Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-09-20
temperance.


From this side Of the world we hay,
watched with mnch interest the orno,
lemperancc movement in America. In
this land, more than iu the New World
we are brought face to face with moderate
drinking.
Inc European population of India comes
chlell from wine-drinking countries. and
they have brought with them the habits
contracted In their native lands.
vi course among such people the tenn
perance cause is not popular, and the Ii
dlngs which come to us from time to limo
ol The work of reformation in prorrcssno
Ametcm serve rs subjects for scornsI
comment and unseemly mYriment
liut few months after our arrival in
inili we were invited to pay visit to The
FAMILY OF a Christian physician. Daily
lhc wlne'glass found its place on the table.
and father, mother and little daughter ali
r'rtook freely, while no little surprise
was expressed that We were abstlincrs
We were pressed to partakc. our host
assuring us that in this trying climate we
would hnd it unwise to attempt to moin.
tam our temperance principles. Findino
us flrln In our refusal, he made some et,
qulrles rs to the extent to which total ab
Stlnence was practised in Americl. and
10 the answer returned gave the tart re-
Ply: u have no patience with sucb
things"
But do people thus hlbtuased to the use
OF stmulants ever drink to intoxica,iou?
Nlost certainly they do. The most com.
mon vice OF the soldier is drunkenness
lrue, he is punished when he drinks ,o
lntOXication, but wnen an alloy,ncn is
meted out to him the example OF his su.
perlors, he i1ls it dilli ,ult to refrain
But it is not soldiers alone, and those
occupying a low position in the social
scale, who are gully OF this weakness. 7
recall to mind an entertainment a short
Tune since, given by a f.mly occupying
nlgh position socially, when the host
drank TO an excess at his own table. and
before his guests departed his condition
could not be concealed.
Almost daily our papers contain nc.
counts Of some sad fall which can be traced
to Tree Indulgence in wne-drinkinp. An
officer IN the army, who is degraded
lie tries to reform, and falls again and
agaln' Another officer, who has spent
many yeals in India, yields so frequently
to the temptation to indulge freely in his
cups that, feeling his reform is hopeless,
he IS reduced in rank. Disappointed and
mortified, and feeling that he must escape
from his own reflections, he drinks more
deeply, until, weary of life, he one morn
n%a'ter h IS servant has placed his break.
tast upon the table, asks him to withdraw.
lie then retires to his room, and takes
his own life.
chapaln,onc day visiting the patients
IN hospital, is startled, as be pauses be.
tore II cot to see in the occupant Il s,rik.
lng resemblance to a gifted friend Of his
college days. But it cannot be the same,
Tor that one was cultivated in intellect.
lie occupied fine social position, and
drew about him hosts of admirino friends.
ms one is soldier from the ranks.
lie seems lricndless and his countenanoe
bears the impress which Il life of self
indulgence leaves. As he takes q seat
beside him and tries to comfort htn-
for he seems very sad-he draws from him
the story Of his past life and its sorrowful
mistakes. The wreck before him and thc
manly, gifted friend Of his early days are
one and the same, and drink has wrought
the change.
y lady, brilliant and accomplished, and
tle admired centre Of every CAV circle,
suddenly disappears from the social hori.
Aon' She has learned TO love the wine
cup, and is numbered among the victims
destroyed by it.
a wa'cAmtn upon the towers of Zion. TO
whom has been committed the care of
OF many precious souls, falls = prey to the
social glass, and after period of dissipa-
ton mis- drunkards grave, Gods cause
therehy dIshonored, and widow aud little.
innocent children left to bear about n stain
ed name and the memory of Il wrecked lif,
WIth winch their own has been closely
linked.
Blt why multiply examples Almost
dllY W. sne before lS wrecks for which
Tie social glass is responsible. And vet
men, ana women too, defend the practice
.of wine-1riukins. They will tell YOU
mat many OF the goot things of life, if
used to excess, would work your destrur.
ton; that Goals, ii taken into the bosom.
VIII burn; bat are you not On that account
to avail yourself of the warmth and com
fort they dispense when properly used2
1t is Cny the weak, they cay, who fall
victims to lntcmpcroncc, and that for the
weakness of others they are not reSpuisi
Die. Many are led nsl!ay by such sophisms.
Sitting ut the table OF Il friend in com.
pany with purity Of friends, the host. rs
he lifted TO his lips the sparkling wine,
turned to one of the cpmptnv, a vounr
man whom he met on that OCCASION after
4 separation of two or three Years, and
with smile said "Well, Mills. are YOU
us firm an advocate of total abstinence as
when | knew you last?'
The young man thus addressed bln,hed
deeply as he answered quickly: "On! no;
my views are greatly modified" Aud nc
said truly; for instead OF turning away
with feeling of sadness when he saw the
wlne-cup freely circulating At the tables
Of his friends, it had found place on his
own table, and in him an advocate for the
practice. What viii! the end bc? II.H.
Allahabad, India.