The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-04-07
Written for the Sunday Sentinel.
The Inhuman King.

Eleanor W. F. Bates III ladies Home Journal
Written for the Sunday Sentinel.
The Thurman King.
BY MRS A. V. KENDALL.
Once upon time there lived in a country
more beautiful than any other, and whose
hills and valleys were covered with waving
grain, green grass and lovely flowers, king
who numbered his subjects bv the thousand
and ten thousand.
These subjects were different from the SUBJ
jects of all other kings, in, shat they were
happy people from other lands who from
choice left their pleasant 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 silken cord to be wound
about them, as 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 ornamental sign
of their kings favor and they laughed at and
made fun OF their pOky companions, as they
termed them whom they had left Behind
them in their own home land.
But after time "a change came DER the
fancy of their dream" and their glee turned
to bitterest anguish, for their silken cords but
covered chains of iron and of steel, and the
king caused them 10 be frightened, 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 earn st their prayer for
release, the more derisive his ans wer-''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 al the liberty / can afford 10 give good
subjects" quoth the iDhuman king, as the
very blood of these miserable wretches
seemed turned to fire in their veins, and they
would give almost their life to be but once
more in their own humble land, and many
very many of them die IN their bondage 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, eiUde the ever watch
ful 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 remainder
of their lives trying TO warn their country
men 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 fendish and bad. Some listen and
heed the warning, Others snap their fingers
and LAUGHING, say, How foolish 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 accursed
king, Alcohol is his name, and we have some
times cried out and tried to warn some prom
Using young man, when wehave seenking alco-
hol bindinghim with the silken cord of habit
Just forming. Often we have been panied to
see our warning UNDECIDED, but that ought
not to make us give up in despair but only
TO nerve us up to greater efforts, and if per-
chance we may help break the shaekles and
set one captive free we have accomplished
something and have shown our hatred of this
king that is running and killing so many of
our young men.
One of the greatest helps king alcohol has
in persuading new subjects into his kingdom
is untruth, and if there were fewer lies
told on the subject of dram drinking
there would not be half so many victims to
iDtemperance as there are.
Young man why not tell your friend the
truth, the first time you ask him to take
social glass with you? Perhaps he has
sCruples against taking drink. Instead of
telling him it will not hurt him but do him
good, why not tell the truth and say: Here
Charlie, do drink this your first glass with
me, want the honor in the coming years of
being the one that caused you to take your
first step toward a drunkard's unhonored
grave. This glass will pave the way" l
think / see your friend start back in holy
horror, and say in terror, mo, no! If you
are my friend you would not urge me so 10
do; henceforth and forever we part company,
you to go your way and mine" He would
feel grossly insulted at your proposition, but
isn't that just what you are doing, every
time you take drink yourself or offer it to
your friends?
Amt you just one step nearer drunken
dom and one step farther from the happy
land of sObriety?
You may pirate of your liberty, you are
free to drink or free to let it alone as you
please, but you talk of something you don't
possess, for you are binding yourself in a
chain of iron, and are rlveting the bars
closer and closer every time you yield to
temptation, until after little you can not
break your letters if you would.
1t is very easy to torn habit, but 1t is
almost like taking the life to break 1t. You
who have formed this habit try the expert
ment of quitting just for one month and
after having faithfully tried it, then boast of
your liberty if you truthfully can.
The Candle-Eish.
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