Smyrna times., 1878-05-15
Temperance Essav.

Temperance Essay.
Read by Miss Maggie S. Hill at the Town
Hal! on Sunday afternoon last.
We are assembled in our weekly ,naat.
ing, to take counsel and gather courage.
that we may go forth, with greater zeal and
ueIernIhatlon, against one Of the worst, if.
lhueed, not the worst, foe of man.
though this may be regarded as a new
departure, and the essayist, herself, may be
crltcised Tor occupying such a position
yet the only opoloyy she presents, is The
cause we advocate
The history Of strong drink is the history
OF rum, OF tears, of blood it is prrbans
the greatest scOurge that has ever cursed
our earth; 1t is one of depravty's most
terrible fruits; giant demon of destruc-
tioh seeking whom he may devour. =
men may talk OF earthquakes, storms. con.
naSratlonS, Hoods, famine, pestilence, dcs-
Potlsm and war, but intemperance, in the
use OF intoxicating drinks, has sent n
volume OF misery and woe into the stroap,
OF this worlds history. more fearful ond
terrlhc than any of Mcm,-it is the Anna.
zon and the Mississippi, among the rivers
! OF wretchedness; it is the Aleynndar and
Napoleon, among the warriors upon the han.
piness and prosperity Of man; it is like the
Palo morse OF the Apocalypse .whose
IIuef Is death, and at whose heels hell and
| destruction follow" 1t is an evil limited IN
no age, no cline, no nation, no party, no sex.
no period OF llte,-it has swept over orr land
with the rapidity and power of a sirocco
iea'lhg It's devastating and DESTROYING re-
SUITS, IN our most sacred enclosures and
striking down some OF the brightest orno.
ments OF society. Not satisfied with 1eel,jn,,
! IN the haunts of ignorance and vice. it OK.
tends ITS blackening influences to the cultur.
Ell and refined social circle; snatchiDr the
ioIty intellect. piercing with a poisoned
arrow the warm, philanthropic heart, and
sending to dark and lonely grave, where.
! III Is no ray OF lIght,-the husband and
| Iather, the sun and brother who once was
the pride OF the family, an ornament TO
the circle in which he moved.-it has
revelled equally on the spoils of the palace
and the hovel, seizng it's victims with n
relentless, pitiless hand from every class of
society The pain which it has produced
no tongue can tell; the distress which il
mas occasloned no language can describe
the loss which 1t has inflicted taking into
consideration time, property, health and
| happlneSs,) no arithmetic can commute
THIS is the evil, conceived in mischief
sanctioned by custom, and protected by
law, that we are called upon to fight. IL
has gained strength by age and deception.
Wine is mOcker strong drink is raging.
ana whose is deceived thereby is not wise"
II would be impossible to give, in every
case the history of intsmperance, for by
the inventive genius of wicked mon. a.
use of ardent spirits has been introduced
INTO almost all companes-it has been
made the bond of union in friendsbins.-
forgetting that
Grief bnniShpd nv Nyina will oo,,,, o.-,..
And come with a deeper shade
Leaving, perchance. ON the soul a stain
winch sorrow hath never made"
IL has been sought as panacea for the
heart ache; il is deceitful in that the ycunp
are inclined to think it respectable and
attended with no danger. II has become n
familiar saying, at our meetings, that a
person seldom passes suddenly from a state
OF strict sobrlety to one of confirmed
lneorlaton. The taste is first acquired, the
habit begun, though, perhaps with the
ilrmest resolution not to increase the oman.
tlty or the frequency of drinking. but
alas when the taste is formed who can
tell what will be the consequence: ir is |
more that probable that the victim will |
De led on step by step, increasing the |
quantity and the frequency, until all the |
horrors ot drunkard's life and q drunk. |
ards character gather around him. The |
moderate drlnker should beware! for the |
use use OF intoxicating drinks is deceptive. |
The idea that he shall become a drunkard, |
never enters the mind of that Young man,
as he sips the poisonous draught from the
wine cup-the idea that drunkard's grave
VIII ultimately receive him, that the scenes
OF drunkard's eternity will confront him.
never has place in his thoughts, as for the
hrst time he takes the social glass, pyofSreH
perhaps 6y the hand Of lady, tempted by one
who should be in all things an inspiration
70 that which is ennobling, true and good.
Day by day the fatal spell is woven around
hlm, deeper and deeper he descends into
the vortex of wretchedness, until the last
lamp which shed its light upon his path is
put out; the last star of hope sinks in
darkness forever and ever.
Is there one within the range of my voice
who occasionally uses ardent spirits? who
takes, without hesitation, the social glass ?
Perhaps you see no danger, and should a
friend demonstrate, you might feel insulted,
and probably would ask with outraged
feeling, Can | not govern myself? Can |
not drink when | please, and let il alone
when choose2 Have not power over INV
appetizer" These same questions have
been asked by others quite as strong as Won.
om " hey hGDe fallen! You may pride your.
sell upon the strength Of your will, upon
your power to dash easily the wine cup from /
your lips. Your boasts are us idle as the
winds. The great army Of drunkards with
crippled limbs, limping forms, BLEEDING
hearts and maddened brains, utter their
notes OF warning; they are as signal lights.
oiudihg you oe'oare of danger ahead Tho