards his
grave--the mother dies in abject want,
broken hearted, and grief writes her
2ptaph; the orphaned children roam
as yagranis, and in time felony claims
them as It's prizc. We iain would put
forth our hands and drop the curtain to
hide the fearful scenes from human
eyes, but the curtain will not down, anil
we are compelled, heart sick, to gazc at
the awful scene.
Brethren, this demon is making tear
tuI rayages in our land, and one caase
is, the criminal negligence Of parents to
properly guard their young, aud the
absence Of proper stringent, restraining
statutes OF law. II the coming genera
tion could be guarded aud protected
until the present stock OF drGnkard3
died away, we would have stop gap,
which assisted by Legislation, would
| check the career Of the monster and el-
eyate our world nearer heaven.
Another source of intemperance is
moderate tippling. Some take drink
| in cold weather TO make their bodies
warm, and ~ warm weather To make
them cool. Some take it rs a stImulanL
Tor organs derauged by its use, while
others take it for the stofnaciis sake,
alone. With them, whiskcy possesses
more curative properties than is claim.
cd for any patent nostrum, and IL is as
tonishIng how often they are afflicted
10y some disorder that alcoId alone
will relieve.
Ny brethren, tipplers are apprentices
in the devils work shop. They tell US
that they can tipple life time aud
never become intoxicated. TiIese con-
ccited moral giants may az well try TO
swallow thIuderbOIt and remain uDin-
jured. as 10 imD.bs the brain stealing
potion placed TO their lips by tie hands
/ Of iiltemperanoc, and retain their souls
and bodies untarnisiIed.
Oh, We bcsotted mortaIs who are
grecdly qrafhg this burning b-uh Of
/ Examinations, burst asundcr the chains Of
! your bondage, aud sIake your thirst at
. Cod health giving fountains OF crystal
waters IL bursts from the storm. cleft
cayerns IN the mountain side; IL bubbles
from beneath the mosSgrowii rocks OF
the hillside; j, sparkles in the riIls VI
the daisy -fecked valcs il d,scends in
diamond drops from Coils cloud walled
reservoir, and slakes The thirst of thank.