282 



TJie Intemperate. 



Vol. V. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 The Intemperate. 



Sru, — The followinof Portraits are copied 

 from " An address to the citizens of Philadel- 

 phia on the subject of establishing an Asy- 

 lum for the cure of the victims of Intemper- 

 ance." They are drawn by the hand of a 

 master, and must have been done from the 

 life — they are so fearfully faithful ! 



There is no charitable endowment that can, 

 in my estimation, be at all compared to the 

 one in contemplation, or more likely to re- 

 ward its friends and supporters with the solid 

 satisfaction of having cast their bread upon 

 the waters, for assuredly they will find it after 

 many days ! The idea of founding an " Asy- 

 lum for the cure of inebriates," is noble, is 

 generous, and must call forth the sympathy 

 and willing hand of every feeling heart ; the 

 evil which it seeks to cure is a lurking foe, 

 which has crept into many a dwelling where 

 few would suspect to hod him ; for under 

 many a fair garb of outward appearance of 

 peace and comfort does he tyrannize, and shed 

 his baneful influence on the fairest hopes and 

 prospects of future happiness, blasting the in- 

 ward peace of many a family circle, and ren- 

 dering the sanctuary of home no longer the 

 place of " altar fires." 



The address considers the victim of Intem- 

 perance as afflicted with "a disease of the 

 stomach and of the nervous system," and 

 very properly asks for the erection of an asy- 

 lum for the cure of this disorder, as well as 

 for the sick, the lame, the deaf and dumb, 

 the blind, the insane; for those lost to virtue, 

 and for those condemned by the laws — estab- 

 lishments for which our city is justly filmed 

 — and where the slave of intemperance might 

 be " saved from himself" It asks for the 

 means of erecting a Hospital for the cure 

 of this hydrophobia, and assuredly there is 

 not a temperate man in society who will not 

 gladly contribute according to his ability to- 

 wards such a charitable purpose ; my mite 

 will be ready at any time, and in perfect sin- 

 cerity shall I devote my best efforts to the 

 support of a cause so holy and righteous. 

 Your subscriber, 



D. W. 



Philadelphia, March 15, 1841. 



Family Portraits. 

 " How many are there in the bosnm of our 

 families, surrounded by all its endearments 

 and comforts, and yet who destroy the peace 

 of these once happy homes ! There is the 

 only son of a widow — a widow by intemper- 

 ance: at her lap he oflen knelt in childhood 

 and lisped the prayer which many mothers 

 teach their children; she felt he was her 

 hope and consolation, and to self-denial upon 

 self-denial she cheerfully submitted, in order 



to train him up to manhood, and her object 

 was accomplished — he became to her and to 

 his sisters an honour — their support and their 

 pride — but, alas ! he also became intemper- 

 ate, and sorrow came upon that family more 

 than when the husband and father had fallen 

 into the drunkard's grave ! 



There is a wife ! her house and children 

 once showed care, economy, and comfort, and 

 her husband went forth to his daily occupa- 

 tion with hope, and returned with pleasure; 

 but now, that home is neglected and disorder- 

 ed. For awhile, there was only a faint and 

 silent suspicion, but her frequent indispo.^i- 

 tions, her changed countenance and deport- 

 ment, and the concealed vials about her 

 dwelling, made it no longer a secret ! Her 

 children and husband may still be near her, 

 but her affection for them is not so strong as 

 for that which will deaden a craving appetite 

 and the gnawings of a diseased stomach ! 



There is a husband ! his industry and worth 

 gained him extensive credit amongst his fel- 

 low tradesmen ; he enlarged his business too 

 much beyond his capital, and his festal table 

 was too oflen spread ; the well-meant offfer 

 of an occasional glass of wine from his side- 

 board was too often made; bankruptcy en- 

 sued, and then wine became his flatterer, 

 then his master, his tyrant, and his death ! 

 and all that is left is a cheerless remem- 

 brance of a lovely family blighted in its early 

 bloom ! 



And the circle of domestic life, the very 

 heart of society, contains many of these vic- 

 tims, every where and in various forms — the 

 farmer, the mechanic, and merchant — the 

 man of science, the minister, physician, and 

 lawyer — the statesman, military men, and 

 office-holders disturb by intemperance the 

 peace of home, and there implant a gnawitig 

 grief; and in some instances bring down 

 upon themselves the extreme penalties of the 

 law : and why 1 do these inebriates know the 

 cause 1 do their distressed relations and 

 friends know it? the common evil is, a sto- 

 mach diseased by alcohol! But they are fel- 

 low-beings under disease; they need a phy- 

 sician, and that physician requires for his pa- 

 tients such medical appliances as meet the 

 necessity of the case ; the most important 

 and indispensable of which is, a long separa- 

 tion from the cause of their disease — alco- 

 holic drink; and an appropriate asylum or 

 retreat, under medical supervision, would 

 meet this object." 



A kind soil is an exhaustless source of 

 amusement to the rational possessor; an U7i- 

 toward one the plague of his autumns, the 

 pest of his winters, and the never-failing 

 curse of spring. 



