The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-11-27
WORK AMONG THE RICH.

How to Combat tho Drink Evil In High
. Society Circles.
A young lady, with q large circle Of
friends, accustomed to what is called
good society,"" herself member of .
popular church and a pledged abstain
er, said to Us recently, in . converse
ton upon social drinking: I'm all my
circle of young gentlemen friends, I
know OF but three who are total alb
stainers." The others, while they
would abhor the vulgarity of drunken
ness, do not hesitate to take wine in
society. At = recent very select and
elegant entertainment, at which this
young lady, gifted with a musical voice
OF rare quality, was an honored guest,
and at which, with other society people,
were many Of her fellow church mem
bers, wines were served with the re-
freshments, and herself and two others
were the only abstainers
Not long ago five young gentlemen,
amateurs with good voices, were invited
by lady, distinguished as a society
woman, to ono of her brilliant, popular
entertainments They sang for their
hostess and her other guests, and were
proffered with the refreshments sever
al kinds of wine and champaign. One
of the young gentlemen is pledged ab-
stainer. the others do not ordinarily
take wine, but on this occasion, strong
ly urged by their hostess, took it. The
one, pleading his pledge taken in boy
hood, was finally excused and took no
wine.
These incidents are but types of
many of kindred import in connection
with social life to-day. They reveal an
urgent need, in the way of Temperance
education, in section of society, which
is most inadequately met. The young
men, and tho young women, of many
wealthy families, of fashionable ten
denotes, are almost wholly without
Temperance instruction. Many pleas
are made for the neglected poor, but
there are also the neglected rich. For the
ordinary Temperance agencies they have
feeling either of Indifference or con.
tempt They must, however, be reached
in some way. if social drinking is ever
to be generally discredited, and the
drink traffic is ever to be effectively
suppressed.
In the sphere of society drinking,
such as we have referred to, members
of Christian churches have a large
measure of responsibility. Wealthy
church members, especially in cities.
do much to give tone to society. If they
furnish, and partake of, wines at their
society entertainments, of course wine
drinking will dominate with those who
are more worldly in their tastes and
habits. Pastors, too, are involved in
this responsibility. Many there are,
the vast majority outside of cities, who
are on all occasions exemplary, con-
scientious total abstainers. But it is
also lamentably true that there are yet
many, in cities, who do not hesitate tc
join with their wealthy parishioners
and others in taking wine, lin modera.
ton of COURSE" on social and festive
occasions.
In recent years public attention, in
connection with the Temperance re-.
form, has been largely turned in the
direction of Temperance legislation and
Temperance politics. While this has
been going on, and we do not by any
means deem it unnecessary or unim-
portant, the young people have been
growing up almost wholly without Tenn.
perance teaching of any kind, without
the pledge, and as a consequence are
now perpetuating in their turn the so.
cial drinking habits of their elders.
In England much effective Temperance
educational work has been and is being
done. in especially influential social
circles, through the medium of the par
lor and the drawing-room. Might not
the drawing-rooms. especially of we'll
TODD Christian people, on this side of
the Atlantic, be made to render kim
dred useful service for the promotion of
abstinence in society here? And in
this needy sphere well-chosen Temper
ance literature may be made mest help
full The printed page may often pene.
trate and arrest thoughtful, sympathet-
ic attention, where the living voice
would be deemed obtrusive and unwel.
come. Whisky and beer will hold their
sway in the slums, while wine coatin-
ues its reign in the p,rlor and palatial
dining-halL Abstinence alone will re-
generate boeh.-National Temperance
Advocate
DRINK AND MORTALITY.
The Experience Of Prom nent Ensllxl,
Life Insurance Concern.
IAN endeavor was recently made to
show that total abstainers do not live SO
long as those who consume alcohol in
moderation; also, strange to say, that
those who often drink to excess outlive
the teetotalers. Statements purporting