The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-05-27
TEMPERANCE.
A HEARTLESs TYRANT.

His Voluntary Subjects Bound by S.'ken
Cords. Which Soon Turn into Chains of
Stella sad End and q solemn Warm
ing. %
Once upon a time there lived in q
country more beautiful than any other,
and whose hills and valleys were COW
cred with waving grain, green grass
and lovely flowers, Il 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 it seemed more beautiful |
than their own, and here liberty seemed
to have full sway.
And for time they were happy, and
had a royal good time, and their King
seemed the jolliest fellow of them all
But after they had been in his domain
a certain length of time, he caused a
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.
But after time "a change came DER
the fancy Of their DREAM" and their
glee turned to bitterest anguisi for
their silken cords but covered chains of
iron and of steel, and the King caused
them to be tiglftened, 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-
maihder of their lives trying to warn
their cOuntrymen of the consequences
sure to follow if they but set foot in the
I 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
s ish you talk there is no danger to me
. such as you say" and go on to dear
experience and bitter DEATH How
sad their end.
All Of us know more or less of this
accused King. Alcohol is his name
and we have sometimes cried out anC
tried to warn some promising young
man, when we have seen King Alcoho
binding him with the silkcn cord o.
habit just forming. Often we have
t panied to see our warning unheeded
a but that ought not to make us give W
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
e of this King that is running and KILN.
!. so many of our young men.
. One of the greatest helps King Alec
y hOl has in persuading new subjects init
y. his kingdom is untruth, and if Their
were fewer lies told on the subject O
= dram drinking there would not be hal
8 so many victims to intemperance .
q there are.
Young man, why not tell your frient
: the truth, the first time you ask him Il
. take social glass with youp Perhap
y he has scruples against taking drink
"a Instead of telling him it will not hur
q him but do him good, why not tell tn
. truth and say: Here Charlie, d.
a drink this your first glass with me;
- want the honor in the coming years o
q being the one that caused you to tax
? your first step toward drunkard' I'm
n honored grave. This glass will paw
= the way" l think 1 see your frien
~ start back in holy horror, and say il
!, !. terror: mo, no! II you are my frien,
you would not urge me so to do; hence
3 forth and forever we part company
II you to 60 your way and mine" H
# would feel grossly insuted at you
u proposition; but isn't that Just whs
q you are doing, every time you take
N drink yourself or offer it to you
/, friends? Amt you just one step neare
:. drunkerdom and one step farther frol
.. the happy land of sobrietyp
fo You may pirate Of your liberty, you
~ being free to drink or free to let
I. alone, as you please, but you talk {
something you don't possess, for yo
In are binding yourself in chain of iror
~ and are riveting the bars closer an
n closer every time you yield to tempt,
u ton, until after little you can M
a break your letters if you would.
a 1t is very easy to form habit, but
h. is almost like taking the life to break i
N You who have formed this habit II
H. the experiment of quitting Just for on
II month, and after having faithful
M tried it, then boast Of your liberty
"a you truthfully can.-Mrs. A. Y ke,