Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-06-01
A Calm View.


Temperance banner.
A Calm View.
1t is curious how calm people can be in
view of case in which they have nothing
at stake. But the terrible reality comes, in
this matter of drinking, that there are at
this hour thousands of wretched and faith
full wives and mothers lit is late at night
who are at this moment dreading the uncer-
tain footstep which shall bring to them the
misery, II not the fear, of the drunkard's
presence And with it is hopelessness, for
the chains once forged are so seldom broken.
The Devil takes care of that.
And every one of these people began
moderately" aud really never meant 10 90
beyond the bounds of moderation. The
devil never tells his victims what he is going
to do with them. They talk of putting
down the " low grog-shops" with which our
city is infested 1t were well; but it were
better to shut up the sources which feed
them. We are beginning to have gin-pal-
aces" Not as marked and garing as they
have in London and other English cities.
They still have grace to use dim doors and
screens, so that men shall not be seen.
There is little shame left but still the
victims must be numbered by thousands
who take the poison and support such rents
and expenses.
Moderately" Yes, we have seen such
people, and before they knew it they were
over the boundary and beyond hope. All
"those who are in danger should totally alb
stain" Yes, and set a mark upon them
selves. "Poor soul abstain, sign pledge
and own your weakness. | am strong, and
can indulge mod 'rately." What says the
apostle eve that are strong ought to
help the weak, and not to please ourselves"
More than that, we have seen too many
strong men fall. "At the last it biteth like
a serpent and stingeth like an adder" 1t
is insidious, creeping. Aud, moreover, this
is said not of distilled liquors. about which
they make such distinctions, but of wine,
pure juice of the grape, only fermented, and
probably not doctored and enforced as all
our wine is now.
We have told the story before-let us tell it
again-of one who tried moderation and
found in the end that "nerves would never
hear to reason. 1t is
DOCTORS STORY.
| live in country place-a grand, rich
farming region, where the people are mostly
well-to-do and prosperous. Nearly opposite
our house is that of Mr.. ", prosperous
man. His wife is dead; he has no sons,
but lovely family of daughters.
One day the eldest, Miss Mary, came
quietly, almost furtively, into my house.
She looked sad and worn, and not like the
bright, blooming girl | remembered her in
the past. had feared there was something
wrong, but tried not to see it, and to hope
for the best.
"Doctor," said she, "can't you help us
viii you not come and talk to my father,
and try to save him? 1t is true; / see you
know. He is breaking our hearts, and we
dare not say anything, and you must no. let
him know that | have spoken to you. |
don't know but he would kill me. And yet
sometimes he is as kind and good as ever.
1t is only by fits, and we are always hoping
the turn will not come again"
| had noticed little that thugs were 60
ing wrong, small matters neglected, some
thing amiss but had hoped they were not
as bad as that. | so ,thed the weeping girl
and promised to drop in some day, just &C.
cidentally and not of design, though | con-
Of these disagreeabe things are to be done,
the task comes upon the minister or the doc
tor, and hard time they have Of it.
A'ohhO uoyo oiecss 40 wac pdooiuSt oIicu
the farmer sitting quietly ON his shaded
piazza-he was getting to be an old man.
and did not work hard then-so dropped
in and said " Goodmorning," and b'gan to
talk of the weather and the news of the
day. BY degrees edged around to the sub
ject touched upon his health, which was
not as robust as formerly, and when he
owned to the taking of Observation-Disclosures
perhaps, he called them--which he owned
also, had not helped him much, came upon
the subject at first professionally, and then
put bold face upon it and made direct
appeal. / knew, and he knew that | knew,
enough to prove his weakness and his sin.
As | began he turned to me and said !:
Doctor, stop minute" And then he be-
gan with such picture of the power of the
appetite, of the terrible effects of Its indul-
gence, the misery, the degradation, the woe,
the certain destruction, the sorrows of his
family, ruin, desolation, wasted lives, and
broken hearts, the curse of soul and body
could have wept. lie was eloquent. "And
yet" he added, with the veriest despair iu
his face" and yet, knowing all this, and
feeling it as you cannot, cant help H."
And his tones sounded like wall of despair
Alas | knew that nothing short of a mir
acle could save him. Only the grace of God
could have delivered him, and he had not
strength to seek that grace. When he could
have held back he did not, and this was the
fruit of moderation. He had never, until it
was too late, learned that the nerves are not
under the control of the will.
That is the mistake which men make
when they take calm view of moderation.
The excess of appetite which comes when
nerves are once distracted by the fiery
scourge is as much beyond the control of
the will as a headache or toothache. The
nerves cry out, they are clamorous, they will
not be denied, and men will go through fire
and through water to quiet them. Nor are
they healed at once, even by the power of
grace. There is a man who has conquered
the appetite and is a good aud Christian
man, but he dares not go by a grog-shop,
even on his way TO church. The very fumes
set him wild.-National temperance AdcO-
cate.