The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-02-12

| lSh, ana The nerOlneS so fDeWltcnlnSly
untrue, andthe Turmoil tire story so-ex-
quisite, and all the characters so en-
rapturing, l can not quit them." My
brother, my sister, you can find styles
of literature just as charming that
will elevate, and purify, and ennoble,
and Christianize while they please.
| The devil does not own all the
4 honey. There is a wealth of good
books coming forth from our publish
ing houses that leave no excuse for the
choice of that which is debauching to
body, mind and soul. Go to some in
teligent man or woman, and ask for a
list of books thatwill be strengthening
to your mental and moral condition.
Life is so short and your time for i'm
provement so abbreviated that you can
not afford to fill up with husks, and
cinders, and debris. In the interstices
Of business tina: young man is reading
that which will prepare him to be a
merchant prince, and that young WON
an is filling her mind with an intelli-
gence that will yet either make her
the chief attraction OF good mans
home, or give her an independence
of character that will qualify her
to build her own home and main
tain it in happiness that re-
quires no augmentation from any of
our rougher sex. That young man or
young woman can, by the right liter
airy or moral improvement of the
spare ten minutes here or there every
day, rise head and shoulders in pros
perity, and character, and influence
above the loungers who read nothing,
or read that which bedwarfs. See all
the forests OF good American literature
dripping with honey. Why pick up
the honeycombs that have in them the
fiery bees which will sting you with
an eternal poison while you taste it?
One book may for you or me decide
everything for this world and the
next 1t was a turning point with me
when in a book store in Syracuse one
day l picked up book called "The
Beauties of Ruskin." 1t was only book
of extracts, but it was all pure honey,
and l was not satisfied until
had purchased all his works, at that
time expensive beyond an easy cap
acity to own them, and with what de-
light went through reading his
"Seven Lamps of Architecture" and
his "Stones of Venice it is impossible
for me to describe, except by saying
that it gave me rapture for good
| ,.l I'M fnr
decrepit or immoral books that will
last me while my life lasts. All around
the church and the world to-day there
are busy hives of intelligence occupied
by authors and authoresses from whose
pens drip distillation which is the
very nectar of Heaven, and why will
you thrust your. rod of inquisitiveness
into the beautiful saccharine of per
dition?
Stimulating liquids also come into
the category Of temptation delicious
but beautiful. You say: Il can moi
bear the taste of Intoxicating liquor
and how any man can like it is to me
an amazement." Well, then, it is nc
credit to you that you do not take it.
Do not brag about your total absti
ciple that you reject alcoholism, but
for the reason that you reject certail
styles of food-you simply don't like
the taste OF them. But multitudes o.
people have natural fondness for al
kinds of intoXicants. They like it 81
| ali, 4 ,rlr In al lai p,
lips to look at it. They are dyspeptit
and they like to aid digestion; or they
are annoyed by insomnia, and they
take it to produce sleep; or they are
troubled, and they take it to make
them oblivious; or they feel happy, anC
they must celebrate their hilarity
They begiu with mint julep sucked
through two straws on the Long
I Branch piazza and end in the ditch
taking from jug u liquid half kero
sene and half whisky. They not onl.
like it, but it is an all-consuming pas
sion of body, mind and soul, and afte
awhile have it they will, though on,
wineglass of it should cost the tenn
poral and eternal destruction of them
, selves, and all their families, and th
| whole human race. They would say
| Il am sorry it is going to cost me, ant
, my family, and all the wod's popula
| ton SO very much, but here it goes t.
{ my lips, and now let it roll over In,
[ parched tongue and down my heatec
throat, the sweetest, the most inspir
| ing, the most delicious draught tina
1 ever thrilled human frame. 70 cur,
the habit before it came to its las
stages, various plans were tried il
t olden times. This plan was recommend
ed in the books; when u man wante
| to reform he put shot or bullets int
/ the cup or glass of strong drink--on
/ additional shot or bullet each day, tina
e displaced so much liquor. Bullet ate
: bullet added day by day, of course tn
q liquor became less and less until TIL
e bullets would entirely fill up the glas.
0 and there was no room for the liquiC
= and by that time it was said the in
+ ebriate would be cured Whether any
n one ever was cured in that way Ikno,
< not, but by long experiment it is foun
+ that the only way is to stop short of
+ and when man does that he need
s God to help him. And there have bee
e more cases than you can count whe
: God has so helped the man that he lie
n off the drink forever; and L coul
e count score of them, some of thel
d pillars in the house of God.
d Furthermore, the gamester's indu
e gence must be put in the list of temp
5 tations delicious but destructive. 70
!, who have crossed the ocean man
q | tir,nS hnrn n ntinnI tlhat n ~. u g ono Z