Connecticut western news., 1897-01-14

TUT teupSIallNe anu fnUNeu NhSt Auul- ences toward Letter life.
 A Glass of Soda"
 Destroy himp' said some of his old associates. and they set a trap for his feet. "How do you do, Mir. Gougha" said some one on the street in New
 York. He pretended to be an old &C., quaintance and said, ''I suppose you are so pious now and have got to be so proud that you will not drink glass of soda water with an old shipmate. 1"
 "Oh, yes," said Mir. Cough, 'I will drink glass of soda water with any
 body. will drink glass with you. They went down Chambers street to Chatham street and into place where
 Best Soda was announced at the door. After some delay there was hand ed to him glass of soda water said to be favored with raspberry; but, alas, it was rum, that flew to his brain and sent him through the street an insane man, and weeks passed before he came to himself and implored the pardon of the Christian church that he had join ed and resumed his wondrous career for God and righteousness. But all the grogshops and places of dissipation rang with merriment at the temporary down.
 fall. All the grogshops and wine cellars of America took up with new voice and new gusto and new enthusiasm and new diabolism the song of the drunk ards
 There looms up in my memory one of the best and noblest friends ever had. He had been for 80 years con- sistent member of the church. I knew not that at about al years of age he had followed the sea and habits of ine- briacy had been fixed upon him. But, converted to God, he began new life. Yet it was a 80 years war against the old appetite. But about this struggle I knew nothing until he was dead. While absent during my summer vacation l received a telegram announcing bis death and asking me to come and off,
 oiate at his obsequies.
 I arrived at the moment the service was to begin and had not much time to make inquiries about his last hours. In my remarks, without any limitations, I extolled his virtues while living and spoke of the heavenly raptures into which he had entered. Afterward I found that he had died of delirium tre. mems in the hospital, because he was so violent he could not be sufficiently re- strained in his beautiful home. He had been seized in the street with violent pains of body and went into an apothe- cary store to get medical relief. Some-
 thing there given him set on fire his old appetite for strong drink. and. utterly ir- L. l. to liquor store, until. raving maniac, the officers of the law bound him and took him to the hospital, where he died. Some time after I said to the doctor in the hospital, "Of what did he die?" and the answer was Congestion of the brain." l said: Doctor, I want to
 know the bottom facts, for l was his
 pastor, and he was one of the best friends I ever had. Was it delirium tremensP And the doctor responded, "Yes." Did
 regret that at his obsequies had extol- led his virtues and spoken of the heaven | ly joys upon which he had entered? No do not think that my friend was any more responsible for the mode of his taking of than & typhoid fever patient 1 in delirium is responsible for leaping | out of the fourth story window. But while we were heartbroken about his going away I think that in the saloons. to those who heard of his membership
 of the church and the tragedy of his de- parture, he became. as did the David | and the Christ of my text, the song of the drunkards-
 Song Easily Learned.
 Again, the song of the drunkards is easily learned. Through what long and difficult drill one must go to succeed as an elevated and inspiring singer. En- ma Abbott, among the most eminent | cantatrices that ever enchanted acad- emies of music, told me on ocean ships deck in answer to my question,
 "Whither are you bound?" ''I am going
 to Berlin and Paris to study music.
 "Whatr' said. After all your world
 renowned successes in music, going to
 studyr" Then she told me through what
 hardships, through what self denials,
 through what almost killing fatigues she had gone in order to be a singer,
 and that when, in her earlier days, a
 great teacher of music had told her | there were certain notes she could nev- | |
 and through doing nothing else but
 practice for five years she did reach
 them. Oh, how many heroes and hero-
 ines of musical achievement There are
 songs which are easy to hear, but most | difficult to render. When Handel, with
 a new oratorio, entered a room where a l group of musicians had assembled and said, "Gentlemen, you all read music?" they said, "Yes, we play in church.
 "Very well, said the great composer.
 ''Play this. !" But the performance was
 so poorly done Handel stopped his ears
 and said: "You play in church. Very
 we'll, for we read the Lord is long sui | fering, of great kindness and forgiving
 of iniquity, transgression and sin. But | you shall not play for me-" Pure mu-
 sic, whether fingered on an instrument | or trilled from human lips, is most diff
 f1cult. But one of the easiest songs to
 learn is the song of the drunkards. | Any body can learn it. In little while | you can touch the highest noto of con-
 vitality or the lowest note of besotted-
 ness. Begin moderately.1 . sip here and
 sip there. Begin with claret, go on
 with ale, and wind up with cognac.
 First take the stimulant at Q wedding,
 then take it at meals, then take it be-
 tween meals, then all the time keep
 your pulse under its stealthy touch.
 In six months the dullest scholar in
 this Apollyonio music may become an
 expert. First it will be sounded in a
 hiccough. After awhile it will be heard
 in silly ha, hal Farther on it will be-
 come a wild whoop. Then it will en-
 able you to run up and down the five
 lines of the musical scale internal
 Then you will have mastered it-the
 song of the drunkard.
 None Too old to Learn.