The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-15

a little tauntinzly. ABOUT one ~ hi.
friends who had gone Off on ramnac.
The Colonel with his usual brightness.
answered: MY friend got drunk on
brandy. and got sober again; yours not
drunk on cold water: that sort never doe.
get sober"
Beyond question, It Is a very bad thing
to get drunk In the regular way, 70 dos
ecrate the audience chamber OF the aouI
to befoul the seat Of the affections
TO poison the springs OF life within us
to pervert the judgment, disorder reason.
wake up the animal. besot the con-
science. and transform the semblance
OF deity into the face OF an ape. Oh.
what fall. The heaven-directed brow.
made t" be adorned by smiles Of Heav-
en-. to be made the playground Of prostl-
tuted impulses, the sport OF sensuality.
1t Is a bad thing to be prostItuted.
And yet a long way this side Of such
a dcplorabie condition the effects of pure
wine may gladden. and rejoice the heart.
And God gave it for our happiness. And
wine is the type OF everything stimulat-
Ing and enlivening. And there Is hardly
anything stimulating that does not. when
abused, end in inebHety.
The party to whom Col. Ruffin referred
was a veritable inebriate, he was blind
drunk. His vision was oblique. His
balances were fixed. His faculties were
set He could see but in one direction;
as 1t were. out OF the corners OF his
eyes. He was the drunken slave of one
idea All that differed with him were
vicious. And he shone before the world
as a man drunk with an idea Like the
Rev. Mr.. Stlggins. he said to those about
him: &C. Gentlemen, my opinyen is, yeall
drunk" And the general world knew he
was.
The misery is that we are. most Of us,
drvrk from some potion or other; orly
there are not sober ones enough TO ar
rest US. Whit are fanatics In anything
but drunk rds? Men may get heated to
intensity by brooding over any one idea
till they reach the verge OF insanity.
Many such pass into the asyiums. Many
are left inebriated on the streets to
attend TO their business, after a fashion.
The original stimulating idea may be
sound and right; but drinking too deeply
and constantly intoxicates. And man
may get wrong notion into his mead
and follow It, aad be, for all the world
like drunken man. A man may be drunk
with personal ambition. or avarice, or any
common passion. One may be dead drunk
with seif-conceit; so full Of himself that
he can hardly put his hat on. When ne
walks on the street his gait, his bearing
his face, his words show that he Is
drunk with inordinate self-conceit'
drinking too deeply of his own merits
and excellence He has the blind stag
gers"
Regular poets and sentlmentalists and
the shallow literary are like the poor
fellows that keep habitually steamed
up, and never draw a sober breath. All
enthusiasts are more or less inehriates'
sharing I'm moderation the frenzy OF the
sybn Indeed a man may be drunk WIN
theological notions. and with sciemnity |
or with an excessive study Of moral
philosophy, metaphysics. or mere propIie-
ties. He may think himself into semi
Iunacy on the question of duty, 100 nice
" study the limits Of right or wrong. |
"The rigid righteous IS a fool, etc. And |
what is a little passing hilarity compar-
ed 10 these chronic and protracted sprees.
Soberness Is a lofty, manly, and inval-
liable excellence. IT'S government that |
makes men seem divine. The grace Of |
Heaven. for all circumstances and condi- |
tons, teaches US that we should live
soberly, righteous, and cody in this pres
snt evil world, and let our moderation be
known unto all men. Most Of us require |
any amount Of walking up and down in |
he open air. to cool off. TO see things |
and ourselves as we ought to see them, |
10 get off our drunk, TO get sober