Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-06-26

Hirtationi Have you ever sat upon q
hotel porch and watched the insects
gather out OF the darkness aud buzz
and play about the electric lights
Those lights have for them the fatal
spell that the gliitering eye OF the
black snake has for the mother bird
sitting upon the edge OF her nest.
These insects will circle round and
round the brilliant light. They will
disappear for awhile. as though they
know the hot tongue OF death Is ready
to touch them. Then at last they will
make one plunge and In an instant the
wings and the legs are gone. Then the
poor suffering creatures fall TO the
ground, wriggling and twisting and
dying. TO be trampled under the foot OF
man. Such are the awful results which
follow when the human insects play
about the kissing. blasting fires OF n
summers Irritation IL may be pleas
ant for awhile to feel the bot flush
upon the cheek. II may seem only fun
to pass few hours as coquette. tear.
ing and inflaming the tenderest feel
tngs of true man I'm "a summer row
boat or In romantic walks through the
woods. 1t may seem 10 be IA glorious
act 10 boast how many you can con
quer in love. MS an Indian warrior
boasts OF his proves In war by the
number of scalps he carries at his belt.
But by the scorched and bruised and
mutilated hearts OF thousands which
have been maIfornIed for time and
eternity I'm the glowing flames or 3
summer Irritation I denounce trifiing
with human love. l denounce Il be
fore the young people who may be par
Elephants during theif next summer va
cation In this merciless, heartless and
damnlng universal evil
Peril OF the Wine Cup.
Summer red light the fifth Beware
or the serpent which lies coiled up in
the bewitching wine cup. A few sum-
mer and winter resorts Of this country
are especially noted for the power of
their mineral waters to physically
straighten a man out after a long de-
bauch. Not many miles from Chicago
there Is resort where many OF our
drunkards so at least once a year
have been told by some OF these
drunkards that II is impossible to drink
whisky and at the same time drink Of
those mineral springs But though
there are fey, very few, summer
watering places whose waters have
these curative qualities, most Of our
summer watering places are noted for
the fact that they make drunkards
rather than reform them They make
them In wholesale quantities and not
In retail. Men carry their bottles of
Intoxicating beverages when they go
fishing or dancing or taking a tramp
inDthe woods, and men drink every
where.
But this is not the greatest curse for
which our summer resorts are famous,
They are noted as places where women
get drunk as well as the men. To me the
most abjectly repulsive creature on
earth Is n drunken woman. When
see ohe / know not which feeling pre-
dominates most in my heart, that OF
pity or OF horror. 1 remember dis
tinctly the first drunken woman ever
saw. 1t was at a summer watering
place near Bar Harbor. | saw scores
of them there under the influence OF
drink. Some OF them had diamonds
upon their fingers and Jewels at their
Threats and their clothes were bought
ut the most expensive establishments.
but they were excited with intoxicat-
Ing liquor. You could tell IL by the
flush on the cheek, by the strange
glassiness of the eye. by tho boisterous-
ness OF the laugh and by the many
signs that always mark the effects of
drink. In our summer hotels women
now drink everywhere. Therefore,
friends, ] beg Of you when you are in
a summer party where wine is passed
around do not touch II. For your
Christian examples sake do not touch
IT. For the danger of inGaming your
own evil tastes do not touch II. Stand
back from the evil Wine cup though 1t
may be offered to you by the 1eweled
hand OF hostess or by the companion
who pretends he is your friend. The
tempter may not be able TO ensla 7e
you in city where you are in active
work. but he may be able TO dig for
you n drunkard's grave among the
many sinful summer destinations Of
a hotel piazza.