Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-03-30
DRINK I'M FRANCE


Napoleon |. is credited with having
once saii that he preferred to suffer
rather than not TO feel at all. The mod
ern Cesar Cisalpine Gaul was very fond
OF coffee, and Notwithstanding that he
suffered great pains when he drank any
of that nutritious beverage, he frankly
acknowledged that these pains were
not devoid Of a certain pleasure. Blu.
all men are not Napoleons. However
/ like the French emperor in their am
billions and their greatness, they gener-
ally differ from him on one point-they
do not suffer when they drink coffee
Their pains and troubles usually derive
( their origin from the absorption OF bev-
erages with an alcoholic tendency and
of nature decidedly more injurious to
i their health. But TO talk of drink in
/ France and TO start without mentioning
I the word absinthe is indeed sacrilege.
! Almost everybody to-day has heard Of
absinthe, and if, perchance, some are
still ignorant of its Specification, the
writer will in no way assume the re-
sponsibility of initiating such individ-
uals into the so-called charms to be de-
rived from the intoxicating liquor.
From the day the word was born until
the present hour il has ever been the
cause o. strife. Etymologists quarrel
over its origin and those who dispense
with that beautiful branch of philolog-
ical science that treats of the primitive
significance of words, fight over its ef-
fects 1t is, however. curious TO note
It. IL L IL.
Latin it means without sweetness"
whereas. if it be indebted to the Greek
for its parentage, and all good people
should pray that it be so, erudite men
viii tell you that the two Greek words
that compose absinthe signify ''impos-
sible to drink"
The effects of the liquor on the differ
emit systems of our organization have
been told over and over again-they
are sad-but some twenty years ago no
less a person than Alphonse Daudet
wrote; AT the cafe, we drink absinthes,
which break our chests, and we play
everlasting games of dominoes, that tire
us out completely" Break our
chests, speaks volumes. 1t should not,
however, be inferred that all Parisians
spend their day at the cafe slipping alb
sinthe and exercising their brains in
no other manner than battling at DOM
inoes Many Frenchmen never enter
cafe-many never touch absinthe. 1t is
principally the working class that in
dulges in the drink, and those who have
read Zola's 81 Assommoir" will easily
recall to their minds some of the terri
BILE scenes caused by the green liquor.
1t is unfortunate that absinthe can be
procured at so very little cost, other
wise the French workman, who, not
withstanding vicious habit, is eco
nomical, would assuredly dispense with
the drink and replace it by another of
inferior price but productive of less in
jury.
Amongst all classes the most popular
method of taking absinthe is 'panaehe'
so-called because of the analogy be-
tween tie. colors of the liquors mixed
together and a plume of feathers. Ami
seed, menthe (peppermintl, benedictine.
syrups Of 'gomme" and grenadine"
are mingled with absinthe. A great
many persons take it with water and a
little sugar Beginners drink it 'dia-
phanousr-it makes them gay Then
they get accustomed to it, and add less
water; the drink appears cloudy and
somewhat brackish-it makes them
dreamy and melancholy. then fiery and
ardent. Finally, when they become
absintheurs, their glass contains a
thick and muddy substance; it is not
adulterated; the drinlzer becomes de-
pressed, his head viii hang down, his
eyes will look sad-the absinthe has
produced Authorizations.
Stroll along the boulevards of Paris
between five and six o'clock in the
evening. and glance at the glasses dis
posed on the little circular marble
tables that line the asphalt sidewalks,
and YOU will easily see whether absin
the is still being drunk or not. With
ont anv stretch of the imagination, it
will be observed that about one out of
every half dozen persons seated at
cafe will be drinking absinthe. Natur-
ally enough. they are always ready |
with an excuse if anybody should hap /
pen to remark that they would do bet
ter to leave that horrible liquor alone
81 drink such a little, it is almost all |
waller" one viii say. 81 take it to get
an appetite.w is the reply of number 4
two. And if you chance to meet num-
Der two toward nine or ten o'clock on
the same evening. seated behind an
other green glass, he viii not hesitate
to tell you that he is drinking it this
time as a digester. In word, the poet
will declare that he is inspired by it;
the painter that he derives ideas from
it; the actor. that he can not study
new role without It; the man of BUSH
ness. that he can never bring off a coup
until he has had some, and the dude,
- !. l. chic To drink it RoYalists be-