Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-29

physical life OF beast, bird and man.
Many years ago an Australian colonist
was homesick for the sight of the Eng
lish rabbit. He had one OF his friends
ship him couple as pets TO his farofr
southern home. Those rabbits escaped
from their master and began to breed.
Their progeny increased until they
were almost as countless as the sands
or the sea. The Australian rabbit
plague destroyed the crops. They be-
came as great'a curse as is the seven
teen year locust TO the American farm
err. They were numbered by the mill
lion. The Australian parliament was
bewildered with the problem. A re-
ward of 100000 was offered for any
man who could devise practical plan
to exterminate them. Wire fences were
built across that island continent. The
rabbits were hunted with guns aud
dogs and entrapped everywhere but
still their numbers grew. At length. as
last resort, some rabbits were caught
and inoculated with the fatal serum of
hydrophobia. Then a greater danger
than before menaced these southern
! colonists. These mad rabbits not only
bit other rabbits but they bit dogs and
sheep and cattle. and even bit men and
women and children. SO when the
drunkard's blood is once inocuiated
with the poison 1t seems TO create in
its victim mad passion to destroy life.
1t seems TO make a man absolutely in
different how he might crush out the
heart of his wife. his child or his
friend. A man drinks to drown sor-
row? Oh, no! He drinks to crafty his
Unsuitable craving reckless or the con-
sequences, though they may involve his
becoming recreant to his duty to the
helpless woman and the innocent chill
dren who are dependent on his exer-
tons and have the strongest of all
claims on his loyalty. his truth and his
honor.
Reddest OF All Sins.
The drunkards sins, without doubt.
must be classed among the reddest OF
all scarlet sins. Now comes the prac-
teal question. Will God cleanse the
drunkard's sins? When we say he is
loathsome. heartless, good for moth
ing drunkard do we mean. There is
no hope for the drunkard?' Some of
us have such a lack OF faith that we
do mean this; but God never meant
nor said 1t. Purge me with hyssop
and L. shall be clean; wash me. and
shall be whittier than snow" is a d.
rect refutatioB OF the charge that
Christ will not forgive the drunkard's
sins. Oh, man, though by drunken
ness you have sohl your home under
the sherifrs hammer. though you have
wrecked your business and had your
eyes horror struck with the kaleido-
scope of delirium tremens. yet there is
even pardon and peace for you'll There
is the same message OF salvation and
rescue for you that there was for
Francis Murphy. or Cough, or Captain
Barbour, or as there is for the scores
and hundreds upon hundreds of re-
formed drunkards who every night
are found testifying to the glorious
rescuiDg power OF the gospel OF Jesus
Christ. Though your drunkard's sins
be as scarlet, they shall be rs white
as snow; though they be red like Grim
son, they shall be as WOOL
An Appeal To Young Men.
Young man, you who today are hav-
ing your life's blood squeezed out OF
you by the upper and the neither mill
stones of drunkards sins, will you
not accept this salvation for your
emancipation from evil? VIII you not
seek Christ as a refuge from the de-
struction or the drunkard. which seems
TO be going on everywhere? How gen.
eral the drunkard's eternal overthrow
Is few people stop to realize. Many
years ago these sardonic lines fell into
or e., i
There was an old decanter. and its mouth
was gaping wide:
The rosy wine had ebbed away and left
its crystal side.
And the wind went humming. humming-
up and down the sides Il flew
And through the reedlike. hollow neck the
widest notes II blew.
placed IL In the window, where the blast
was blowing free.
And fancied that its pale mouth sang the
queercst strains to me:
''They tell me, puny conquerors the
plague has slain his ten.
And war his hundred thousands OF tina
very best OF men,
But twas thus the bottle spalxe-"but
have conquered more
Ihan al your famous conquerors, 80
famed and feared OF yore.
Then come, ys youths and maidens ALL
come. drink from out my cup
The beverage that dulls the brain and
burns the spirit up,
That puts TO shame the conquerors who
Stay their scores below
For have deluged millions with the lava
use OF woe!
Though in the paths OF battle darkest
waves OF blood may roll.
Yet while 1 killed the body have also
damned the soul!
me cholera, the plague. the sword. such
ruin never wrought
AZ i. In mirth or malice on the innocent
have brought.
And still breathe upon them. ana th.y,
shrink before my breath
Anu year oy year my thousands tread the
dismal road OF death"
From this awful doom of the drunk
ard viii you not escape and in Christ's
name escape now? Will you not. o
drunkard. promise with Gods helm to
let your scarlet sins be cleansed whittier
than the driven snow?
Christ Ready 30 Forgive.
Christ Is ready TO cleanse also the de-
Daucnee's sins. BY that ! mean Christ
Is ready to forgive those who have Inn,
morally broken up the sanctity OF the
home He forgave the sins OF Rahab.
who concealed the Hebrew spies; he
forgave the sins OF David who stole
the poor mans eve; he forgave the
sins or the dissolute woman who talk
ed with him at the Samaritan well: he
forgave the sins OF the woman de-
nounced by the scribes. to whom he
turned and said: Woman. where are
thine accusers? Doth no man con-
denim thee? Neither do / condemn
thee Go and sin no more' Christ is
ready TO forgive the social eutcast's
sins, as he was ready to forgive the
scarlet sins OF the dying thief and the
murderer.
But. though the Bible declares there
is but one objectionable sin, and that
Is the sin against the Holy Ghost. yet,
strange to say. most people are not
willing to forgive the sins OF libertin-
Ism, especially IL the social Outcast be-
longs to the female sex. Alas. alas!
Even the best OF men the leaders in