The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-12-04

proves as ''smartness," to be able to
drink distilled liquors without winking
and to make swill-pail of ones stom-
ach by charging it with fermented in
toxicants. II these are gentlemanly ac-
mplishments, then have the extremes
of aristocracy and democracy found
middle ground where they may clasp
hands and dwell together in unity. The
hod-carrier who gets full" on Jersey
lightning at twenty-five cents quart
exhibits the same symptoms, ache for
ache and qualm for qualm, with the pa
trician swell who grows mellow" over
French brandy at ten dollars bottle,
and champagne at five dollars. When
full" and mellow they behave as
much alike as if the same parents had
given them life and brought them up.
Drink is a great leveler in more senses
than one.
"Our boy" wto is so young and silly
as to feel more like lord of creation
when he has befuddled his senses With
''royal tipple," and made his breath
offensive with cigarettes, is beaten ON
his own ground by the scottish loafer.
rolling along the wharves, a clay pipe
filed with bad tobacco in filthy
mouth and his pockets stuffed with
pawn-brokers' tickets.
There are people who grow madly
fond Of chalk and magnesia, and others
who are addicted to clay-eating. Arsenic
has it devotees. The lower-class women
of North Carolina and Tennessee ruin
body and mind with snuff-dipping.
Opium-eating Stays it's thousands year.
| ly. The victims of these sassions at
least have the decency to indulge them
in private and to be ashamed of expos
ure. Except among Chinese opium-eat-
ers no attempt is made to glorify any Of
the habits named into desirable and
beautiful thing. Superb saloons in
which the passers-by are invited to
nibble chalk and white earth, eat ar
senic, to dip and drown the senses in
cut-glass or silver snuff-boxes, to smoke
and chew opium-would be libel upon
our civilization. Yet not one of these
practices is more pernicious than that Of
dram-drinking.
And we all know it so we'll! The
Spartans used to make slave reeling
drunk and exhibit him to their sons to
disgust them with the habit of intoxica-
ton. Our streets offer such examples
by the score to school-boy and college
lad. With what effect?
l heard two collegians discussing the
subject last month, aprOpos to college
dinner.
''Of COURSE" said one, with the con-
sequential touch of self-complacency and
patronage ''the fellows call "fresh,"
and which only length Of days can cure,
''if fellow hasn't wit enough to know
when to stop he'd better be careful at
first. Some heads are built weak, you
know"
"Careful in what?" interpolated 1.
Both laughed.
"Why, drinking, of COURSE" said the
first speaker. "a fellow has to take
his seasoning sooner or later. Some
can stand it, Some can not, at least for
awhile"
He was, as I have intimated, fresh.
man. His friend, bearded senior, the
only son of rich man, clapped him
spontaneously on the shoulder
"When was your age, old fellow, my
father said to me: If had my life to
live over would never take glass OF
wine or smoke cigar l answered:
1T would be foolish not to profit by
what such sensible man says have
never tasted wine or touched tobacco,
and am glad Of it-gladder every day
live. Knight have been built with q
strong head-and then, again, might
not"
"What do you say when you are
offered "a treat?'
81 say: NO, thank you, never take
it. Generally that settles the matter
quietly"
"And If they poke fun at you?"
81 let them poke and stand by to be
ready to put them to bed when Mel
heads give out"
There are-for the comfort of mothers
be 1t said-many "fellows" strong
enough to maintain this stand; sensible
enough to see that the risks are mo-
worth taking. 1t is the fool who med
dies with firearms; the coward who car
ries loaded revolver. The youth whose
head is ''built" after the right pattern
will not try upon his brains an expert
ment that unbalanees SO many; he leave.
the role of tipsy HelOt for other ant
weaker men to play.
Another collegian told me how tn,
seasoning had resulted in the case Of ;
friend who had entered" with himself
Two glasses destroyed the equilibrium
Of his brains-good enough in their way
and if not tempered with-at the frs
college supper. Maddened by mortified
ton at what he accounted physical de.
feet, the wretched boy resolved to "get
used to it" and soaked his intellect,
daily in spirits as effectually as was eve
the specimen" in doctors office. Dur
ing the whole term he was hardly sobel
for day. At the end of the first sem
efter he was dropped"
If we could only divest boyish mind,
OF the idea that there is something
knowing" and dashing in tippling
make them comprehend that bravery
cleanliness, purity, health and strength
are with him who refuses to debase thu
temple Of his body to even the frs
stage Of dissipation, the work would b.
done. Our boy does not, in the begin
ming. nor for long time, drink be-
cause he loves the beverage. When the
desire for liquor comes to him the ter
rible danger has already fastened upor