Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-08-26

OF the domestic ipfeEcities Of the ooun-
try than nearly AL other things com
bined. Society is 80 artificial there thai
no sure judgment OF character can be
formed. They who form companion
ships amid such circumstances 20 into
lottery where there are 20 blanks 20
one prize. In the severe tug OF life you
want more than glitter and splash. Life
3 not a ballroom where the music de-
cides the step. and BOW and prance and
graceful swing Of long train can make
up for strong common sense. You
might as well go among the gayly-
painted Yachts OF a summer regatta 20
Gnd war vessel al 20 70 among the
j. ght spray OF the summer watering
place 20 fnd character that can stand
he test OF the great struggle of human
life. In the battle o, life you want a
stronger weapon than a ace fan or q
croquet mallet. The load Of life is
so heavy that in order TO draw il YOU
want team stronger than that made
up OF masculine grasshoppcr and a
feminine butterfly. ~ there is any man
IN the community who exci;es my con-
tempt and who ought 70 excite the con-
tempt o. every man and woman. II
- the sof;-handcd. soft-hesded dude.
who. perfumed until the air is actual
IS sick. spends the summer in striking
killing attitudes. and waving senti-
mental adieux and talking infinite .imal
nothings. alnd finding his heaven in
the set OF lavender Kid glove. Boots
rs tight "a an inquiSition. Two hours
of consummate skill exhibited in the
tie OF a flashing cravat. His converse
tion made up OF "Ahsi" and "Ohsi"
and "Ile hes"
There il only one counterpart 10 such
man aS that, and that is the frothy
young woman at the watering places:
her conversation made Up OF French
moonshine: what she has in her head
only equaled BY what she has on her
back: useless ever since shc was born.
and 10 be useless until she H. dead. un-
less she becomes an intelligent Chris
tian. We may admire music and fair
faces and graceful step; bat amid the
heartleSsness and the initiation and the
fantastic Influences Of our modern wa
tering places beware how you make
lifelong covenants
Another temptation lowering ali
around our watering places iS intoxi-
eating beverages. l am told that IL is
becoming more and more fashionabls
for women 20 drink. I care not how
well n woman may dress. IL she has
taken enough OF wine TO fuSh her
cheek and put = glassineSs on her eye.
she is drunk. She may be handed into
! a $4,000 carriage and have diamonds
enough 70 astound the Tiffanys-she is
| drunk. She may be a graduate Of the
best Young ladies' seminary and the
/ daughter OF some man in danger of
being nominated for the presidency-
she il drunk. You may have a larger
vocabulary than I have. and you may
say in regard 70 her that she is con
vivial" or she is merry" or she is ''fes-
tive" OF she is "exhilarated," but you
cannot with al your garlands of YER
bisge cover up the plain fact that i;
il an old-faShioned case Of drunk.
Now. the watering places are full OF
temptations TO men and women ID tip
pie. Al the close OF the tenpin or bill
lard game they tipple- AT the close Of
the coullon they tipple. Seated on
the piazza cooling themselves OF they
tipple. The tinged glasses come around
with bright Straws and they tipple
First they take light wines" as they
call them. but light wines" are heavy
enough TO debase the appetite. There
is not a very long road between cham
pagne at five dollars = bottle and whis
Ky at ten cents glass. Satan has three
Or four grades down which he take'
meE 70 destruction. One man he take,
up and through one spree pitches him
into eternal darkness That is a rar'
case. Very seldom indeed can you fnS
= man who will be such a fool "a that
Satan will take another man 20 a grade
10 descent At an angle about like tn
Pennsylvania coal shoot or the Noun
Washington rail track. and shove hin
of. But this is very rare. When
man goes down 10 destruction, Satai
brings him TO plane. II is almost
, level. The depression IL 30 slight tha
: you can hardly see it. The man doe
not actually know that be Is on tn
, down grade, and IL tips only litti
. toward dsrknesS-just little. And tn
first mile IL is claret and the second mil
il is sherry and the third mile IL
punch and the fourth mile IL Is al
and the fifth mile il is whisky and tn
sixth mile il is brandy, and then IL get
/ sleeper and sleeper and sleeper. unit
= II is impossible to stop. Look not tho
upon the wine when il Is red. when
giveth its color in the cup. when
mOveth itself Alright. At the last