The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-12-10

| Stay me with fagOnS, comfort me WIFI
apples, for L am sick of love."-Sol. 2-5.
Thus sang Solomon, long time ago.
Not in condition of dire extremity, as
men call for flagons now, but rather as a
cry of the soul. When the purely mortal
man becomes despondent, broken down
by the cares and expressions of the world,
brought on possibly by his own extrava-
gance or excesses, one of his first thoughts
is an appeal to the flagon or the apple,
and for convenience of uSe-and especially
for easy digestion, he has his apples re-
duced to liquid state, or "apple-jack." ;"
This appeal to the f1agon and the apple
has become so prevalent as to be almost
considered a characteristic of the human
family. Political defeat, crosses in love,
business depression, unpleasant domestic
affairs, all round up, for relief, in an ap-
peal to the fiagon, and the apple, and the
peach, and the crab. And through it all
the victim is wont to consider himself, as
indicated in the Song of Solomon, GA lily
of the valley" and would think hard if
the world should look upon them for
their blackness.
knew young man of pure character,
of nobility of purpose, of grand thoughts,
of pure impulses. Surrounded by friends,
with splendid opportunities, living in a
community where the more sacred in
fuences of earth prevailed, the future to
him was beautiful field, from which he
might select and gather the rarest flow
| Thara cl,o10yuc hic
path, no discouraging influences. In his
manliness and the beauty of his charac
ter he wooed and welded one of earth's
fairest daughters. What a beautiful
prospect! Yet scarcely had the young
couple started upon life's course, when
the youth began to consider himself a
lily of the valley, and to cultivate the
blossom upon his visage. He appealed
from love to the fagon, and the appeal
was heard, and judgment rendered, the
only judgment ever rendered under such
circumstances. He appealed not to the
f1agon as source Of joy, merely, but as a
means of hiding from himself, from his
acquaintance, from the world. The flagon
did it's work, and as the young man con-
sidered himself lily of the valley, so he
was planted. But there sprang up from
the planting no beautiful flower, nothing
pleasing to the eye. Nought but barren,
sickly weed, offensive to the beholder,
and productive of disease and death in
the world.
[ knew politician-whO in the affairs
of mankind was leader; whose activity
was crowned with the success which in
dustry in any direction will most GER
tainly bring; but success made this man
vain; he began to regard himself as a
Rose of Sharon, political lily of the val
ley; being a flower of the field, he sighed
for the bloom and the fragrance, and
there was but one method of obtaining
these; an appeal to the fiagon, and to the
various substances which go to fill the
flagons. Thus the political field was to
him the sea of flags and fagons. The
world looked upon him because of his
blackness, and he was cut down and cov-
cred up as a social thistle, which it were
better to get out of the way-out of the
world.
L knew a Judge-a man who was
chosen by his fellow-men, because of sup
posed superior qualities of mind, to
weigh matters between man and man.
The most intricate problems in law and
equity were his to solve. Having the
confidence of the community about him,
having consciousness of his own
strength and firmness. What could ele-
vate the mind to a greater height, or
arouse consciousness of greater i'm
portance? What could create keener
sense of responsibility Yet the despond-
ency which overtakes too many of the
human family began to close around the
man of high official station. What shall
1 do to recuperate my wasting vitality
This strain upon me is more than I can
bear" But the happy thought comes!
81 will appeal to the flagon. 1 will find
strength and solace there for all require
ments of the mind" And the judicial
ermine is colored with the juice of the
grape, and the apple, and the corn, and
the rye. And at last the poor overwrought
and diseased faculties give way. and are
buried amid the sorrow of friends and the
contempt of foes.
All through the social world, the fiagon
is potent influence in giving temporary
relief for all the known ills, and in Civ
ing an unnatural joy to the mortality of
man. The trouble lies in the fact that
men do not call for the flagon now in the
sense of the Song of Solomon. Comfort
me with flagons!" sighs the individual
who has no need of comfort. Comfort
me with apples" joyfully exclaims. the
young man, as he swallows a pint of
apple-brandy. And in either case the
sorrowing one who thus seeks relief, be-
comes, by this repeated method of secur-
ing surcease of sorrow, veritable bios
som in the field of life, rose with arti-
fetal coloring, hand-painted gem. The
great danger has been over-stepping of
the line between joy and danger. A man
may appeal to the flagon as means of
arousing an unnatural joy, and could he
forever observe the custom of stopping
where Joy is satisfied, and where mischief
and danger begins, there would be no
deplorable results from the frequent invo-
cations of the flagon as means of joy.
But pleasure is a tickle creature, and the
demands made upon the victim have no
| ellio oASlO VI uCdVh ttl1SI ClIC SIbfC Q.
The fagon as means of JOY, has become
all too popular; the fiagon as an instru-
ment of death has become too horribly
fatal. The flowers of the field, the lilies
of the valley, beneath its blighting influ-
ence, become as fallen and decayed veg
citation. In the place of a steady growth
and bloom in life's field, comes an intensi-
fed bloom, and hasty death. Then
what is the duty Of man under the Cir
cumstances Simply that instead of ap-
pealing to the artificial joys of the aagon
to cultivate nobler taste for the harm
less things of earth. The way to avoid