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

5TON, ST. TAMMAN'
teaching them the song Of the drunk
ards. Keep up that mode Of educa-
ton, and if you have four boys, ut
least three OF them will learn the
drunkard's song and lie down in
drunkard's grave, and II ! ever laid
q wager 1 would lay . wager that
the fourth will lie down with the
other three. Or, il tho educa.
tion Of the children in this music
should be neglected, It is not too late
to begin at q years Of age. Tho
young man will find plenty Of young
men who drink. They are in every
circle to be found. Surely, my boy,
you are not . coward, and afraid OF
II? Surely you are not going to 10
hindered by sumptuary laws or tho
prejudices OF your old father and
mother? They are behind the times.
Take something. Take it often. Some
Of the greatest poets and orators have
been notorious imbiberA II you sre
to enter . parlor, Il makes you
more vivacious and Chesterdeldian.
II you arc to transact busi-
ness, your customer is apt to
buy more II you have taken with him
. sherry cobbler. If you are to make
. speech it will give you . glibber
tongue. Gluck could compose his best
music by having his piano taken into
the midst of . meadow, and bottle OF
champagne placed on each side Of him.
The earlier you begin to learn tho
song Of the drunkards, the easier
it is; but none Of you are too old to
learn. You can begin ut so or 90, un-
der prescription of a doctor for aids to
digestion or breaking up Of in6rmities,
and close life by rendering the song OF
the drunkards SO well that all Pande-
monium will encore the performance
and want it again and again.
You see this sermon is not SO much
for cure a for prevention. Stop be-
fore you start, if you will forgive the
solecism. The clock of St. Paurs
cathedral struck Is one midnight, and
50 sSved tho life Of . sentinel. Tho
soldier was arrested and tried for fall
ing asleep at his post one midnight;
but he declared that no was awake
at midnight, and in proof that he was
awake he said that he had heard the
unusual occurrence of the clock strik-
ing IL instead of l2. He was laughed to
scorn and sentenced to death, but three
or four persons, hearing Of the case.
came up in time to swear that they,
too, heard the clock strike l3 that
same midnight, and SO the man's life
was spared. Ny nearer, If you 60 on
and thoroughly learn the drunkards'
song, perhaps in the deep midnight of
your soul there may sound something
that will yet effect your moral and
eternal rescue. But it is . risky ''per.
haps." It is exceptional. Go ahead
on that wrong road and the clock will
more probably strike the ~ that closes
your day Of opportunity, than it will
strike Is, the sound of your deliver.
ance.
A few Sabbaths ago, on the steps Of
this church, Z man whom had known
in other years confronted me. At the
the first glance I saw that he was in
the ffth and last act of the'tragedy Of
intemperauce. Splendid even in his
ruin. The same brilliant eye, and the
same courtly manners, and the re-
mains of the same intellectual endow-
ments; but wreck. I had seen that
craft when it plowed tho waters, all
sails set and running. by true
compass; wife and children, and
friends ON board, himself command
ing in . voyage that he expected
would Be glorious, putting into pros
porous harbors Of earth, and at last
putting into the harbor of Heaven.
But now . wreck, towed along by low
that ever and anon run him
INTO the breakerscs wreck of body, .
wreck Of mind, wreck Of soul.
"Where 10 your wife?" II do not
know" "Where are your children"
Il do mot know" "Where il your
God?" II do not know" That man 10
coming to tho last verse Of that long
captata. that protractcd threnody that
terrific song of the DIR unkards.
But il these words should came-for
you know the largest audience Ireach
never SEQ at ALL say If these words
should come. though at the ends Of the
earth, to any fallen man, let me say to
him: BE the exception to the general
rule, and turn and live, while I re-
call to you . scene in England,
where some one said to an in
ebriate as he was going ont Of
church where there was great
awakening. "Why don't you sign tho
pledge?" He answered: II have signed
it 20 times, and will never sign il
again." why, them" said the gentle
man talking to him. don't you 60 up
and kneel at that altar. amid thosa
other patients?" He took the advice
and went and knelt After awhile lit
tie girl, in rags and soaked with the
rain, looked in the church door and
some one said, "What are you doin g
here. little girl?' She aid, Please, sir,
heard - my father is here. Why.
that Is my father mp there, kneeling
now." She went up aud put her arma
around her fathers neck and said,
Father, what are you doing here?'
and he said, II am asking God
to forgive me-" Said she. III
He forgives you will we be happy
again?" "Yes, my dear" s'Will wo
have enough to eat agsin?' "Yes. my
dear" "And will you never strike M
againsn ''No. my child" "Wait here, I"
she said. It'll 60 and call mother. +"
And soon the child came with the
mother, and the mother. kneelinR be.
aide her husband, said: ''Ssve me.
tool Save me, toor And the Lord
heard the prayers st that altar,
and one Of the hsppiest homes
in England i the home over