Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-02-18

qucntlN, anu now the morning DlttcfS lead
naturally and unavoiiably TO the midday
dram; not merely because the man has
learned to love rum, but because he can
not do without it, Observe the laborer
| who is used to his three drinks day
how heavily the latter part of each inter
val moves what life and activity the bot
| tie infuses, and with what peevishness
and ill-humor the work proceeds, if, by
any accident, the customary stimulus Is
withheld. During the gradual and GER
tain progress of the habit, the irregular
drinking has equally increased. All his
organic sensibilities are essentially DIM
| inished, A much larger quantity than
formerly Of the stimulating substance is
necessary to produce the standard feeling
of exhilaration. But as he has been ac-
customed, in his occasional drinking, to
measure this quantity wholly by his feel
ings and rs he ls not now readily eXcit-
ed, he will sometimes have swallowed so
much, before the desired effect is felt, as
nearly to exhaust III its operation those
organs which are more sparingly furnish
ed with life ; and his muscles will act ir-
regularly, or refuse to act at all. Ifhe is
conscious of this, or is informed OF it, he
is surprised, and astonished, at having
been drunk and both himself, and his
friends, ascribe what was the necessary
result of natural laws, and what might
have been predicted, to accident. n mere
accident He resolves to drink no.more,
but he soon substitutes for this, reso-
luton to be more cautious in future. And
thus this accident, which ought to have
opened his eyes and to have warned him
10, INN at atf ,rt trhtla
freedom was yet possible, becomes the
means of establishing still more firmly
the power of the habit over him. He is
now careful to restrain himself on this side
of drunkenness, though his feelings com
pei him to go forward to its very verge :;
his suspicious unexcited, or if not, he
contents them with resolving that it will
be time enough 10 retreat when danger is
in sight And thus he goes on riveting
upon himself, with his hand, chains
which no earthly power can break. An
other accident, and vet another and an
other happens To him. His friends re-
monstrate-his wife entreats his own
mind has some misglyings, and more
ashamed than alarmed. he again resolves
to abandon a practice, which, he begins
to fear, may, i'll time. become dangerous
habit. But, Ignorant of the strength of
an enemy which he has not resisted, I'M
aware how wholly he will soon be within
his power, and not doubting but he can
set himself free whenever he chooses, he
resolves but feebly, and with faint strug
giles, yields himself to the current. Again
he goes forward, and again he resolves to
retreat But the dreadful feeling of ex-
haustion-the sinking and giving way of
all his energies, which is SO much more
intolerable to bear than any definite pain;
the sense of universal anguish ditiused i'll
every PORE and fibre. and i'll which he
seems to have his very being. No not
o-day-to-morrow he will break the
spell-and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
and tomorrow he Will do it But
tho extremitics of hope and fear
are worse than the certainty Of death.
He is impatient t. know his fate,
and the contest must he decided. His
wasted health-his ruined business-his
reproving friends weeping family
honor and conscience-ft and hope
every motive Of this world and the next,
all urge him to final effort. Now it is,
that he resolves in the last strength of
virtue, to break the chains that bind him
-DII Nlsls WOW IL IS lIial ne ltoIo tilt
vulture at his vitals-now 1t is that each
living organ, obedience to whose gentle
promptings was rewarded with instant
pleasure, reproaches him as the author
Of its miseries, and demands, and will
not be denied an alienation Of its tor
ments now it is that he suffers the ven
geance of Nature for her broken laws, and
with convulsive. but vain, and Intellectual
struggles, he yields to his fate. and sinks
into the hopeless gulf of confirmed and
habitual drunkenness.
said that drunkenness was the most
disastrous termination of the habit Wa
have been considering is sO-but it Is
not, by any means, ITS only, or It's most
frequent termination. Not that many men
break off the habit when once commenced
the number of such is much smaller
than is generally supposed. For Mt what
period should they break it of? Not
while its thousand benefits afc rs appar-
ent to them ms the sun nj noon day, for
then there is no reason why they should
do SO. Not after they are aware Of its
danger, for then they cannot teven resolve,
but in the strength Of the power they
would resist Its most usual termination
be its only termination for that condi-
ton of the system which renders 1t appar
emily SO necessary Is state of disease.
The stomach, as We have seen, suffers
from the very first and rs this is the cen
tire and fountain of the organic life, and
as the due performance of its functions Is
essential to the health OF every other organ
the victims of this habit may well be sup
posed more liable than others To disease.
But in addition to this, alcohol is well
known TO find its way into the blood ves-
sells not by being changed INTO blood,
but by being mixed with it. and some
times to such an extent that the very
breath will burn, and the find III the cav
tiles of the brain will take fire. Now, how
is it likely that the delicate textures Of
the joints-of the hver-the lungs-the
brain and the heart will he affected by the
contact of such substance? Is 1t strange
that those who usa 1t habitunlly, whether
temperate or Incorporate drinkers, should
be tortured with rheumatism they
should die Of govt OF dropsy y-of CON
sumption-of apoplcyy and Of disease of
the heart, more frcqently than others ? or
that they should be less able To withstand
the attacks Of all ordinary diseases, TO
which, ut the same time, they are more
liable? Instead of being strange that
comparatively so few should arrive at
ruLnnn,ss Tho vnuder j. that amy
.hnuI1 ha L.f, tn roach th,t termination
81 ,Ln hoIi, rhrs II !. tbnt innnn,nr,LI,
II, IL, ,i, ,.orr;..n L;r.l, tI,nt f,II,,y
the track OF an army, hover over the de
voted lovers of drink, each one ready To
seiZe upou its fayOrite prev A,id thus
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