Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-02-10
4 Drunkard's Confession.

coholIsm, 1t required less indulgence
than is generally the case to fasten th
habit on me, Almost my ,entire life In
been constant struggle, succession q
sinnings and repentances / come of nj
indomitable race; am possessed Of tn
ability to insure success, and yet thi
one weakness has kept me steadily poo
and often degraded, and always passin,
for less than I am worth. While
could thrust my right arm in the fire an,
hold it there without flinching, il ther'
were any need for it, have been unnbl,
to resist the subtle influence which i'm
pels me to drink.
Believing that there is no cure fo
drunkenness-that once drunkard
man will die drunkard, unless he hap
PLY dies in one of his periodical spell,
of sobriety-I know that the disease mn,
be kept under partial control, and fol
the benefit of fellow sufferers will give
them my experience.
Twelve years ago the habit culmi
mated in my case. About every two OF
three months / would 60 on a "ben.
DER drinking day and night for a week,
until the system became so sodden with
alcohol that further drinking was q
physical impossibility; then 1 would
quit and spend three or four days in such
horrible torment as battles description.
A strong physical organization carried
me through these terrible debauches,
and out of each debauch I would come
weighed down with terrible burden of
remorse, and ashamed to look my
friends in the face. have often sneak
cd through dark alley to avoid meeting
q friend. Realizing that there was no
choice save between suicide and reform,
L determined to make more earnest
effort than [ had heretofore done toward
the latter.
The first useful lesson learned was
not to give up entirely after slip. I
not only managed to extend the intervals
of sobriety, but shortened the duration
of the debauches, and mitigated their Sc.
verify by taking smaller drinks, and be.
ing more careful as to the quality of the
whisky. The longest period of total ab-
stinence was two years and four months,
but of late years my sprees have been
toned down to very moderate indulgen-
ces of two or three days. Formerly l
lost all consciousness during debauch,
and on coming out of one was in con-
stant terror for week or two lest I
should be accused and convicted of lar
ceny, robbery and murder; but latterly
have never lost consciousness, and have
to keep myself ont of public
view more than public men generally do.
L feel that I am on "gaining ground, !"
and thank God for it.
There is no cure for drunkenness save
total abstinence; but one of your CORE
spondents has advanced a theory which
IS, at least, impregnated with truth
hat of giving the patient nerve food.
Drugs are useless, except as temporary
but whatever tends to re-
labilitate the shattered nervous system
will give the patient strength to resist,
md strength to recover from the fall
without going to the bottom. The use
If tobacco in any form is bar to reform
rom insobriety. ...
One of the best helps to total absti-
lence is n church connection. 1 have
lever yet found courage enough to avail
myself Of this protection; and yet 1 know
t is the most potent means of restraint.
have in my mind just now three promi-
lent citizens of this place who have
ome up from the deep beyond the low
II deep of drunkenness by the aid of
hurch influences. One of them has not
ouched drop in twelve years. The
ther two have each had two lapses in
hat time, but quickly recovered Pre-
ious to their reformation they absolutely
gallowed in the gutter.
From drunkards and drinking men
nust come the only suggestions which
m assist in effecting a cure for intem-
erance. Non-drinking temperance peo-
lie are usually narrow minded, bigoted
Dols, who saw away upon their single
tring until their song becomes as mo-
otonous as the drone of an Irish bag
ipe. Many of them are bloodless crea-
ures who have no capacity for this par
cular sin, and hence are incapable of
understanding it. They fancy that a
runkard Graves liquor as hungry man
raves food; whereas the seat of the ap-
elite is in the brain and nervous sys-
I'm.
1t is easier to prevent the making of
than it is to reform them.
are made by the want of
as to the effects Of liquor
rinking. Young men should be taught
nat excessive drinking breaks down
leir brain cells, and enfeebles the will
, such an extent that it is impossible to
,frain after liquor is once tasted.
Drinking before breakfast is the
eadliest practice of which Americans
re guilty. Alcohol upon an empty
jomach is terribly destructive. If peo-
lie will drink they should also make it
oint to eat as they drink. The Ger
ans understand this, and you always
nd them nibbling cheese, pretzels,
'raway seeds and salt. Salt seems to
e a corrective of alcohol.
Periodical drlnkards should encourage
le habit of taking small drinks while on
spree. The propensity is to get it ali
to fill the glass, no matter if it is as big
a churn. But spoonful satisfies
st as well, and at the end of nights
sbauch the difference will be plainly
anifest.
BRYAN, a London head waiter, has fallen