The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-11-19
: saltwater, Minn. Thursday, Nov. 1891

tongue parched and dry. the drinker
athirst; water keeps the lips and tongue
and stomach moist, and quencheS the thirst
of the drinker. Wine when it is taken. sets
all the passions aglOw and chills the reason;
bids men enjoy and reason not; water cre-
ates no stir of passion, and the reason free.
Wine makes for itself first and second and
third and fourth claim on the drinker. so
that the more of it he takes the more of it
he desires; it is overwhelming in the
warmth of it's friendship water safes the
drinker after one draught; makes no further
claim on him than is just consistent with its
duty; leads him never to take more and
more; and has no seeming warmth in its
friendship. Wine multiplies itself into
many forms, which appear to be distinct; it
is new, it is old; it is sweet. it is sour; it is
sharp. it is soft; it is sparkling, it is still;
water is ever the same. Wine must be
petted and cherished stored up in special
caves, styled by particular names, praised
under special titles. and heartily liked or
disliked, like child of passion: water,
pshaw! it is everywhere;i it has one name,
no more; it has one quality; it hurries away
out Of the earth by brooks and rivuletS and
rivers into the all absorbing sea, where it is
undrinkable; or it pOurs down from the
clouds as if the gods were tired of it; ''it is
no child Of passion!" Let the cattle, and
the dogs. and the wild beasts alone drink
water. Let the man have the Overpower-
ing drink. the blood of the grape-wine!
Alas! for this poetic dream. Science.
poetic, too. in her way. but paSsiOnlesS. de-
stroys in those crucibles of hers. which
men call laboratories, this fimsy dream.
There she tells that. when one or two dis
guiseS are removed, even blood is water;
oc fr 10 RI
teen bottles or cups or any other equal
measures of water. pure and simple. from
the clouds and earth, to one poor bottle or
cup of burning. fiery fluid which has been
called ardent spirit of wine or alcohol, with
some little cOlOring matter. in certain cases
little acid, in other cases little sugar.
and in still other cases little cinder stuff.
1t is pitiful fall. but it is such, and sci
ence not only declares it, but it proves it so
to be. A pitiful let down. that men
throughout all ages who have called them
selves wine drinkers have been water drink
ers after all; that men who have called
themselves wine have been wa.
ter-merchants; that men who have bought.
and still buy, wines at fabulous prices have
been buying. and still are buying, water.
A dozen champagne, bought at cost of
twenty y-seven dollars, very chOice-I am
speaking by the consisted, when it
was all measured out, of three hundred
ounces. or fifteen pints of fluid, of which
fluid thirteen pints and half were pure
water. the rest ardent spirit. with little
carbonic acid. some coloring matter like
burnt sugar. light flavoring ether in al
most infnitesimal proportion, or a trace of
cinder stuff. Science. looking on dispas-
siOnately, records merely the facts. II she
thinks that twenty seven dollars was a
heavy sum to pay for thirteen pints and a
half of spirit, she says nothing; she leaves
that to the men and women of sentiment
and passionate feeling. buyers and sellers
and drinkers all around. RAMEOUs.