Intemperance.
By Miss Ada A. Newton.
Intemperance is a fatal evil. What are felons, murderers and thieves
but men who began drinking but moderately, just for fashion or to see
how it tasted? From drinking moderately they go on taking a little more
each time, until finally they become confirmed drunkards. How common
it is to hear a wife say, Ah! He was a good husband before he began
drinking. There was nothing he thought too good for me. How we pity
the drunkard’s wife and children! The little ones are made to suffer
for the doings of their father, for God says that “the iniquities of
the fathers are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation, while His mercy is shown unto thousands that love Him and
keep His commandments.” How careful, then, should all be to guard
against this evil. The cup that has the glow of ruby at last biteth
like a serpent and stingeth like an adder.
Let us give an illustration that all may see the course of this sin.
Here is a rich man who has a son; he indulges him beyond measure; he
teaches him in youth to drink wine. At first he makes a wry face and
tells his father that he does not like it and cannot drink it. His
father scorns and ridicules the idea, and tells him that unless he
drinks some he will never become a man. So the little fellow drinks
because it is his father’s desire and not his own. He soon acquires a
thirst for the poisonous cup, and when he comes to manhood’s estate
he drinks often and freely. At last he drinks too much and becomes
intoxicated--yes, intoxicated! This is his first step to ruin; the
habit has been formed. His father is now much mortified. He threatens
to disinherit him if he does not stop drinking, but it is too late.
The father has laid the foundation and the son has built on it, and
neither of them is now able to undo what has been done and fixed into
a habit. His mother begs him to never again touch the deadly drug. For
her sake he promises and takes the pledge. There is great rejoicing
now. His father, mother, friends, all rejoice at the reclamation; the
son has reformed! Yes, he has reformed. His eyes lose their redness
and become bright and lustrous. He attends diligently to his business.
After a while he marries. Then the rejoicing is universal. All delight
at the great reformation. But alas! how frail is human nature. Soon
after his marriage he meets at the tavern his old chums. He has perfect
confidence in himself. He knows he will not drink again. His pride
asserts itself. His old companions are gleeful and congenial; they ask
him to drink. He pays no attention to them. Then they sneer, they
ridicule, they appeal to his manhood, they accuse him of being tied to
his wife’s apron strings. To prove to them that he is not all that they
declare, he takes one drink, then another and another, and soon he is
beastly drunk. Then they kick him out. His wife watches for him, then
she watches over him, and he does not return, so it seems. He is now
detained on business; he has an engagement at the club, at the lodge.
How little does she know how soon she is to be bowed down and broken
under grief! She watches. It is midnight; she meets him at the door
with a glad heart; the sight is heart-sickening. She reels and faints.
He is fearfully intoxicated! When he is able to reason, she reasons
with him, but in vain. Down, down he goes from one step to another,
until from a large mansion he brings her to live in a cellar. Who is
that grinning monster the boys are pelting in the street? And who is
that emaciated creature entreating the boys to let the miserable wretch
whom she calls her husband go home? The once noble husband and the
once beautiful wife! What has brought them so low? What has caused her
misery, her anguish? Rum, rum, rum; nothing but the demon RUM!
Oh, young man, if you only knew the harm that the social glass does
you, the misery that it brings, the death that follows, you would cast
away the poison and turn from it now, before it is eternally to late.
“Touch not, taste not the unclean thing, for wine is a mocker and
strong drink is raging.”
Algiers, La.
From Arkansas.
For the Christian Recorder.
Mr. Editor: You have not heard from us for several months, not because
we have lost interest, for we have always stood among the active
workers of the Church, but we have been very busy. The last time we
wrote you from the South we were in the State of Tennessee.
In the month of October last year Bishop Brown ordered us to strike our
tent and move to Arkansas. With the knapsack of faith and the musket of
truth we came and engaged in the contest, taking charge of Little Rock.
The Little Rock Conference is composed of some of the noblest and
most energetic men in the Church. They work, sing and fight against
Satan like men of war, determined to conquer although they die in the
battle. Elder J. T. Jenifer, so well known throughout our widespread
connection as a pioneer of African Methodism, erected a new church
edifice at Little Rock, a monument that can never be forgotten, and to
be admired by unborn generations. Bishop Brown and J. F. A. Sisson, P.
E., contributed their share towards the construction of this model of
beauty. H. H. Petigrew, P. E., John A. Jones, S. A. Patten and R. A.
Sinquefield are the pioneers of African Methodism in this State, and
their labors have been given entirely to the Christian Church. Their
affectionate and kind-hearted spirits draw every one near to them in
the fullest confidence, and none can but love and cherish them.
The Conference is divided into eleven districts and is cared for by
good and faithful presiding elders who are not afraid of the truth,
though dark and gloomy clouds oppose them on every hand. We have
several churches in course of construction in this State which will be
ornaments when completed.
In Little Rock the work is in a prosperous condition. We are preparing
to hold the Conference on the 9th of November, 1876. Bishop T. M. Ward
is now with us on his way to the South Arkansas Conference. Our church
is not yet completed, and we are about four thousand dollars in debt;
but, thank the Lord, we were successful in paying off $1200 this year.
We have 483 members, who say that they are determined to succeed. We
have 229 scholars in the Sunday School and 25 officers and teachers.
We have not done much for the Recorder, but we intend to fall into
line. “Hold the fort, for we are coming!” (“Yes, but hurry up!”)
King Cotton has a powerful influence in this State, and the same is
true of another king--Alcohol. There are 113 rum shops in Pine Bluff
and 108 in Little Rock. Thousands of people are inquiring for the
byways to hell, and, comparatively speaking, very few are inquiring the
way to heaven. Over $1,000,000 are spent in this State annually for rum
and tobacco.
On September 25th we visited the Conference of Tennessee, held in
Pulaski, where we met many smiling faces and hearts and enjoyed a
hearty shake of many hands.