The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-16
GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANcE.

Expected 10 Duy- "Otul 1hses
Make No Impression OIL the Liquo1|
D~ealer-visions of Desolation.
In the front store window Of a dealer in
wines and other Intoxicating drinks l sey7
eral times noticed during the past winter
placards displayed, upon which were let
tered the words which form the CANTON OF
this article: Come in. and looki You VII
not be expected to buy!" How like IN
thought, to the familiar, dity OF my child
hood: "Will you walk. into my parlor, eaid
the spider to the fly"
With no inclination whatever to accept
the invitation to enter this death trap. y
could nevertheless, in imagination, lookj
around upon its brave array OF bottles oil
wine and demiiohns of whisky, It's TASKS
of gin and casks of brewed liquS;s, and
readily picture some scenes, which. all
though inseparably linked to this traffic,
am sure that the dealer would have BEEN
altogether unwilling to have enacted right
there in his, presence.
Thus, I could bring before him the young
,washerwoman,. who. with a babe at herI
able to walk, beside her, was at w
my house only Yesterday. It mig4
been we'll had this greatly wroneed WomanI
stood in his presence. where he. too. could
have seen her weep bitter tears whilst she
told how her husband had broken again}
his good resolve-had spent all his weeks
wages for the hateful liquor-had lost AMI
excellent place, and finally, overcome with
remorse at his folly, had utterly deserted
her and the children.
Had the tears and woful tale Of this
woman made nc impression upon the red
spectacle dealer ia rum cordials, there
-n,obf A,xo loor lro,,rLH hafora hsr~-M
were it not that she had lately heen si1
fenced by ~drink-another one OF whom q
had knowledge, who earned a livelihood BY
washing. Most faithful and hardworkina1
was she in her sober moments, but con5
slant was her craving for alcohol, AND
dreadful to hear were her ~jeerincs and imd
precautions when it mastered her. 0ver1
come by the habit, she had at last died
miserably in the forlorn room of the ter&<
ment where she lodged. The writer, being
called to the spot, beheld a lcathsome OBJ
ject, such as he hoped never again to see
yet, had he accepted the invitation of The
those demijohns Of whisky in the ware
house referred to! visions of desolation
very like this must have risen to view.
Again: I might have brought could
bring now-into the presence Of this deal
er a terribly besotted and bloated creature
made 80 by the same maddenih9 poison az
is drawn from those casks. il there should
come with him, at the same time. the twd
elder sons who are following hard in them
fathers steps to ruin, and the nine other
children-which would include the jabherS:
ing idiot boy and the baby-and. fnallv,
the mother herself, to tell Of her husbanda
nearly continuous drunken or half!druuken1
condition, his frequent rawlings and foam
ings when he dashes the scanty furniture
about and no one is safe in his presence,
which he uses in his shoemakers craft
and Of her being driven screaming into tba
street even at midnight in the depths Oh
winter and with q single. garment upon
her. I think, perhaps, the owner of the
casks and demiiohns might be convinced.
.of the reality of the suffering, though he
might still make denial of the lniquity OF.
the traffic by which he thrives.
l have here simply spoken of three casesf
of the drink evil, happening. within .
stones throw of each other, in what isl
spoken of as one of "the poorer localities
Of Philadelphia's inviting suburb Of c.
Almost every one who reads these lines
can cite somewhat similar instances; whist
Quarter Sessions Court will furnish many
others, of the narrowing details of which
the swiftest pen could not take full &c
count. Yet we are assured that none On
these things are unrecorded in "the book
of remembrance" none forgotten by Him
who heareth the cry of all His creatures.
Would that all who accede to the allur;ng
invitation to Come in and look" who
look acquiescing,y upon the wine when II
IL red" would consider the deadly. period
that adder's sting Cat the last it, stingeth|
like an adder''), which is likely to assail|
them. remembering that drunkards and
the conscious makers of drunkards have
no inheritance with those who may enter
in through the gates into the city" Still.
to the tempted, the weary, and the heavy
laden, is ever extended the invitation, with
its promise of eternal rest: LET him that
is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely" No de-
'ception nor double dealing here. The word
is ZONE and freely take, for assnredly youI|
will not be expected to buy.-Josiah w
Leeds, in the National Advocate.