St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-02-13

tiaries. It has its hand to-day on the
throat of the American republic. It
is the taskmaster of nations, and the
human race crouches under its anath-
ema- The song Of the drunkards
has tor its accompaniment the clank Of
chains. the chattering teeth OK pov.
erty, the rattle Of the executioner's
scaffold, the creaking door of the de-
serted home. the crash Of shipwrecks,
and the groan Of empirea The s, 2,02e, :
600, 600 which rum costs this country
in . year. in the destruction Of grain
and sugar and the supporting Of the
paupers and invalids and the criminals
which strong drink causes, il only .
small part of what is paid for this ex-
pensive song of the drunkardS
Again, this song Of tho drunkards il
. multitudinous song-not . solo, not
. duet, not . quartet, not . sextet; but
millions on millions are this hour sing
ing it. Do not think that alcoholism
has this field al TO itself. 1t has pow
erful rivals in the intoxicants Of other
nations; hasheesh, and arrack, and
pulque, and opium. and quavo, and
mastic, and wedro. Every nation,
barbaric a. well as civilized, has its
pet intoxicant The song Of the
drunkards II rendered in Chinese,
Hindoo, Arabian. Assyrian, Persian
Mexican-ye. all the languages.
All zones join in 1t. No conti-
nent would be large enough for
the choir gallery II all those who
have this ibretto in their hands
should stand side by side to chant the
international chorus. Other throngs
are just learning the eight notes of
this deathful music, which is already
mastered by the orchestras in full
voice under the batons in full swing.
All the musicians assembled at Dussel-
dOrf, or Berlin, or Boston Peace jubi
lee. rendering symphonies, reauiems
or grand marches Of Mendelssohn. or
Wagner, or Chopin, or Handel, were
insignificant in numbers as compared
with the innumerable throngs, host
beside host. gallery above gallery, who
are now pouring forth the song of the
Again. the song Of the drunkards is
q suggestive song. You hear . nursery
refrain, and right away you think of
your childhood home. and brothers
and sisters with whom you played, and
mother, long since gone to rest. You
hear . national air, and you think Of
the encampment of 1868, and the still
night on the river bank, and the camp
fires that shook their reflections up and
down the faces Of the regiment. You
hear and old church tune, and you are
reminded Of the revival scenes amid
which you were brought to God.
so brings up associations as
q song sung or played upon instru-
ment. and the drunkard's song is full
of suggestion. As you hear it on the
street quite late some night, you begin
to say TO yourself, II wonder if he has
. mother? u his wife waiting for him?
Will his children be frightened when
he enters the front door and stagger1,
mp the stairs2 What chance
is there for = young man started SO
early on the down grade? In what
business will he succeed? How long
before that man will run through his
wonder how he got 30 far
Can any influence be welded
to fetch him back? He must have got
into bad company who led him of.
So you soliloq uize and guess about
this man whose voice you hear on the
street under the starlight
Again. the song Of the drunkards is
easily learned. Through what long
and difficult drill one must 60 to sue
ceed - an elevated and inspiring
singer. Emma Abbott among the
most eminent cantatrices that ever en-
academies of music, told me
on IN ocean ships deck. in answer to
my question:: sWhither are you
bound?" Il am going to Berlin and
Paris to study music" ''What!" said,
''after all your w0rld-renowued sue
cesses in music. going to study?"
Then she told mo through what hard
ships, through what self-denials.
through what almost killing fatigues
she had gone In order to be .
singer, and that when, in her earlier
days, . great teacher Of music had told
her there were certain notes she could
never reach, she said: Il will reach
them," and through doing nothing
else but practice for Eve years she did
reach them. Oh. how many heroes
and heroines Of musical achievement!
There are songs which are easy to
hear, but most difficult to render.
When Handel. with . new oratorio.
entered . room where . group Of
had assembled and said:
''Gentlemen. you all read music?"
They said: "Yee. we play in church. !"
..Very WELL" said the great com
poser, "play this" But the perform
snce was 20 poorly done Handel
stopped his ears and said: You play
In churchl Very will; for We read
the Lord is long suffering, of great
kindness. and forgiving Of iniquity.
transgression and sin. But you shall
not play for me- Pure music, wheth-
er fingered, from instrument or trilled
from human lips, l. most dihacult But
one Of the easiest songs to learn Il
the song of the drunkards. Anybody
cau learn it. In . little while you
can touch the highest note Of conviv-
iality or the lowest note Of besottsd-
ness. Begin moderately. sip here and
. sip there. Begin with claret 60 on
with ale and wind mp with Cognac.
First take the stimulant 1t wedding,
then take it st meals, then tske IL be-
tween meals, then al the time keep
your pulse under its stealthy touch.
In six months the dullest scholar In
this appollyonic music may become An
expert. First IL viii Be sounded In Z
hlccough. After awhile 1t will b
heard in . silly hal hal Further on i
will become . wild whoop. Then il
will enable you to run mp and down
the i've ines Of tho nusical scale In.
fernaL. Then you win have mastered