The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-04-28
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
THAT'S ALL.

ticle ended sign once much In evil
dence along many highway that
sign advertising the merits of GER
tain brand of whiskey. But that
multiplied sign suggested to me a.
series of pictures.
Picture the first. A young man
entering a gilded saloon. Upon his
lips, like morning dew upon an OPEN
ing rose, the kiss of a fond and loving
mother. A tempting companion plac-
ing in his hand a glass. Those
mother-kissed lips stained with the
poisonous contents Of that glass,
Staggering feet passing out Of that
Devils shop. The laughter of
drunkenness ringing under Gods
stars. A night-key rafting in the
latch-hole of front door. A white
haired matron coming down the stairs
to meet and greet her boy. An out
cry of anguish. A pair of trembling
arms helping an intoxicated form to
bed. That mother upon her knees
until the dawn looks in through the
window of her room. A prayer that
freights every moment of the new
born day, Lord, pity my son; pity
| mel" That young man sleeping off
| the effects of debauch. His mother
every now and then, with tear-stream-
ing eyes, gazing in upon the idol of
| her heart thus shattered. Tender
hands often covering the feet that had
| taken their first steps upon road that
leads to He'll. What made that pic
ture? Some kind of whiskey; that's
ALL"
| Picture the second: A marriage
scene. A church ribboned and gar
landed and festooned with beauty.
Flowers arched before the pulpit. A
handsome pair of lovers, with hands
clasped, taking nuptial vows, the full,
round tones of the officiating minister
like silver hammer, welding two
lives into one. Congratulations.
Smiles. Happiness reckoning on to a
path lighted with the glory of Heaven.
The throwing of rice, as the welded
pair step into the carriage that is to
bear them away to the train of their
honeymoon journey, each grain of
that rice a wish for unbroken joy
from the hearts of relatives and
friends
But the picture changes. A wife
waiting for the sound of familiar foot
steps. Ten o'clock at night. Eleven
O'Clock. Still those feet tarry. The
noon of darkness. AS the long drawn
out strokes Of neighboring belfry
peal, the hammer that sounds the
hour seems to pound twelve blows
upon the heart of that waiting wife.
At last the husband comes. But the
footsteps are not steady. AS often
before, the feet that echo their tread
are drunken feet. A pair of blood.
shot eyes looking at the wife with an
angry CLEAN in them. A thick, gut
tural voice demanding the reason for
the wife's being dressed and out of
bed. A storm of harsh words from
foul-smelling lips. Manhood losing
itself. and striking a woman's face
with murderous fists. A king de-
throned and changed into a fiend A
sot asleep, not long afterwards,
breathing heavily, every breath po1lut-
ing the air with bar-room stencil, and
sleeping on far into the hours of day
:. light. In another apartment white
face buried in a tear-stained pillow
A broken heart beating wildly upon
the mattress. Sobs raining from
trembling lips. What foul hand
dipped it's brush in the slime of Hell
and altered that other picture into
this portrayal of brutality and
|
kind that's all"
Not Always Such.
Picture the third: A lowly home.
1t was not always such. The time
was when luxury was there. It's
walls were hung with rare paintings.
FITS windows were draped with lace.
Beauty and richness of furnishing
, were everywhere in it. But now all
, changed. The mansion knocked to
pieces by sheriff's hammer The
carpets sold. The silver sold. The
inmates of that fine house compelled
to move. Bare floors now. Curtain
, less panes of glass. Empty ward
robes. Scanty dining-table. Wife
| anu Cullureu Ill rags. TONGIly. L u"
Their coming home. No glad faces to
greet him. Instead, faces blanched
with fear. No outstretched arms to
caress him. Instead, arms lifted as
if to ward off a blow. No cheerful
voices to bid him welcome. Instead
of faces, hushed voices or else voices
that cry for food, for raiment, for
warming Goals.
What drew that picture? A tum-
bier of whiskey many times repeated;
that's ALL"
, A Prisoner.
Picture the fourth: A courtroom.
A prisoner on trial for his life. A
score of witnesses to a murder.
: Damaging testimony. The jury
charged by the presiding judge. The
return of twelve men with their yer-
: dict. A solemn sentence of death
delivered. The trial costing money
: enough to feed host of the poor for
many days. What traced that pic
ture? Whiskey; that's ALI"
Picture the fifth: Jails and peni-