A Voice from the Vintage, on the Force of Example, by the Author of 'The Women of England'. by Mrs. Ellis (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt: ...yet should so long have refused to deny ourselves the tempting draught, which we knew was one of death to those we loved. Yes, I must ask of you, kind-hearted mothers of England, why in this instance you are guilty of a cruelty so great? Would you not strip from your delicate limbs the garment of pride, to clothe that beloved one? Would you not share with him E2 OBJECTIONS TO JOINING vour last morsel of bread, even if it left you famishing? Would you not give him the draught of water brought to cool your burning fever? And will you--can you--dare you persist in a system of self-indulgence, which, though innocent to you, may endanger both his temporal and eternal happiness? 1 repeat, there must be some powerful cause which such individuals do not tell, operating in such cases against their acting a more decided and a more generous part. There must be some cause. Can it be their own love of the indulgence? If so, it is high time it was given up, for their safety as well as for that of others. Indeed it is chiefly in cases like these, that we are made to see the entire reasonableness of the system of total abstinence; for if the indulgence be easily resigned, a very slight consideration of the subject in connection with our duty to others, will be sufKcieut to induce us to give it up. While, if it be difficult to resign, it becomes clear that we are ourselves in danger, and our motives for self-denial are thus increased a hundred-fold. So far as I have been able to discover in mixing with society, one of the most openly avowed, and most frequent objections to joining the ranks of total abstinence, is that already alluded to, a regard for personal health, originating in the mistaken but popular belief, that such stimulants are necessary for...