Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1886-09-30
DRINKING IN ENGLAND.
Great Progress of the Temperance Cause
In the Past Twenty Years

| Great Progress of the Temperance Cause
In the Past Twenty Years.
There is no country, perhaps, in the
world that has made more progress on
the temperance question during the past
twenty years than England, writes
London correspondent of the Boston
AdrertiSer. Heavy drinking, accom-
panied by brutal and vulgar sports, were
not long since common to every class of
society, 1t has not been over half cen.
fury when even some of the churches
were used for secular purposes with as
much freedom as town halls, while the
phrase ''drunk as lord" found its use
through actual experience, this class Of
people having the reputation of being
immoderate in their living Ministers,
and laymen, masters and servants, mag
istrates, Judges, mobiles, and sovereigns
not long since looked not only upon fire.
quent "tippling," but heavy drinking,
with the eye of charity.
When say that the habit of drinking
has greatly changed, do not by any
means infer that there is not tremen-
dous amount of it done in the country.
Why, every servant and dressmaker who
comes to the house, ashman, garbage
chucker," charwoman, and, in fact, every
man servant and maid servant, even the
porter who brings your luggage to the
door, will wait for a mug of beer for his
individual services. If you say that you
have no beer In the house, he will extend
his big dexter hand for twopence to buy
the needful al ticle. And it is not only
the laboring, the common, or the middle
classes of society who are the subjects of
regular drinking, but there is not table
in hundred among the better people
but has its beer and two or three kinds
of wine, with little "hard stuff" to wind
up with
will give one or two examples, with
out mentioning names, which will give a
good and interesting illustration of the
ancient practice of blinking and the ex-
treme reluctance Of these people to give
up an ancient custom.
Not long since [ dined with a very
prominent man, occupying a high pro-
fessional position and an active member
Of the Church Temperance society.
About dozen guests were seated at his
hospitable board. There were thee or
four different kinds of wine served, and
yet the good, generous host himself
touched not nor tasted not" But he
knew it was ancient usage to have it on
his table; that table would not be COM
plete without it; that some of his guests
enjoyed glass of good wine He fur
niahed it and did not give any lecture or
advice against the usage.
But another, and certainly the most
singular, practice came under my obser-
walton few Sundays ago. [ was asked
to preach that morning in one Of the
Oldest churches in the "old" city of Lon
don, and the following was my expert
ence, which illustrates the observance Of
ancient customs, the little harm there
was once SUPPOSED to be in wine-drink-
ing, and an Americans impression Of
such old and historic surroundings. As
L entered the porch of the church l was
met by the beadle; yes, the very old
beadle, as real and impatient as Dickens
so frequently and cunuingly describes.
He was not dressed as the regular church
verger, in silk gown, and he did not
wear that solemn and almost sepulchral
expression; but he was dressed in the
finest of blue broadcloth, with an elabo-
rate and richly embroidered profusion of
gold lace and gilt buttons, and with the
pleasantest face and welcoming smiles,
stately bearing, and yet with the most
polite manners, he usnered me into the
vertryrOOm. Then, with a bow and a
smile, he said: "Will you take sherry or
port, SIR" On the table, on a saiver.
were two good-sized decanters contain
ing the aforesaid wines, and with them
was plate of sweet biscuits.
smiled at the Sunday and 'churchly'
display, and the beadle, noticing it, said
that some 200 or 300 years ago there
was good woman of the parish who,
dying, left certain sum for the pur-
chase "of wine and sweet cakes for the
clergy" and since that time "wine and
cakes" have been regularly supplied at
each service. No half-dozen clergy would
care to empty the decanters on these oc-
caslons. and the question is how large
has this bequest of "the good woman"
grown, and is it all spent in sherry and
port, and if so, what must be the con-
tents Of this wine cellar?