The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-05-20
ApostrOphe to Water.

The following beautiful apostrophe to
water is occasionally used by the great
temperance lecturer, John B. Cough,
with startling power and thrilling ef-
feet altogether irresistible. 1t is not
strictly original with Cough, but borrow
ed and probably improved by him from a
philippe of John Taylor, the famous ora.
tor and Methodist preacher who flourished
in Texas before the days of Sam Houston,
He was holding forth at camp meeting,
and hurling hot thunderbolts ofeloquent
denunciation at sin and sinners general
ly, when word reached him that certain
parties had erected whiskey booths on the
camp ground. Pausing in the midst ofa
strain ofimpassioned eloquence, he quiet
ly took hold of glass of water which
stood before him, and slowly raising it
on level with his eye, he pronounced
these words, which, for startling and spon-
taneous effect, has never been surpassed.
His face was aglow with his subject, and
his clear, ringing voice, in stirring ap;
peal-and electric power, ran out full aud
clear upon the ears of the eager thousands
that crowdedabout the stand. The effect
on the uncouth and untutored frontiers
men was vivid and magnetic in the ex-
treme, and they arose in their frenzy,
destroyed all the liquor, and laying rude
hands on the panic.stricken vendors,
marched them off and forbid their return.
Here is this masterpiece of word-paint-
ing, which, when once read, will never be
forgotten:
"What is the liquor which God the Eter.
nal brews for his children? Not in the
simmering still, over smoky fires choked
with poisonous gases, and surrounded
with the stencil Of sickenihg odors and
rank corruptionists, doth your Father in
Heaven prepare the precious essence OF
life, the pure cold water. But in the green
glade and grassy dell, where the red deer
wanders and the child loves to play, there
God brews it. And down, low down in
the lowest valleys, where the mountains
murmur and the rills sing; and high up
the tall mountain tops, where the naked
granite glitters like gold in the sun !;
where the. storm, clouds brood, and the
thunder storms crash; and away far out
on the wide, wild sea, where the hurri-
cane howls music, and the big waves roar
the chorus, sweeping the march of God !;
there he brews it, that beverage Of life
and health water! And everywhere itisa
thing of beauty; cleaning in the dew
drop; singing in the summer rain; shin.
ing in the ice gem, till the leaves all
seem to turn to living jewels; spreading
golden veil over the setting sun, or white
gauze over the midnight moon. Sporting
in.the cataract sleeping in the glacier !:
dancing In the hail shower:. folding its
bright snow curtains softly about the
wintry world: Ind waving the many col
ored iris, that seraph's zone of the sky,
whose warp is the raindrop. of earth,
whose woof is the sunbeam of Heaven, all
checkered over with celestial flowers by
the mystic hand of reftaction. Still al
ways, as il is beautiful, that life giving
water. No treason bubbles on its brink:
its foam bears no madness and murder:
no blood stains its liquid glass: pale
widows and orphans weep no burning
tears in its depths: no drunken, shrek
ing ghost from the grave curses it in the
words of eternal despair. Speak out,
friends, would you exchange it for that
demons drink-Alcohol