Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-02
For the Sunday Appeal
Intemperance the Curse OF Mankind.
EMMA C. H. JONES.

W
and the huge, crushing avalanche Of sorrow
intemperance hurls upon our defenseless
heads as we journey along the thorn strewn,
shadow-l lined pathway of life. Since In the
dim long ago, ''the gray dawn OF time,
when the morning stars sang together, 1t
has been an acknowledged fact that, in this
wonderful, mysterious thing we call life,
shadows predominate-often the heavy clouds
of sorrow very effectually veil our horizon,
and threaten to exclude all the glorious sun
light of hope and happiness; but the heavier
clouds that darken our lives are those that
arise from intemperance. Ever since old
Father Noah began to be an husbandman,
planted a vineyard, drank of the wine and
was drunken" lntemperance has been the
fearful crime that has blackened the pages of
our great worlds history, end toppled FROM
its lofty pedestal in the rosy temple of lame
many grand and noble statue that for years
had occupied an envied position in that roy
ediGce. Would to God l might summon
around me the aged, the young men and the
colors as l see them, the fearful
horrors of intemperance. And OH would to
God that my heartfelt prayers might be
crowned with some success; would that my
earnest efforts at effecting some benefit to my
souls idols-de Jact0. all whose hearts my
prayers could penetrate possibly be
productive of some good, through God 8
the horrible doom, the blood curdling, heart
rending, soul-sickening curse of intemper-
ance; the unutterable misery and woe, the
sure and fatal results attendant upon the
wicked indulgence of that vice. Oh, ye who
have fingered long at the wine-cup, whose
souls are stepped in the Stygian blackness of
dissipation, if you could but realize its hor-
rors; if you could but see it as others (ihe
''disaffected') do, not through the magic per-
spective of infatuation, the rose-hued lenses
of grand and fatal delusion, but from a
clear, rational standpoint; if you would pom
der long, earnestly, and prayerfully upon the
manifold sorrows and calamities, its invarIa-
come aware of your great danger, physical
ly and spiritually, alter your actions, and di-
rect your future course accordingly. Oh,
Heavenly Father, in Thy infinite love look
down with compassion upon these err
ing ones. Disenchant their minds of this
fatal delusion, and with Thy loving hand
lead them forth from this moral darkness into
the glorious light of truth and sobriety. Oh,
make them forsake the paths of
wickedness they are now traversing.
Grant them sufficient strength to con-
quer the sinful propensity that is now
such marked characteristic of this conduct,
to retrace their footsteps, come back to the
warm embrace of noble, affectionate, deep
ly-ipjured wife or mother, and gentle, loving
sisters, whose fond hearts their wickedness
has wrung with an anguish Undesirable in
deed. Let me borrow the language of ]. De
Armas Cescedes Tin the Galaxy for May,
1874: "Statistlcs prove the fact that In
England and the United States drunkenness
is hundred per cent. more prevalent than In
France, Spain or Italy" Oh! my brothers
of America, equal in all other things, sur
passing In some our foreign brothers, will
you, can you allow them IN this respect to
an on on bod r1lo
which you can attain If you only UiH? Will
you allow the palm-branch of high moral
excellence-superiority- wave proudly
over them and trail in the dust at your feet?
Oh! will you make no efforts to redeem It
from where it now lies, fast whitening in the
Close, fetid atmosphere of intemperance,
raise it up into purer air, so that the gentle
breezes and refreshing showers from the high
heaven of a nobler, better life may clothe In
the bright, fresh paraphernalia of everlasting
spring that beautiful wreath? For Gods
sake, oh! my brothers, grasp this palm
wreath of honor in your strong hand, bind
the pearly chaplet of integrity and tenn
perance to your brow, fold the snowy mantle
of nobleness and sobriety around you, and
'1leUer cast it from the shrine of your tY-.e
heart" OH look around you, behold the
misery and privations produced by drunken
ness. Look upon the brave, noble, loving
women and innocent extraordinarily the
suffererszof intemperance-cast forth upon
the treacherous waves of chance, without
the fair poft of safety; gaze on the fearful
ruin this awful Neutrality-suspicious.
tiers in his path, and oh! my brave, my no.
BILE, pure hearted, white-souled brothers, in
your Utmost hearts resolve never to become
an abettor to euch sin andiwretchedness But,
thank God, there IS an agency at work en-
deavoring to Danish the zimmerman gloom
that has settled upon our beautiful land, and
ultimately to flood every niche with the radi-
ant light from the glorious hambeau of truth
and morality. God bless the noble Murphys;
may they persevere in their brave work and
accomplish much good; they will surely re-
celye rich compensation, harp of gold
and crown of glory for their noble efforts to
redeem poor, len humanity. | wonder
what possible happiness woman can ex-
pect when she unites her life to that of a man
VINO Is addicted to drinking! OH on what
frall foundation is she Iisking her future Joy
building it on sands to be shattered by the
earthquake: of incompetence. Oh, my SIS
teis, he eau ous to whom you intTust your
happiness; be careful IN the selection of the
man who is to be the king, the gentle, loving
ruler of your life. Remember, marriage is
lifetime thing" molly VOW nought but
death can dissolve; transaction In which
your heart and soul should be concentrated,
and should be entered into only after much
solemn, prayerful consideration. They de-
mand of us purity, sincerity, that We shall
love them next to our God, and in granting
this, let US exact from them nobleness, So
briefly, most tender devotion, and chlvalrous
honor. Let the motto traced on the tablets
of our heart be: 81 require that your heart
be as true as Gods stars, and as pure as
His heaven your soul. ] require all
things that are grand and true,
all things that a man should be. If you gire
this all iriH stake my life to be all yOm de-
mand Of me. The young man of the pc
mod, habituated to drinking, gambling, chew
ing, swearing, in fact all the vices that cor
rupt human nature; is this the man who, in
our heart of hearts, we can love with the
deep, holy affection wife should feel for her
husband-the love that blooms but once in a
true woman'E heart-for whose dear sake we
would gladly give up all others, cleave only
unto him, and accompany into the vast Des-
ert of Sahara, which life with him would
render a perfect Eden; whose strong, loving
arms will enfold and protect Us from the
storms OF life; on whose manly bosom we car
rest forever, and realize at last that calm.
aoiy, delicious JOY and peace that cometh
from perfect security; In whose dear hands
we can place ours, and with all the heavenly
trust that fills our heart to Overlooking whis-
per In loves most thrilling tones, ''B loved,
| will walk this life at your side, gladly share
its sorrows with you-endured for your dear
sake, they will be sweet. My souls hero, my
king, far dearer than the life blood that flows
in my veins, nought but death can keep me
from you. will gladly, calmly walk through
seas of blood, worlds of fire, 10. gain that
perfect happiness which only life with YOU
can bestow, my beloved, my ownr' Heaven
forbid! Let US look through the veil of fu-
turity and imagine what our fate would be
as the wife of a drunkard-and as it lies in
our power to avoid such a life let us do so.
Let him be noble and good, so when death
comes his spirit will not wing It's way to that
purgatory that awaits the drunkard, bpt
'thro11g n the cleaning Jasper walls of the
eternal beyond"
Gifted Southern Girls.
Raymond" in the Louisville Courier
Miss Lillian, daughter of Hon.
Albert Pike, is one of the most accomplished
in the city. She excells as harp
lst as well as pianist. She and her father
live down town, in an Questionable part of
the city, in house which has forblddinG
exterior, but when you enter their rooms the
scene changes. There are rare old pictures
and busts, antique furplture, valuable and
library, all rendered more at
tractivs by the brilliant conversation of the
remarkable man and his fair, accomplished
daughter. They do not go into general So
elety, but few old friends cling 10 them.
and strangers who have heard of the talepfs