Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-23
TALMAGE's TALK ABOUT RUM.

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TALMAGE'S TALK ABOUT RUM.
How InebrIAtes VIII spend Their
Time IA He'll.
The Easter flowers heaped upon
the platform of the Brooklyn Tab
ernacle Sunday were superb and
cast a glory about Mr.. Talmage
when he rose among them at the
evening service to preach sermon
entitled, "Shall the Bottle Rule
Brooklyn ~ The preacher took
his text from Proverbs xiii 80, 80
-" Who hath woe; who hath con-
tention who hath sorrow; who
hath babbling; who hath redness
of eye ?-they that tarry long at
the wine" Rembrandts pictures,
he said, were exceedingly powerful
compositions, but none of them
was better than this full-length
portrait of an inebriate by Solomon
and Mr.. Talmage described the
description, throwing in some little
pantomime Of delirium tremens, by
way Of more striking illustration.
Statisticians, he went on to say,
could tell us how many men were
in the German army, or the French,
or the English, or the American,
but it would be difficult to say how
many were in the great army of
drunkards. Thousands tumble ev-
eryy ear into the drunkard's grave"
was his word, "and they tumbled
so hard that they break through the
bottom Of it and drop into the
drunkard's hell. Oh for some thun-
derous command of haltr con-
tinued Mr.. Talmage, resuming the
figure Of an inebriate army, that
the great procession might be ar
restedw
Mr. Talmage then discussed the
value of temperance sermons and
efforts of other kinds to stem the
tide Of inebrity, and concluded that
no work of salvation ever failed. In
this connection he told story Of a
good-looking gentleman and rag
ged little boy. The gentleman used
to frequent place where he could
get something to drink, and the boy
ased to stand outside and watch
him mournfully through the win
dow. After the boy had continued
this conduct for some time, the
gentleman one day offered him
some money. The boy drew him
self up and said indignantly, 81 am
no beggar.V The gentleman then
asked him if he wanted something
to drink, or if he would sit by the
fire. The boy said no, he was in
terested. in none of those things.
"Well, What do You want, then?
"Oh, sir" replied the boy, "my
father was once a good-looking gem
tleman, jast like you, and he used
to drink that red Gtpff, just like
you. 1t killed him, sir, and he left
mother and me all alone and with
out a penny. oh, siE ! wanted to
ask yoa not to drink that red stuff,
for it will kill you just as it
killed father. That is why | looked
in at the window"
"The gentleman" said Mr, Tai
mage, "dashed down the glass
upon the floor and went forth to be
a Christian man."
"The drunkard," Mr.. Talmage
continued, " suffered a great deal in
losing q good name. The papers
may lombard o BlGp 9nd it don't
hurt him-that won't tate aRay a
good name, But be careful lest
you excite suspicion by hanging
around a gin shop. Ia the name
of God stand up and do not eur
render your sobristy."
OF drunkards Mr.. Talmage said:
81 have nothing but sorrow for
these, and nothing but sorrow for
the men who sell strong drink; but
fog the establishments themselves
the gfoggies-may the Lord God
blast them by the jghtnings of His
Wrathp
Mr. Talmage said it wasn't easy
for a drinker to stop. "The Philis-
tines have bound him hand and
foot and put his eyes out, and made
him grind in the mill Of a big
house. An apparition Of what he