The Brookhaven leader., 1885-11-12
a sermon by slg1na.

man Was heard TO complain 81 ex.
irene sluggishness aud severe head
ache, caused, as he stated, by omis-
sion, that morning, Of his usual cup
OF strong coffee.
The man who, from any cause ;,
fails at the regular time To take his
accustomed pipe OF chew OF tobacco;
or the poor slave TO opium who hap
pens to be deprived Of his Gus
tomary dose Of that seductive drug,
feels a yearning, a nervous restless
ness, a horrible misery that nothing
can abate bat return TO the I'm.
natural stimulant which has weak
ened his will and gained complete
asccndcncy over all his faculties.
The same perversion OF natural APP
petite follows the use OF whisky and
all like intoxicants. Here use leads
directly to abuse; and so great is
the danger of falling a victim To
insatiate cravings that no man is
safe who at all INDUCES in strong
drink. He who begins by taking
only occasional drinks, soon comes
to feel the necessity Of increasing
their frequency; and thus he goes on
in tins course Of insane indulgence.
until, in time. the unwelcome fact,
long ago apparent enough to others,
dawns upon his stupefod mind that
he is really in the tolls and o weak,
helpless drnnkard.
When it is remembered how many
and among them, those of the
fairest promise and brightest intel.
lects-have run this rapid course to-
their ruin, it seems little less than
presumption, If not toolhardy rcck-
lessLess, for any one to tamper with
drink, under the silly conceit that
he for one, can handle live Goals
and yet not be burned. Let it lor-
ever be borne in mind that no man
starts out with the intention OF max
ing 4 drunkard of himself, this re-
suit being invariably brought about
under the self nurturcd delusion -
I am stronger than others, I have
selfcontrol, others may fall Ivy the
way, but I can drink when please
and stop when please.
That Is exactly the way all drunk.
ards are made, appetite and selfcon.
ceit being the main factors in the
process, but by no means the only
ones. Here is a man who has the
gift of eloQuence, and here is au oc-
casion on which he is expected to
: display his power. That he may
not disappoint expectation, he
quickcns his wits by a resort Ia
strong drink-and he In time, dies a
druukard. Here is another fired
with ambition to seek the honors
a and emoluments of office. He wants
votes and he labors to win them by
, freely patronlzing the saloons. OF
all classes OF men in society, the
whisky seller excepted, the office
seeker, as general thing, does
more than any other TO spread the
evils of intemperance and make
drunkards. Being usually a man
of some standing, his example does
infinite mischief in making the Gus
tom Of treating seem respectable.
Then, there is the saloon ITSELF
with all its tinsei allurements, the
resort not only of the loafer, the
ruffian and the topper but not unfre.
quently. also. Of the genial popular
gentleman who, now and then drops
in there to regale himself with a
social glass and a cigar, then air his
opinions on current topics TO the
admiration Of the idle crowd. The
saloon keeper praises his libcrality
and the hangers on qnote his every
utterance. No trap was ever set with
better bait. Thus, as the lamp
draws the moth, so the saloon tlaz-
zles and draws needless youth.
There it stands, with its dice boxes,
it's glitter of glasses and decanters,
a terrible temptation, yet a Pan
dora's box with not even hope at
the bottom. Verify, the saloon, too,
has much, very much, to do in the
making Of drunkards.
The appetite for opium and that
for strong drink, when once con-
tracted, are equally sharp and re-
lentless. The effects, however, are
quite different. Both make moral
and physical wrecks: hut while
opium soothes and pacifies. strong
drink infiames the blood and srouses
the fiercest passions. often impeiling
i the drunken brute to violence and
murder. An opium den. establish
ed in our midst ny Cinnamon and
gradually working the ruin of onr
|, erring ones. would not be endured
! very long. Indignant citizens would
i rise in their wrath and send John
Chinaman with his opium and pig
. tail elsewhere. They would tell