The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-09-19
Wine for Friends.


the custom to offer wine to friends. A
scial party could hardly be called a
success without it, and lovely women
press the tempting glass upon young
men, and drink healths with their own
ruby lips, just as recklessly as if they
did not know that eternal destruction
turks in the sparkling draught.
Half the miserable drunkards who
are launched upon the world as Tester
ing plaques to decent society are start
ed on their evil course by this custom
of offering wine to friends. Respecta-
BILE people are to blame for half the
drunkenness in the world.
Ask any Of the persons why they do
so, and they will tell you, "Oh, it is
impossible to do otherwise: 1t is the
custom to have wines at parties, and
We should lose caste if we neglected
anything so important. Why, people
would talk dreadfully about it, and
some Of the most eligible young men
in our set never attend parties where
there is no wine. Oh, it would never
do to disregard so old a CUSTOM"
Well, go on in it, if you darel Give
this internal poison to your friends,
place its baleful redness at the lips of
your husbands, and put the fatal glass
into the hands of your sons. Run the
risk, if you dare, ofmaking drunkards
of those you love, and of running them
both body and soul, here and hereafter.
Young woman-fair women every
where-will you sully your white
hands with the touch of the destroy
ing wineglass Will you dare to offer
its tempting contents to theyoung man
who trusts you, and who looks to your
woman's purity of soul for precept and
example? Will you dare to risk con-
signing him to the dark despair which
fills the drunkard's life? Will you
risk plunging him into the hell which
ever creates for its miSer-
able victim, and where, through time
and eternity, he may writhe in agony,
and curse your name and memory?
Oh, beautiful woman, in fashionable
society! you are responsible for many
4 sorrowful wreck of manhood! To
you many an unhappy young man may
trace back his ruin.
At the festal board, where silver and
china glitter in the brilliant gas-light,
where flowers perfume the air, and soft,
voluptuous music fills the luxurious
rooms, and champagne sparkles in
crystal glasses, and beautiful woman
smiles over all, and invites the unwary
youth to drink her health from the
very glass her red lips have touched
now differently looks to the inexperi-
'nced the pleasant sin of indulging in
strong drink, and how innocent seems
he pastime of looking upon the wine
when it is red"
docs the young man think of
ingy, ny-DloWn dranI-shOps, and of
bloated drunkards then?
Does he dream of delirium tremens,
md the filthy gutter, and death in the
llmshouse or the torpid fever?
Not he.
He drinks from the hand of beauty
he draught of intoxlcation, and never
kinks that he has laid the foundation
# despair and ruin.
A little while ago We asked miser-
lble young man, who, in the last
tage Of intoxication, staggered to our
loor to buy a crust of bread, where
lie got the first whisky he ever drank.
His eyes cleaned; he made an eff
ort to stand erect; he clenched his
lirty fist, and replied:
"a woman gave it to me! / was
he son of wealth, and she was the
yoman 1 loved. 1t was at a social
,arty in Boston, and l belonged to a
emperance league, too. She laughed /
It me for being old fogyish, and said if
loved her would drink her health.
Curse her !"
Many another ruined man could {
ell the same story, we fear, and to {
many another beautiful woman could i
70 traced the same dark commenc-
nent of evil. {
Oh, beautiful women /! OH women
With husbands, and sons, and broth
RS u see to it that your example is ,
,ure! that you do not smile compla-
emily upon the intoxicating bowl
See to it that your tongue never speaks
n liberation of it-and remember that 6
or whatsoever temptation ye place |
,efore your fellows, God will surely
BRING you into judgment.
KATE THORN.