The Worthington advance., 1890-06-05
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
EXTRACTS WORTH READING.

.s5s
It IS Of vast importance, therefore,
that the symptoms of 5intemperance
should be universally and famil:arly
known; the effects of the sin upon the
body and upon the mind should be SO
described IN all It's stages, from the be-
ginning to the end, that every one may
see and feel and recognize these harbin-
gers of death. as soon as they begin to
show themselves upon him. ~
l. One of the early indications of in
temperance may be found in the asso-
ciations Of time and place. /.
II In the commencements sof this evil
habit. there are many who drink, to ex-
cess only on particular. days such as
days for military exhibition, the ami
versary of our independence, the birth
day of Washington, Christmas, New
Years day, election, and others of like
nature. When any of these holidays
arrive, they bring with them, to many,
the Unsuitable desire of drinking.
In every community you may observe
particular persons also who can never
meet without feeling the simultaneous
desire of strong drink. What can be
the reason of this? All men when they
meet are not affected thus.
But this is upon the principle of "a
common interest in these subjects,
which have no slight hold upon the
thoughts and affections. Whoever then
finds himself tempted on meeting his
companion or friend to say: "Come, let
US go and take something" or to make
it his first business to set out his de-
canter and glasses, ought to understand
that he discloses his own inordinate at
tachment to ardent spirits.
2. A disposition to multiply the cir
cumstances which furnish the occasions
and opportunities for drinking, may
justly create alarm that the habit is be-
gun. When you find occasions for
drinking in all the variations of the
weather-because it is so hot or so cold,
so wet or so dry-and in all the different
states of the system, when you are Wig
orous that you need not tire, and when
tired that your vigor may be restored
you have approached near to that state
of intemperance in which you will drink
in all states of the weather and condi-
tions of the body, and will drink with
these pretexts, and drink without them,
whenever their frequency may not suf-
fee.
8. Whoever finds the desire of drink
ing ardent spirits returning daily at
stated times, is warned to deny himself
instantly, if he intends to escape con-
firmed intemperance.
1t is infallible evidence that you have
q nod wi To klok
the undermining process is begun-that
the overworked organ begins to flag and
cry out for adventurous aid, with an i'm
portunity which, if INDUCED, will be-
come more deep-toned and irnportunate
and irresis ible, until the power of self
denial is gone and you are ruined
man.
It is here then, beside this commence
ing vortex, that would take my stand.
to warn off the needless navigator from
destruction. To all who do but heave
above the winds and waves, l would cry:
''Stand off! spread the sail, ply the oar,
for death is here!" and could I COM
mand the elements, the blackness of
darkness should gather over this gate
way to hell, and loud thunders should
utter their voices, and lurid fires should
blaze, and the groans of unearthly
voices should be heard, inspir-
ing CONSERVATION and fight in
all who came near. For this is
the parting point between those who
forsake danger and hide themselves,
and the foolish who pass on and are
punished. Here is the stopping-place
and though beyond it men may struggle
and retard and modify their progress,
none, comparatively, who go by it. will
return again to purity of enjoyment and
the sweets of temperate liberty. The
servant has become the master, and,
with rod of iron and whip of
scorpions, he will torment, even before
their time, the ca ndidates for misery in
future state.
z. We now approach some of those
symptoms of intemperance which
abused nature, first or last never fails
to give.
The eyes: Who hath redness of eyes?
All are not, Of. course, intemperate
whose visual organs become infiamed
and weak. But there are few intemp-
perate persons who escape this malady;
and yet, when it comes. they have no
suspicion of the cause-speak of it with
out embarrassment, and wonder what
the matter can be-apply to the ply
sician for eye-water, and drink on.
Another indication of intemperance is
found in the fulness and redness of the
countenance. It is not the fulness and
freshness of health. x
Another indication of intem perance
may be found in impaired muscular
strength and tremor of the hand. Now
the destroyer in his mining process ap-
proaches the citadel of life, and is ad-
Vancing fast to make the keepers of the
house tremble, and the strong men bow
themselves This relaxation of the
joints and trembling of the nerves will
be experienced especially in the morn
ing, when the system, unsustained by
sleep, has run down. Now all is re-
laxed, tremulous and faint-hearted. The
fire which sparkled in the eye the even
ing before is quenched, the courage
which dilated the heart is passed away,
and the tones of eloquence which dwelt
on the inspired tongue are turned into
pusillanimous complainings, until
opium, or bitters, or. both, are thrown
into the stomach to wind up again the
rundown machine.
Another indication of intemperance is
to be found in the extinction of all the
finer feelings and amiable dispositions
of the soul; and if there have ever
seemed to be religious affections, of
these also. The fiery stimulus has
raised the organ of sensibility above
the power of excitement by motives ad-
dressed to the finer feelings of the soul
and of the moral nature, and left the
man prey to animal sensation. You
might as we'll fling out music upon the
whirlwind to stay its course, as to gov
ern the storm within by the gentler
feelings of humanity. The only stimu-