The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-05-26
TEMPERANCE READING.
AN jNHUMAN KING.

Cords. which Soon Turn into Chains Of
eteel--A Sad End and . solemn Warn.
ing.
Once upon q time there lived in .
country more beautiful than any other,
and whose hills and valleys were cov-
cred with waving grain, green grass
and lovely flowers, q King who num-
bered his subjects by the thousand and
ten thousand.
These subjects were different from
the subjects Of all other Kings. in that
they were happy people from other
lands who from choice left their pleas
ant homes to dwell in this strange
land, because 1t seemed more beautiful
than their own, and here liberty seemed
to have full sway.
And for time they were happy, and
had royal good time, and their King
seemed the jolliest fellow of them all.
But after they had been in his domain
certain length of time, he caused
silken cord to be wound about them,
as a mark of favor he told them; and
as it but added to their appearance and
gave them distinguished air, those so
bound seemed to rather like this orna-
mental sign of their Kings favor, and
laughed at and made fun of their poky
companions, as they termed them,
whom they had left behind them in
their own land.
.bs but 9sndS after os ah change and Ss
glee turned to bitterest anguish, for
Il ~, ,:1 IL, I~,A .Lo
iron and of steel, and the King caused
them to be tightened, until they were
captives, bound hand and foot, and the
greater their distress the greater his
pleasure, and the deeper their cries the
louder his laughter. The more earnest
their prayer for release, the more de-
risive his answer-"Ye were not bound
to come into my kingdom. There was
no one compelling you to come; you
came of your own sweet wills to enjoy
the liberty afforded in my dominion;
you have all the liberty can afford to
give good subjects" quoth the inhuman
King, as the very blood of these miser-
able wretches seemed turned to fire in
their veins, and they would give al
most their life to be but once more in
their own humble land, and many,
very many of them die in their bond
age with the chains eating into their
! flesh: while here and there one more
strong than the rest breaks his slavish
| chain, and starts back home, very few
elude the ever watchful King and get
home in safety, more dead than alive,
and after years of quietude in their own
dear land feel that they are men again
and that they are now indeed free, and
that their original idea of liberty was a
mistaken one, and they spend the re-
mainder of their lives trying to warn
their countrymen of the consequences
sure to follow if they but set foot in the
dominion of this King, seemingly SO
grand and good, but at the last SO
fiendish and bad. Some listen and
heed the warning, others snap their
fingers and laughing say: "How fool
fish you talk; there is no danger to me
such as you say" and 60 on to dear
experience and q bitter death. How
sad their end.
All of us know more or less of this
accursed King. Alcohol is his name,
and we have sometimes cried out and
tried to warn some promising young
man. when we have seen King Alcohol
binding him with the silken cord Of
habit just forming. Often we have
panied to see our warning unheeded
but that ought not to make us give uI
in despair. but only to nerve us up t.
greater efforts, and if perchance W,
may help to break the shackles and SCI
some captive free we have accomplished
something and have shown our hatred
of this King that is running and killing
80 many of our young men.
One of the greatest helps King Alec
hol has in persuading new subjects into
his kingdom is untruth, and if there
were fewer lies told on the subject O
dram drinking there would not be hal
SO many victims to intemperance q
there are.
Young man, why not tell your frient
the truth, the first time you ask him tt
take social glass with youp Perhaps
he has scruples against taking a drink
Instead of telling him it will not hur
him but do him good, why not tell tn,
truth and say: "Here Charlie, d.
drink this your first glass with me;
want the honor in the coming years o
being the one that caused you to taxi
your first step toward a drunkard's un
honored grave. This glass will paw
the way" I think I see your frient
start back in holy horror, and say il
terror: "No, no! If you are my frient
you would not urge me so to do; hence
forth and forever we part company
you to 60 your way and I NINE" H
would feel grossly insulted at you
proposition; but isn't that just wha
you are doing. every time you take
drink yourself or offer it to you
friends? Arn't you just one step neare
drunkerdom and one step farther iron
} the happy land of sobrietyP
| You may prate of your liberty, you
being free to drink or free to let
alone, as you please, but you talk Q
something you don't possess, for yo
are binding yourself in chain of iron
and are riveting the bars closer an
closer every time you yield to tempts
tion, until after a little you can nc
break your fetters if you would.
1t is very easy to form habit, but
is almost like taking the life to break il
3 You who have formed this habit, tr
, the experiment of quitting just for on
month, and after having faithful
tried it, then boast of your liberty
you truthfully can.-Mrs. Il. v Kea
, dali, in Indianapolis Sentinel.