The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-10-08
Wonlens' Christian Work.
lntemperance.
HY CANON rARRAR.

-. rs.
BY CANON rARRAR.
People who have reached middle life
have somewhat wide experience. They
have watched many careers, both public
and private; they have seen them all be-
gin In fair promise, they have seen many
of them issue in strange disaster. They
have had schoolfellows who started out
in life with them; and have seen how, in
their hves, acts apparently trivial have
been seeds planted in heaven or hell; how
traits of character and germs of habit, lit.
tie thoughts of all the time, have ripen-
ed into very bitter or very glorious fruit.
Has schoolfellow ever come to the
door ofany Of you, homeless, disreputa-
Bile, shattered bleared eyes, the
coarsened face. the shabby aspect, telling
the story Of wandering and wasted years?
You saw him last a bright, popular, reck-
less boy, laughing at rules, laughing at
duties, dabbling with temptation, smok-
ing, learning to drink, glorying in the
brief gaieties Of confident precocious vice.
Is this the end? In those sodden features
in that shaking figure, do you recognize
the boy you knew, the favorite of his
companions. the little hero of all the bad?
He has been in Canada, in New Zea-
land, in Australia; he has gone to the
gold fields and the diamond diggings;
and sought his fortune everywhere and
found it nowhere, because he has car
ried everywhere the vices which render
ed 1t impossible. His family, he tell you
have disowned him; his friends are sick
Of him; he is pennilers; he knows not
where to turn. He is living in one of
those low lodging houses, to which are
swept 70 many elements Of sin and mis-
cry in the stained backwates of life.
Nay more, he goes on to tell you with
miserable tears that you cannot help him;
that his friends have helped him till all
help is worse than useless; that in one
word he is hopeless drunkard, and that
even if you give him anything, he will
only spend it in drink.
God help the poor wretch, for man
cannot. Who is there who has seen that
shattered, blighted life; curse to others
a curse to itself, with no apparent out
look here on earth save nameless, dis
honorable grave; who is there who could
say otherwise than the life Of such a
man is an utter failure?
DIsHONOR.
There is an only son in clergyman's
family. He is strong, handsome, bril-
liant, the IDOL of his family, to whom his
sisters look to their support and protec-
ton, as he is their darling and their
pride, He enters life with the fairest
there seems to be every hope
that he will rise to eminence; there is at
any rate no doubt that he will achieve a
useful and an honorable career.
Alas! the frail barque of his life drives
full upon that awful, sunken reef Of SEN
suality, which has shipwrecked so many
souls.
II have strong passions" the young
man says when he has plunged into the
paths Of shame. Why does he not rath-
er say, Il have weak reason" seeing that
strong passions mean weak reason?
When ship has been entrusted to a
wise pilot could the captain urge it in his
own excuse that he smashed the helm |
ana flung the pilot overheard, and though |!
the storm doomed black on the horizon,
gave up the vessel to the orgies ofa NUT
inous and numbering crew?
Well, what came of it in this young |!
mans case? What comes of it sooner or |
later in every case? Rags after the pur-
pie raiment; after the full revel, the hun
ger and swinish husks. Another, not l,
shall describe the career of such youth |
ere yet it has ended, as it did end, in sui
eide,
II once had the opportunity" says she
who tells the story, "of contemplating,
near at hand, the example of a life which
has yielded itself to sensual passion. No
golden halo of fiction was about it; l saw
it bare and real, and it was very loath-
some. l saw mind degraded by the
practice of mean subterfuge, by the habit
pertidious deception; and body deprav-
ed by the infectious influence of the sim
polluted sorl. / suffered much from the
prolonged view of this spectacle of these
,ufferings. 1t inscribed on my reason the
conviction that unlawful pleasure is
lelusive and envenomed pleasure its
hollowness disappoints at the time T; its
poison cruelty torture afterwards ; it's ef-
Tects deprave forever"
THE GAMBLER.
A young nobleman fresh from the pub
lie schools enters onthe possession of an
llustrious title, on the inheritance of an
immense estate. Born to the legislature,
born to adulation, born to live in SPLEEN
lid houses, to be surrounded by endless
Injuries, to 60 where he likes, to marry
whom he pleases, and when he likes
'ich, noble, young, coveted by every
pleasure, without one material anxiety;
5 it not the very position of all others
vlich many would regard with envy as
he summit of possible bliss?
What came of it?
Did he regard himself as only Gods
toward of his rank, his opportunities, ,
lis wealth? Did the poor rejoice in his I
Was one good cause fos.
cred by his patronage, or did he live as
many do? Not one word to make men
riser, not one example to make them
et.er, not one generous deed to make
hem happier: dismal selfishness; paltry {
nds; mean ideals, a dispicable career; a