The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-07-25

you with admiration; here Is Infinite good
ness to call forth your gratitude and love.
Sweet and beautiful water, no poison
bubbles at It's fountain; its foam brings not
madness and murder; no blood stains its IL
quid glass; no pale and starving orphans
weep burning tears in its clear depths; no
drunkard's shrinking ghost from the grave
curses it in words Of despair. There Is a
great opposition to the cause Of temperance,
but ii will be successful. Those who have
worked in this cause shall see a thousand
fields waving with bright grain never again
to be crushed in the distillery. They will
see vineyards with grapes hanging in all
their purple glory never again to be pressed
into that which can degrade mankind. The
last fire in the last distillery shall be pat
out; the last stream of liquid death shall
be drained up forever; the last weeping
wife shall wipe her last tear quietly away;
the last little child be lifted up and stand
where God meant him to stand the last
drunksrd shall burst his burning letters
and sing the song of freedom. The intern
perate man may take one step with his evil
advisers and that step sets the seal of doom
upon his whole after career. Then he goes
downward, downward, till on earth there ia
no lower point to reach. Alas! how sad is
the contrast between what that man is and
what he once was but little time ago and
peace and plenty were around him; a moth
er's gentle tone and a sisters kind voice
we're in his ears, now the prison or poor
house or insane dwelling, more dcsOlate
amid oaths and blows and blasphemies. He
is pursuing his dark dark and desperate
way to his grave that already yearnes to re-
ceive him, and wh:n he is buried he shall
be hurried and huddled into some charnel
house unwept, unhonored and unblessed.
Never never may this glorious institution
be abandoned or betrayed by the weakness
of its friends or the power of It's adversaries
but this cannot be while we remain free and
true to our trust What consolation can be
higher, what reflection prouder than the
thought in veal or woe, that our children
shall be under its public guardianship
may here after gather the fruits of learning
that ripcns for eternity. This is pledge
of peace, a fountain of intelligence, a
strength of law, the glory of religion, the
watchtower of Immortality, the ladder set
upon earth with its top reaching to heaven
and the angels of God ascending and de
sccnding upon it. Do you deserve to feel
its full Importance when you mingle with
the world, believe me: there is a conscious
ness of honest and underserving goodness
l.
intemperance can never attain. The drunk
ard destroys his character he shamefully dis
/ troys all that he possesses in wisdom, of vir-
tue, of dignity, OF worth and of respectfully,
! he sinks to the basest condition, unexpected
by himself and all around him. Ruined in
body, in mind in estate and in character,
without any disposition of doing good and
with disposition Tor doing evil, he becomes
burden to his friends and a scourage to
| community, his wife thai - once loved is
now forgotten and wine has become his
bride. She seldom sees ! church door, but
she may be seen at the lonely hour of mid
night sitting at her room window watching
for his return but dreading to hear his foot
steps. To her the morning of the past is
! beautiful, but she nov Is full Of misery and
| the future without much hope, his conduct
/ and a suspicion respecting his Hnfaithful-
ness cause unutterable throbs to Cypress her
I once peaceful bosom. And l hope the day
! is not Tar distant when to touch intoxicating
drinks in public or private parties shall
subject the Partaker to the cool contempt of
all sober and respectable men and ladies.
But think if you only appreciate your
power and influence in this great temper
ance cause, that you would soon discard it's
use entirely. I will add nothing to this
consideration, will only say in conclusion
that temperance, when We feed that laugh
we perform our highest social duty.