La Junta tribune., 1910-03-05
Confessions ofa
Moderate Drinker
Record OF Psrsonal Experience By aWel known
Novslist. and the Observations Of . Candid aad
Unprs3~diesd Mind Upon Very vital subject


them. l can honestly say that the
only pleasure Of my early experiment
In drinking was the thrill and zest Of
adventure. We did not consider 1t
smart" to drink. or manly. ."-anoth-
er traditional view.-but we did con-
slider ii fun to evade the masters.
! do not wish to seem sxtirical or
unfair TO my masters or advisers.
They meant well by me. But that is
not the point. l am merely telling
the actual. practical result of their
well-meaning efforts. shall not ven.
ture to offer a substitute for their
methods. though | do feel that II
should be recognized that drinking Is
not due TO an instructive desire. like
some other vices II Is quite artificial.
and can be begun only by exterior
suggestion-in some cases. by seeing
others drink: In some cases. by read.
Ing OF hot punches and mulled ale In
Dickens; In my case. by precepts and
regulations against drinking.
Reasons Why Never Drank to
Excess.
However. my early experiments in
drinking were quite innocent. Owing
to Christian training by really noble
parents in delightful home. had
deep-rooted moral objection to get.
ting drunk. II not to drinking. and
also what must be called. for lack OF
better name. a class" objection
TO 1t, which I really believe was the
more potent influence of the two. To
get tight" was not In accord with
my ideals of gentleman" or a gen.
ueman's son. To be sport was
never at any time my ambition
Besides. was In training most OF
the school year, and during vacations
usually In the woods. fishing and
camping.
To be a great athlete was my ambi.
ton. and I had 1t upon the author.
ity of men really respected and who
talked my own language that, to OBJ
tain that sumnum bonum. one must
cut out the booze" Perhaps the
chief benefit OF athletics is that
they supply what President Eliot calls
"a new and effective motive for resist.
ing all sins which weaken or cripple
the body" Some OF our coaches
from the colleges. however. those
worshipful demigods. offered US
strange examples. I used to think;
ana ] said so. too. later. when at
college I had become of some impor-
lance In the athletic world myself.
and where. according to my lights. l
endeavored to be . better example to
those who now looked up to mean
example Of how to drink. not how to
abstain from drinking. There were
plenty OF examples OF the latter: Of
the former there were few. | may
have done little good. or much
harm. or neither. do not know
There was still another reason why
| drank seldom and sparingly during
this youthful period. My parents
never asked me TO make any prom
ises In the matter OF my behavior
II they had exacted u promise. l can.
not say what would have happened
like to think | should have kept H.
But ! do not know. l only know
that many, II not most. Of those who
went TO worse excesscs had made such
promises. A promise OF that sort
once broken. as 1t usually Is. though
not invariably. has a terrifically de
moralixinE effect. II Is as unfair as
II Is unwiss To to axac, II OF n child
There were several reasons why ]
tegxn drinking more after finishing
the study for my career. Contrary
to the plans and wishes Of my peo-
i pie, | had struck out for myself IN
n strange city. had broken with
family traditions and was removed
from family Influences, ! was earn
Ing my own living. My income was
small. but my sense Of independence
great. was no longer known An the
son OF my father. | was free To do
| M l pleased. and l gloried In my
freedom. even In the physical dis
comforts OF a greatly reduced Income.
with it's haii.bedroom scale Of living.
I could drink. for instance. when and
, where ! pleased. withou, the disquict
Ink sense OF misappropria'ing funds
. from home or Offering a bad example
to younger men who look up to me-
Was no longer big man In college
bu, an infinitcsimal one In very
I large world.