Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-07-14
Alefan0rla QDaz&tte
SATURDAY EVENING, JULY
The Fall offhe Women Of Boston.


Captain Scott, Of the Boston police, deliver
el speech recently, in Boston, At temper
auce meeting. His theme was the intemper
ancc Of Boston as he had found it during sa9
eral years Of service ~ police otficar. and he
declared it as fact b2sed upGl his own knowi-
edge that the prevalence OF drunkenness anouy
the women Of Boston was something begout
the widest hopes nI tho most ardent totai a.
stinence orator. 1t was common, he said, Tor
| ladies' holding high positions 10 society to ao-
qure taste for liqnor at fashionable restau
ra0ts aud 1t dinner parties, aud then to tall
| iato The habit Of keeping private bottle al
home, where at first they managed to conceai
| their unamiah!e weakness By judicious slum
| bers, but finally grew shameless aud indulged
in open riot. Ecrily this is q horrible descrip
lion Of the condition Of things at the very huh
of the universe 10 the nineteenth century, snd
we are at loss whether to bo more surprised
at the tale itself or al the Eardihood and oap
dor of him who tells il. What q rude shocs
to oil our sensibities What sad awaken
ing from old dreams OF Bostonese refine
nent Is it possible that those wide brcwed
and clipper. bowed maldcDs who, as the "a
ton fordly supposed, gave their days aud
nights to The study Of Emerson-thosc anse's
Of characterization, those airy nuns of ideaI!ty
arc really multitude oi thirsty M@1adS:
their type 90 longer OVerback's ctherlal Ma
donnas floating in the moonlight, but Ottep
back 8 Aimee staggering forward 10 the foot
lights with bacchanal song upon her lips
After the whole country has been educated t.
believe that the ordinary tipple OF the lnen o.
Boston ia nothing gyosser than nectar or no
and then mug Of switched, it is, indeed, DC
pressing to hear that the women of Boston aIs
the slaves OF alcoholism, the bond maldens OF
the Demon Rum Since thc lapsa OF him whn
fell from morn I'll! dcwy eve, . summer
day." there has been 20 such tumble from o.
high pinrace. The cause OF the stupeniou-
fail will doubtless DO the subject OF much 10
vestigation, aud many theorists vii! set tcrli
rcasoas why these ctherial beings should have
descroratcd into Drunkenness, while the wo.
men Of New York ana Philadelphia and other
uncuItiyated hanets, making no prcleusce
10 extraordinary rcliDculcnt or supralunar vsr'
tues, ard isnobly content to be merely charming
creatures, loot loo bright or good for human
natures daily food" have kept on untctnpted
iu the even tenor Of their way. We are 10 NC
hurry 10 eutcr upon this painful inquest,
but it is al obvious reflection thai this aWtG
state OF things may bo partly the result o!
natural reaction from sprituallsm to spirits.
and partly the effect Of the prohibition policy
so long prevalent 10 Massachusetts. EVen
wine being forbidden the damse!s oil Boston.
like true daughters Of Eve they were dotcrmln'
ed to lay hands upon the decau!er that was dc
nicd them. Mr.. O'Conner Power, 10 receut
speech in the British Parliament on the bill TO,
closing public houses 10 Ireland on Sunday, toll
STORY Of un Irish Earnnr which is germane to
the case lie vas respectable and sober ici,
low, and was Just setting of TO the fair to se!
pig, when he bcthought himself OF asking h.s
witc, who kept the purse, 10 give htm shIt.
ing to buy some beer. no. said she. 'lit
do no such thing Be oil and sell my pig.
"Wcll," said he. "Ii you won't give me
shilling to get glass or two Of beer, II drlnA
the pig" lie kept his word, and when he had
sold Ihq pg lie went to work and drank the
price Of il: aad although he had never beeu
drunk in his i, before he cam2 Eomc tipsy
and without penny iu his pocket. II too
much restraint ruined : sturdy Irish farmer.
why should it not have had similar effect mp
on the iral and sensitive woncn OF Boston -'
4NeG lOrL World.