The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-02-12
SWEARING OFF.
Fob ESurGetse's Coed Advice Sti;a Die
for this Zine Of the Year.

Ny boy, this is about the time of the year
when you swear OF. 1t is an annual
custom. Usually it lasts about as long as
the oath you take Now want YOU to lis
ten to me-
Don't swear off In heavens name, don't
swear off.
Just quit. Without oath resolution or
promise Simply quit. If you have young
mans weakness for wine, beer Or whiskey,
as the railroad man says, shut hel-ofT y
Simply quit. Stop it. Leave it off.
There is no trouble about it. Let me
tell you, there is no harm in whisiey. 1t
does not and it cannot hurt you; if you
MT drink it, That's all you have to do.
Don't be a fanatic. Don't be reformer.
Don't be a Prohibtionist lunatic. Just
simply don't drink, and all the whisky in
America can't make you drunk If you don't
drink any of it, Whisky never hurt man
who didn't drink it.
Do you know, my boy, there never was o
man in America who drank whisky be-
cause he liked it? don't believe there
ever was such q man. He drinks for good
fellowship; for good company; because
some other man drinks with him. No man
ever drinks alone Al least YOU never do
Don't you remember the old Scotch story,
where the dominic talks to his parishoner:
Sandy, Sandy, ye drink too much Luke
at the coo. She goes doom to the bruke,
drinks the water she wants, and drinks no
more"
"Ay, ycs,' said Sandy, that's because
she's alone; We just let SOON ither Coo
COON don on the ither side of the ,auke
and say Here's to We, Meg She'd stand
thaire and drink until morning"
1t isn't the love Of it; it's the sociability
Of it., Governor St. John and Cough and
all the reformers may talk all they will.
and they cannot reform you, unless you re-
form yourself, by the easiest movement in
the world. It's no trouble, my boy it re-
quires no effort.
l sat one morning in the gray light of
dawn by the bedside of a friend. He had
what is technically called head upon
him. ! ordered up for him a quart bottle
of Apollinaris water and whisky cocktail
pretty stiff lie drank the entire bottle of
Apollinaris He refused the cocktail. |
said, "Why not?
Because" he said 81 will never drink
another drop Of liquor as long as live"
/ went to the washstand, soaked the
towel in ice water, and bound it around his
head, and said:
MY dear boy, it would be an easy thing
" Ieloi!H tHiS oi,t Moihi IL we G. ulu only
keep it in a CHRONIC headache"
And it is so, my boy. We are penitent
when our head aches. We sorrow over our
sins when anguish brings nausea to our
stomachs, and beaded perspiration stands
out on our brows. Peter went cut and
wept-whenP Only when the sorrowing
face on his master Turned itself upon his
cowardice. You and ! repent OH weak
ness, my boy, only when some pure man
stands before US, and casts upon us the re-
buke Of his sinless countenance And yet
you and could, if we would, be as pure as
him, my boy.
SO, be honest with yourseli, he tire to
yourself, and as the new year opens. make
your good resolutions quietly, softly. only
between yourself and the God who knows
and hears you. Be honest With the world,
and the dear, wicked, dissipated loving old
world viii be true to you.