The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-11-28
you see that they make no pretenslons
to right then scorn them.

to right then scorn them.
Never give their practice your sane
ton in ever SO remote degree.
Let them see that as long as they
do not act as gentlemen should you do
not wish any of their company. Do
this and you will soon see a marked
change.
We hear people say there is no
harm in taking social glass now and
then. You may call it social at first,
but what will it soon be? Intemper-
ance is insidious; it does not come at
once with its burning streams to con-
sumo the heart of its victim, but slow
ly and gradually drags itself along,
taking one after another, until the
fashionable, gcnteel, moderate drinker
has become the reeling, bloated, de-
graded drunkard. There is some
thing in the idea oftaking drink with
a friend, or in swallowing a cup of
sparkling wine upon public occasion
exceedingly pleasant. The young fail
to see the danger of the pratice. They
can not perceive how it is that man
is led from moderation to brutal eX-
cess, and hence use the wine cup free
ly and without fear of any evil conse-
quences and so it has been with those
who have become intemperate. Not
one of all the thousands who have
gone down to drunkard's graves, and
have entered upon drunkard's eter-
nifty ever supposed that he should be-
come beastly, degraded inebriate.
Such an end never presented itself to
the mind of any young man, as tor
the first time he drank his social
glass. But step by step, the habit
grew upon him; day by day the fatal
spell was thrown around him, as
deeper and deeper he descended into
the vortex of wretchedness, until the
last lamp which shed upon his path
was put out; the last star of hope sank
in darkness. So ends the social glass.
Young men, with the fact before you,
that intemperance is destructive to
health, to life, property, business, to
all things good, how can you, by the
use of wine, bring such ruination upon
yourselves? Though the golgother of
drunkenness is before your eyes, though
all past is pointing to the long army
oflnebriates who have perished in the
march of time, yet you drain the cup,
swallow the beverage Of hell as though
it was the water of life.
Those of you who have been SO un-
fortunate as to violate your pledge,
come and openly confess your wrong,
show by your actions that you are
sorry and beg forgiveness, and | assure
you that you will be readily forgiven
for if we forgive not men their tres,
passes neither will our Heavenly
Father forgive us our trespasses. Oh
never trihe about any thing SO solemn
as the VOW you made when you joined
this club. Remember you called upon
Almighty God to help you resist the
temptation. IT, you haven't that hell
it is because you have never asked it
Brothers and sisters, let US work
faithfully as long as God is on oul
side we may be sure of victory, for i
God be for us who can be against us
Let others say what they will we know
we are in the right and let's stick &c
if. We know that we have accom-
plished good and if we work and trus
in the Lord we will accomplish more
We have erased good many name:
from our list, but remember friend
unless the dross melts away the golt
will be spoiled.