The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-29
A TERRIBLE EXAMPLE.

Our esteemed contemporary, the Tele-
gram, astonished its readers recently by
publishing moral and instructive Sc
ries Of pictures something like Hogarth's
"Rake's Progress" illustrating the sad
fall of young man from deep TO lower
deep, and lowest abyssmal depths of all,
until the artist draws merciful veil
over the sad scene, and the text leaves
the awful end to inference in this preg
nant sentence, 1T is the same old
story, year after year, of virtuous at
tempt to form good resolutions for the
New Year, only 10 be-"
For the moral value of this lesson, the
News desires to briefly recapitulate its
main points that they may reach a
wider circle of readers. We are only
sorry that space does not permit us to
reproduce the cuts. But perhaps it is as
well they might break hearts.
The series consists of eight pictures, of
which the first shows us a young man,
vigorous, erect, a trife "fast," undoubt-
edly, but still in possession of all his
faculties, winding up the old year"
with Bourbon and regalias. The sec
ond shows him in the act of destroying
his private stock Of liquors, resolving to
drink no more. And as we gaze upon
the affecting outlines and note the look
of determination in the young mans
face, we can almost fancy that we hear
the rustling of the wings of unseen an
gels, and hear them softly chorusing,
"Well done Well doner'
But, alas! The third picture shows the
first yielding of the poor fellows willto
appetite. He reclines in an easy chair and
languidly declares that it is impossible
to give up smoking. 1t is the beginning
of the end. And the angel wings have
fluttered away; and the chorused joy is
turned to wailing.
Next the hero is disclosed as coming
home at 2 A. NJ, and declaring that he
"must get in earlier" This may be
only from prudential motives. but let us
hope that moral nature is again stirred,
for in the next scene of the tragedy
shows him regretfully gazing at a girls
picture and murmuring - can't give
Her up Right! Don't give her up!
Cling to her through life and may she
be your anchor when winds blow toward
the rocks
1t is not TO be. Next we see the poor
fellow standing, partially dressed, gaz-
ing ruefully at a few coins in his palm.
No words are necessary. The attitude
and the silent testimony of money gone
tell the story. He's been "out with the
boys" Gone are the angels now and in
their stead imps of Satan grin and gibber
in the distance, sure of their prey.
The seventh cut shows the corporeal
substance of the lost soul sitting on his
bed. The happy, almost boyish look has
vanished from his face. He looks older,
his expression is hard and bad. He is
going down hill and he knows it, and
must have given up all effort to retrace
or arrest his steps, for between his
clenched teeth he mutters "Tll vote
the Democratic ticket"
Thus are we prepared to see him, in
the eighth and last scene, reading
newspaper in bed, and saying "And I'll
always read the telegram" Here falls
the curtain. The artist does not seek
farther to follow him in his downward
course. Some things, as Horace says,
are better imagined than portrayed. The
text, too, gives no hint except "only to
be" where, in the meaning dash, we
read volumes.
Dear reader, as we rise from contem-
plation of this great drama, let us beg
of you TO make better Use of the new
year so soon to come. Begin right and
keep right. Save your money, not mig
gardly, but wisely save your health
vote the Republican ticket cherish your
reputation read the NEWS, the repre-
sentative newspaper of Rhode
Island. And may the new year be
happy and prosperous TO you.