The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-07-09
A Word to Our Girls.


III. NJ. George, in Christian at Work:
Girls, don't marry a man that drinks.
Better still, never receive any atten-
ton from young gentleman or give
him the least encouragement If you
know that Intoxicating liquors ever
sully his lips. If you have, unfor-
tunately, already become attached to
such a one, and find out even at the
eleventh hour that he is a devotee of
Bacchus, leave him, even then, rather
than marry one who will bring you
nothing but disgrace, poverty, misery
and heartaches untold.
You will suffer in doing this, but
the day will come when you will
thank God that you had the courage
to make the sacrifice.
Don't marry a man hoping to re-
form him. If you do, your hopes will
lie blasted and your merrily-begun
journey will end in WEAKNESS and
tears.
"But," you say, "he only drinks oc-
casionally-on the Fourth of July,
election, Christmas, New Years, and
now and then with an old friend. Sure
ly you would not have me give nim
up for this z"
Yes, even for this. The man who
will take one glass is not safe nor to
be trusted. Go to him tel him kind
" nj pleasantly, but firmly; how
sorry you are that he is becoming a
slave to the cup; ask him for your
sake, for the sake of his own manli-
ness and self-respect, to never again
let one drop Ofliquor pass his lips. Ii
he is worthy of a wOman's love he
will try to conquer his appetite. Give
him a fair trial take time to see how
he carries himself; allow years to give
strength to his good resolution before
YOU dare to think of him as other than
a friend.
Go to the millions of drunkards'
wives, whose attenuated frames, hOl-
low eyes, and looks of anxious dread,
tell only too plainly that poverty and
heart-pain have done their appointed
work ask them if they would advise
you to take as your life companion, as
the father of your children, one whose
feet are ensnared in the rut of destruc-
ton? Their answer will be, "No, ten
thousand times no. Far better would
you hang yourself higher than Hannah
or seek the lower depths of the ocean
for your resting-place than do this
thing"
Girls, don't drink yourselves. /
blush that l am obliged to say it. But,
alas the use of intoxicants is not en-
tirely confined to the sterner sex, and
the number of exceptions is increasing
yearly. If you have ever taken the
wine-glass, or used stimulants because
you or your physician considered it
necessary to your health, stop at once.
You are on the brink of a precipice,
and nothing but instant action can
save you. Let example show to all
that total abstinence" is your motto.
Be quiet, unObtrusive and lady-like
about it. Do it modestly, but let all
see that your sympathies are on the
side of temperance and reform.
4 One thing more: Have nothing to
do with man of doubtful morals.
The licentious man should be scorned
and Stunned even more than the in
temperate. He is more to be feared
than the pestilence that walketh in
darkness.
Many who look with scorn upon the
inebriate are doing much to under
mine society by their dereliction in
this respect. We are not circumspect
enough.
The women, the girls, have great
influence in these matters. And
though l am far from allowing that
women are responsible for all the
shortcomings of the other sex, l do
say they can do much to check the
aforementioned evil, and in the latter
case they have things all in their own
hands. Sisters, can you sit idly by,
knowing that you have the power to
work two such glorious reforms?
Let us join hand to hand and heart
heart i'll this great work, choosing
for our companions only the temper
ate and virtuOus. Let us strive to be
pure and noble, even as the Creator
designed. and pray for the coming of
that happy day when our song of tri-
umph shall be, "Peace on earth, and
good will toward man."