The Newtown bee., 1896-11-27
Fairfield County Chat.
BETHEL.
OLD FASHION CUSTOMS AS TO THE USE OF
 STRONG DRINK,

Our grandfathers were warned to stop
 drinking intoxicating drink as a beverage
 three quaters of century ago. Our
 minis tcrs, who are in advance of the
 people in all good works, began to see
 the bad effects of strong drink among
 church members and preached fearlessly against the evil. At first a strong opposi, tion prevailed against such preaching,
 which the writer can best give from the
 language of his grandfather, Phineas
 Judd, who spent his life mostly on Hoyt's
 Hill within inc sound of the old Congre
 ! gational church bell. He said: "The Rev John c. Lowe was then pastor. Mir 1 Lowe commenced to preach against the use of spirits in family and social inter- course which had become the universal custom. A bottle of tansY or orange peel bitters always stood in the old fash ion sideboard that we older folks so well remember. Father and mother always took biCters before breakfast and the children had their sip and then licked the spoon when the miaister came to make q pastoral call. He felt sighted if the bottle was not passed, It was consider. ed a breach of etiquette to let him go away without something to keep out the cold. And when boy we remember well when it was considered no disgrace to get astridc of the old nag with the old fashion wooden bottle strung across hi, back in a bag and going post haste up tt Uncle Pnirs O, Uncle Jim's for two quarts of the best of Santa Cruze run and hurry back in time to treat the com
 pauY. 1 we'll remember when Mir Lowe preached against this old way of show
 ing our hospitality. We al, thought he had no business to tel! us what we should eat or what we should drink but his arguments soon convinced us that the custom was a growing evil and that the church members were too often seen or the streets, under the influence of strong drink, disgrace to themselves and to the Christian religion. Most of the church members gave up the custom and others left the church rather than have the preacher tell them what they should eat or drink. It was interfering with their independence and they would not stand it. The temperance cause grew and spread far and wide, still we held tc the custom of drinking cider. We filled our cellars with barrels and hogsheads
 tier upon tier. Cider took the place o1 spirits and our friends were always treat. ed with cider. It was as free as water
 If traveller came along or neighbol came in, pitcher of cider was drawn
 It was the kind of hospitality that every body considered to be right and no harm
 The cider drinking began to be abused
 people became intoxicated on cider and it created a disturbance among church members. Deacon So and So drank 6 little too much of Brother So and Sos cider and did say things before said brothers wife that was unbecoming of 8 good Christian deacon. Of.coursa our good deacon when sober apoligized and wept in sack cloth and ashes and was forgiven. For the sake of the church and the good of the community at large we gave up the habit of drinking cider for a beverage and have always used tea and coffee and never have drank anything stronger since and posterity has beer benefited" Undoubtedly the self denials of our grapdfatbers and fathers have done much toward saving the rising generation. Let us profit by their ex
 amples. May our ministers still lead us |