Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-01-15

| AhaSuerus sang tnat song Wnen1 aAtor
seven days of carousal, he ordered
Vashti to come into the presence of the
roaring guests without her veil on-a
January story trying to command a
June morning. Oh, yes! The song of
the drunkards is an old song. King Cy-
rus boasted that he could drink more
wine than his brother. Drunkenness
was so rife among the Lacedemonians
that Lycurgus had all the vines Of the
vineyards destroyed. Paul excoriates
the Corinthians for turning the COM
muuion of the Lords Supper at church
into a carousal. Isaiah mentions the
drunkards Of Ephraim. So much were
the Athenisns given to wassail that a
law was passed giving man double
punishment for crime while intoxicated
the first punishment for the crime, and
the other for tho intoxication.
The Crime of Alexander.
twas a staccato passage in that song
when Alexander the Great arose from q
banquet and struck spear through the
heart Of Clitus while putting up the
curtains, and, Mortified at what was
done, Withdrew the sword from the
dead body and attempted to take his
own life. In the time of Oliver Crom-
we'll the evil was so great that offend
ers were compelled to wear what was
called "the drunkard S cloak"-namely,
a barrel, with one end Of it knocked out
and hole in the opposite end. the arms
thrust through holes at the sides Of the
barrel. Samuel johnson made merry OF
his own inebriacy. Oh, this old song
All the centuries have joined in. Among
the first songs ever sung was the song OF
the drunkards.
Again, this song Of the drunkards is
an expensive song. The SonDtags and
the Parepa Rosas and Nilssons and the
other renderers Of elevated and divine
solos received their thousands OF dol
lars per night in coliseums and acade-
mics Of music. Some of the people OF
small means almost pauperized them
selves that they might sit few even
ings under the enchantment Of those
angels of sweet sounds. 1 paid 81 to
hear Jenny Lind sing when it was not
very easy to afford the 81. Very expen-
sive is such music, but the costliest
song on earth is the drunkards' song. 1t
costs ruin of body. 1t costs ruin OF
mind. 1t costs ruin Of soul. 60 right
down among the residential streets OF
| any city and you can find once beauti-
| full and luxurious homesteads that were
expended in this destructive music.
The lights have gone ont in the draw
ing room, the pianos have ceased the
pulsation of their keys, the wardrobe
has lost its last article Of appropriate
attire. The Belshazzarean feast has left
nothing but the broken pieces OF the
crushed chalices.
The Most Expensive Music.
There it stands, the ghastliest thing
on earth-the remnant Of drunkard's
home. The costliest thing on earth is
sin. The most expensive Of all music is
the song of the drunkards. 1t is the
highest tariff Of nations-not protect
i've tariff, but tariff of doom, tariff
of woe, tariff of death. This evil
| whets the knives Of the assassins, cuts
the most of the wounds Of the hospital,
makes necessary most Of the almshouses,
causes the most of the rawlings OF the
insane asylum and puts up most OF the
iron bars of the penitentiaries. 1t has
its hand today on the throat OF the
American republic. 1t is the taskmastei
| of nations, and the human race crouchet
under its anathema. The song OF the
drunkards has for its accompaniment
the clank Of chains, the chattering teeth
of poverty, the rattle Of executioner'
scaffold, the creaking door Of the de
serted home, the crash Of shipwreck'
and the groan of empires The 81, O2O,
600. 900 which rum costs this country
in year in the destruction OF gran
and sugar and the supporting OF th'
paupers and the invalids and the crimi
nails which strong drink causes is only
a small part of what is paid for this ex
pensiye song of the drunkards.
Again, this song Of the drunkards Il
a multitudinous song-not a solo, not
duet, not quartet, not sextet, bu
millions on millions are this hour sing
ing it. Do not think that alcoholism
has this field all to itself. 1t has pow
erful rivals in the intoxicants OF othe
patiuns-hasheesh and arrack, an'
puloue, and opium, and quayo, an'
mastic. and wedro. Every nation, bar
barrie as well as civilized, has its pc
intoxicant. This song Of the drunkard
is rendered in Chinese, Hindustanee, Ara
bian, Assyrian, Persian, Mexican-yea
all the languages. All zones join it, N
continent would be large enough for IN
choir gallery if all those who have thi
Ibretto in their hands should stand SD
by side 10 chant the international chorus
Other throngs are just learning the eigh
notes Of this deathful music which J
already mastered by the orchestras
full voice under the batons IN full SWING
All the musicians assembled at Dns
seldorf. or Berlin, or Boston peace lu
bilee, rendering symphonies, requiem
or grand marches Of Mendelssohn
Wagner or Chopin or Handel, were II
significant in numbers as compare
with the innumerable throngs, host b
side host, gallery above gallery, wh
are now pouring forth the song OF th
drunkards-
The Song Of Salvation
Years ago, standing before bulleti
, board in New York on the night OF
presidential election day as the new
came in and the choice of the America
people was finally announced, thei
were people in the streets who san
{ roistering and frivolous songs but
/ the street one man, in deep, strong
+: resonant voice, started, TO the tune
! "Old Hundred" " praise God, Frol
, Whom All Blessings Flow" and soo'
> all up and down the street. the voic'
Joined in the doxology. May God spec
| the day when the song of rescue an
. salvation shall drown with an owe
I whelming surge this mighty song
Q the drunkardsl
{ Again, the song Of the drunkards
Q n suggestive song. You hear nursel