St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-06-06

en- than men-who are being bound, body,
mind and soul, to this terrific habit.
There is a great mystery about some
families. You do not know why they do
NOT get on. The opium habit is so stealthy,
co deceitful and so beautiful. You can cure
a hundred drupkards easier than you can
cure one opium eater. nave hearo OF
cases of reformation, but never saw any,
[ hope there are cases of genuine retorma-
ton. I have seen men who for forty years
had been the victims of strong drink thor
oughlv reformed: but the opium eaters
that have seen go on and go down. Their
crv in the last hour of life is not for God,
nor. for PRAYER, nor for the Bible, but for
opium. Perhaps there are only Two per-
sons outside the household who know what
Is the matter with them-the physician
and the pastor; the physician called IN Tor
nhvsical relief, the pastor called IN for
spiritual relief; but they both fail. The
physician acknowledges his defeat. The
minister of religion Acknowledges his de-
feat. for it seems as if the Lord does not
answer prayer for opium eaters. Y, man!
O. womanl Are you tampering with this
habit? Have you just begun? Are you
for the assuagement of physical distresses
or mental trouble making this regular
resource? beg you stop. The ecstasles
at the start will not pay for the horrors at
the last. The paradise is followed too
soon by the pandemonium. Morph1a is
blessing from God for the relief of sudden
pano or acute dementia, but was never in
| tended for prolonged use; and, what is the
peculiar sadness of it, it comes to people in
| their weak moments. De Quincy says:
ST took it for rheumatism" Coleridge says:
81 took it for insomnia, or sleeplessness."
What do you take it for? For Gods sake,
do not take it too long.
In some families choral is taking the
place of opium. Physicians first prescribe
| it for sleeplessness. Then the patient
keeps on because he likes the effect. Whole
tons of choral are manufactured in Ger
many. Baron Liebig says that he knows
one chemist in Germany who manufactures
a half ton Of choral every week. There
are multitudes being taken down by this
habit. Look out for hydrate of chloral!
But am under this head speaking chiefly
of opium. There ought to be ten thousand
puIpits turned into quaking, flaming, thun-
dering Sinais of warning against this mar
cotic. The devil of morphia in this coun-
try will be mightier than the devil of all
cohoI.
REFLECTIONS.
MY friends, it is all important that by
personal example in every possible way
we contend against all influences injurious
to society. Our opportunity for exercising
such influence is limited. What we do we
had better do right away. The clock ticks
now, and we hear it. After awhile the
clock will tick and we shall not hear it.
Seated by a country Preside, I saw the fire
kindle, blaze and go out. I gathered up
from the hearth enough for profitable re-
Elections. Our life is just like the fire on
that hearth. We put on fresh fagots and
the fire bursts through and up and out,
gay of flash, gay of crackle-embFem OF
boyhood. Then the fire reddens into Goals.
The heat is fiercer, and the more it is
stirred the more it reddens. With the
sweep of flame it cleaves its way, until all
the hearth CLOVIS with the intensity-em-
blem of full manhood. Then comes q
whiteness to the Goals. The heat lessons.
The Pickering shadows have died along
the wall. The fagots drop apart. The
household hover over the expiring embers'
The last breath of smoke has been lost in
the chimney. Fire is out. Shovel up the
white remains. Ashes!