The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-08-17
The Dark side.

Lille has a dark side and bright
side. Happy is the man who can
and does make choice of the latter
Men generally have more or less to
do with the dark side before their
mortal career terminates. Darkness
is never so black as when contrasted
with light, or light so bright as when
contrasted with darkness. We wish
now to notice some dark pictures,
and then the corresponding bright
ones. We will yield to fancy and let
her paint the pictures as she may
A vast army is marshaling its forces
in our land. The soldiers have DOM
ed their regimentals. They are
ready for the gutter and the mire.-
Their faces wear the red and fiery
glare of demons. They are waging
a war against their own PERSONS
Lunatics could not surpass them in
this respect. But they extend the
war still further,cruelly carrying it
on against poor helpless women and
children. Even devils could not sur.
pass them in their diabolical schemes.
A fiery liquid is the only visible
weapon, which is fast burning out
their vitality. The slain amount to
seventy thousand persons every year.
But the trouble ends not here; in the
veins Of the children blood courses
on its way that is highly impregna.
ted with the pernicious seeds that
were sown by its parents.
Taiips;.e lyat at tho s.heayl ~atets
of almost any one of our many nav
igable rivers and passing down ii, we
soon see what appears to be large
and extensive grain depot. It has
wonderful tendency to draw the far!
mers of the neighboring DISTRICTS
Over hill and dale and from far and
near they come, deep freighted with
the bounty of heaven. 1t is not q t.
mill where men are wont to bring
their grain. Neither is it a shipping
house. Perhaps they are storing it
here to feed the hungry, or it may be
for sale to clothe the naked. Happy
thought-but oh, dread realityl It's
distilled into liquid which is
spreading terror and desolation over
the land-a substance which is but
fuel for the fame that is devouring
the nation. This fountain from
which issue bitter waters is the feed
er of two other institutions. They
are the penitentiary and the asylum.
1t is midnights lonely hour. In a
wretched howell poor, careworn wo-
man has not yet finished 10 labors of
the day. He who promised to love,
cherish and protect her has not yet
returned from the drunken revels of
the bar-room. The storm is raging
without. The blood begins to chill.
The children cry with cold. No FIRE!
noclothesl But finally morning dawns;
the sun comes out to warm the chill
ly earth. Silence reigns in the how
Ell. The drunkard enters. Tread
lightly, villain! You are in the
death chamber. The death angel
has passed along, and left as trophies
three cold and lifeless forms.
A youth of brilliant intellect goes
forth from college with the higl est
honors college can confer. He is
ambitious and lusts for public hon:
ors. He applies his talents to mas
ter the intricacies of law. He is ad-
mitted to practice at the bar. He
makes shining mark. His first eff
forts cause men to say that he will
one day stand at the head Of the
legal profession. He is selected on
an important case, the issue of which
is life or death to fellow being. To
fortify himself for the contest, he
takes the fatal draught. 1t flies to
his brain, clouds and stupefes his
mind. He is confounded and utterly
fails. To cover up his grief he
drinks, and becomes constant par
ticipant of the bowl. Thus one who
might have added another star to
glitter in the constellation of genius
goes down to fill drunkard's grave.
Philadelphia and New York are
connected by more telegraph wires
,hoa oA,, a,Lo. k,,o a.,;an - a. -