St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-07-06

duced by all the spirit WHICH ne makes
and sells? This is most fearful respon-
sibilty. Indeed it is. But if these two
things are true, every retailer and maker
must bear it, And can either OF these be
disputed?
Upon the first point let me refresh
your recollection, and bring vividly
before you the hopes which ardent spirit
has blasted, and the tears it has caused
to flow. Most of us can remember many
shocking scene which spirit has pro-
duced. Let any one OF us sit down and
count up the number Of its victims which
we have known-consider their character
and standing in society their prospects
and happy families, and what change
few years use OF ardent spirit has
caused, and what they and their families
are now. What catalogue of wretched-
ness might any one OF us make out. Very
few but could remember twenty, thirty,
fifty, or one hundred families ruined IN
this way-some Of them once our most
intimate friends; and their story is soon
told.
They were once promising-excited
high xpectations-were high spirited
despised every mean thing, and had
| special contempt for drunkard; and
had prophet proclaimed that they
themselves should be all that they de-
spised they would have repealed it as
| thing impossible. rs thy servant a
dog" as said Hazael, that he should
do this thing?" But they could drink
occasionally, just for spree, for the sake
of company. In this way the taste was
acquired, and habits of dissipation
formed. They became idle, and of course
uneasy; and they drank, partly to graft
fly taste, and partly to quiet conscience.
They saw that the tide was coming in
upon them, and for time, perhaps,
made some earnest but irregular strug-
| giles against it. But it gained upon
them. Every flow Of the tide drove in
some barrier-the resistance became
weaker and weaker-by and by the
struggle is ended, and they float with the
current And where are they? One has
been found by the tempe rance reiorma-
ton, a mere wreck-in property, charac-
ter, body and mind, mere wreck-and,
O miracle! reclaimed After years of
dissipation, after causing unspeakable
misery, he is saved, yet so as by tiIe.
Another is dead: his constitution could
not bear such continued course OF dis
sipation. Another died in fit. Another
was found by the roadside, one cold
morning, a stiffened corpse. Another
was thrown from his horse, andis a Grip
pie for life but stillcan contrlve means TO
pay daily visit to the grocery. Another
is mere vagabond, unprincipled and
shameless-wandering from grocery to
grocery-6t companion for the lowest
company, drinking upon their bounty
yea, drinking their leavings, the mere
rinsings of the glasses-a nuisance to So
ciety, and curse to his kindred. Another
is in the penitentiary, for crime which
he committed in drunken trolic.
Go into the crowded courthouse, and
YOU NAV see another; his countenance
haggard and CHASTITY, and his eyes wild
" rolling in despair. What has he done
One night after spending all his money
for drink, and lettering about till all the
shops were closed, he returned to hi.
miserable habitation. He found few
Goals ON the hearth, and his wife ant
children sitting by them. He threw ON
chlld this way. and another that, for h
was cold. His wife demonstrated, ant
withal told him that what little fir,
there was, was none OF his providing
With many horrid oath he declared h
would not be scolded after that sort
J He would let her know who should gov
t ern. and by way OF supporting his au
thority, beat her brains out with tn
; last remaining stick of wood. He di
, not mean to kill her. Her dying strug
, giles brought him to his senses, and h
J. stood horror struck. He would Civ
: almost anything that the deed were no
. done. II that could restore her to lite
he would be almost ready to give
: pledge never to taste ardent spirit
again. Now look at the wretchednes
of this family. For years he has mad
J. very little provision for them; for the.
, have lived as they could, half naked an,
/. half starved, and not educated at all
' with a most wretched example befor
!: their eyes. What encouragement ha
s the vile and children to attempt any
e thinp-to make any exertion. The Chi
i dren are abused and trampled on a
s home, and they grow up without sci
r respect, without shame and withou
}. principle. Can anything respectable b
e expected of them? And If they do rise,
e must be through world OF difficulty.
How many thousand families hav
a been ruined in some such way as this
t The father was a drunkard, and tn
u mother-what could she do? Sh
IS endured, hoping against hope; and 70
|. the children's sake bore up against tn
}. current, and MANY a time disguised
n sad, despairing heart under a joyl,
d countenance, till at length she died of
e broken heart; or died at the hands
|. him who had sworn to protect her!
e These, and things like these, are til
e effects of ardent spirit-not casual. acc
IF dental, but common natural effects, see
a everywhere, in every town, in ever
neighborhood, and in every connection
lie Look which way we will, we see some {
,. these effects. The greatest wretchednes
i which human nature in this world
h called to endure, is connected with tt
is use of ardent spirit. There is nothin
n else that degrades and debases a ma
lie like it-nothing so mean that DRUM
re ard will not stoop to it-nothing to
It base for him to do, to obtain his tavori
e. drink. Nothing else so sinks the who
lie man-so completely destroys, not on
N all moral principle, but all seltrespec
re all regard to character, all shame, q
n human feeling. The drunkatd can brea
lie out from every kind of endearng come
n. ton, and break over every kind OF r
10 straint; so completely extinct is huma
Il. feeling. that he can be drunk at I'll
x. funeral of his dearest relative, and ca
" for drink in the last accents OF expirir
natures