The Temperance Speaker; A Collection of Original and Selected Dialogues, Addresses, and Recitations, for the Use of Temperance Organizations, Schools, Bands of Hope, Anniversaries, Etc (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: One a wretched hovel had, Full of discord, dirt, and din,? No wonder he seemed mad, Wife and children starved within. Still they worked in the same field, Toiled on from day to day; Both had the same hard labor, Both had the same small pay. But they worked not with one will, The reason let me tell,? Lo! the one drank at the still, And the other at the well. Intemperance. Behold the Youth ? commence Life's course to steer; Go with his friend to take a glass of beer! Woman's hand extends the poisoned glass, And shame forbids the youth to let it pass. ' He takes the goblet, drains it to the dregs, Then strong indulgence, for a little more, he begs. At morning's dawn, the gnawing thirst he feels, ? Away from home, to get a drink he steals; Where'er he meets a crowd to drink or swear At either, he is always ready to be there. And further in life, as he does advance, Mingling at midnight in the giddy dance, He heeds not, cares not, that he treads Where pleasure all her snares of ruin spreads! Says he, " I can quit my drinking when I please." Perhaps it helps to give an appetite, and brace his nerves. But if thousands from the grave could speak, They'd say, "'Twas drinking made his nerves so weak!" Go to his house, when he is on a " spree," ? Alas! what misery there you'll see! "Tis not in my power to paint such woe, That none but drunkards' wives and children know! And if no horrid crime, with fearful doom, Shall send him from the gallows to the tomb, Delirium Tremens, with its horrid crew, Will soon to hell his shivering soul pursue! For all mankind, I wish a better fate; Let them seek safety, ere it be too late! Let not lager beer or cider pave the way ? That wine or whiskey shall your body slay. Let virtue...