The Irish standard., 1888-03-31
grown up, the boys following the ex-

and they to began to bring in their
earnings to the family bank account
and observe the change. That home of
filth, wretchedness aud poverty was,
turned into home of cleanliness, hap
piness and atfiueDce. Is this special
ly painted picture for this occasion.
No, it is not. You all know that even
greater changes than the one [ have
noted have taken place within your
own experience. Picture to yourself,
if you will, young man just starting
out in life with his fathers blessing,
and words OF good advice mothers
kiss fresh upon his cheek sisters
last word, "Be good boy, be true to
God, and your parents, and remember
to always think of home" That young
man has never polluted his lips with IL
quor. Hegoes forth with bright pros
poets. He has a fair education, is
strong and willing to work. He meets
and associates with strangers. He is
fond of company and goes out with the
boys. He is asked to take a drink, but
refuses, saying, mo thanks. I never
drink" He goes out with the boys the
next night, is asked to drink, and
again refuses, but refuses with half
decisive, emo" Once more he is
asked to drink, and the feeble, mo, I
guess not" is taken for Yes, by his as.
sociates, be takes a glass-his first
but not the last. He goes out frequent
ly and soon is not ashamed to take his
glass; in fact he is ashamed not to take
it when asked to do so, Little by little
he goes down the road to ruin, taking
On fresh fuel by the wayslde, till at last
he stands OH the very verge of the
abyss, and one more nrink ends bis
short care r and he goes down to hi.
Now nv friends did you ever hear Of
or know Of such case as tho one !
have recited? Alas you have heard ANA
known COO many such. Instead OF
needing the advice of parents and
sisters he was led from bad to worse
until he finally ended in utter ruin.
Who is to blame for this state of affairs?
One of the very worst features among
cur young men is the habit Of treating.
Very few young meu like liquor so we'll
as to 20 into saloon and drink alone,
but they think they are not one OF the
boys unless they treat their friends and
all treat in return and by the
time each one of che party has treated
all hands are Intoxicated aud all heads
are swollen. BESIDES being the worst
feature Of the drink habit, it is also the
1saost expensive feature for those who
practice it. When will our young men
and older ones, too, awake to The fact
that they are not only wasting their
time and money but are also contract
ing habits which will. eventually bring
ruin upon themselves and disgrace
upon everyone related to them. What
will we do to save the young men from
those evil ways2 We must begin early.
set then good example, sabstaia our
selves, and show TO them tho danger,
tho utter folly Of the drink habit. /
fear that we are not enough in earnest
about this total abstinence question.
We are somewhat like the Cheyenne In
dian girl who was asked if she was q
Christian. 'AHot much, just little
There are many otherwise excellent and
respectable people with xaore years, OPP
porlnnities and intelligence than The
Cheyenne girl, whose relation to the
total abstinence cause are very like hex =
to Christian. They are in their So
cial, religious and political relations
Temperate, but "not much, just q Lit.
tle.'' For there own good and for the
good of others they should come into
fellowship and enlist heartily III the
pending contest against injurious So
cissl drinking Customs. DR.. Martin,
vino ia connected with one Of the prin~
cipal hospitals Of Paris, has made a
series Of observations covering a period
OF wears, on nervous affection among
Tie children of alcoholic drinkers. IL
eight y-tl,ree fanajlies in which one or
more members showed nervous eXclta"
bilily, traceable to alcoholic origin
there were four hundred aud ten chill
dren. Ofthese 1870 had couvulslons,
s. were epiIepJic and l69 died early.
We cannot expect to draw pure water
from contaminated we'll, neither can
we expect healthy children 70 be born
OF whisky cursed parents. Fathers and
mother should be total abstainers and
should insist upon their children prac-
,icing that same virtue. l have an
only child, a darling boy, whom | hope
to raise 10 mauhood's estate in the fair
city of my adoption. When | see SO
many boys going down to ruin and de-
cav it makes nae shudder for his safety.
Much as love my boy, much as hope
to see him honor his name, ii ! knew
that one day he would become drunk
ard, I would rather this very day see
him cold in death than TO thus dislonor
the mother who has suffered 80 much
<o