THE
HISTORY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.
A TRUE TALE.
BY HON. NEAL DOW
“It always amuses me to hear you temperance men talk
of Temperance and Intemperance; one would think in listening
to you, that there is no virtue but the one, and no sin or evil but
the other.”
Such was a remark made at a tea-table, one fine evening,
last summer, by a young lady, who had been listening to an
animated discussion, upon the evils of intemperance, and the
sin and shame of the Traffic in Intoxicating Drinks.
“Well,” said the host, “we'll postpone the matter till
after tea, when we will take a walk, if you please, and I shall
be able to give you some illustrations of the Evils of Intemperance.”
As they stepped out of the door upon the platform, the
sun was sinking in the west, and the sky was adorned with a
gorgeous drapery of clouds, brilliant with every color of the
rainbow; the extensive landscape which lay outspread before
them, with the White Hills distinctly projected against the sky
in the distance, was one of great beauty. “O,” exclaimed the
lady alluded to, “what a superb sunset, what a charming landscape!”
after a pause, she archly added, “why don't you say,
what a glorious world this would be to live in, but for Intemperance?”
“Well,” rejoined the host, “I adopt the sentiment, and
say this would be indeed a glorious world us to live in, but
for Intemperance, its causes and consequences. Now observe,
nothing meets the eye, as we gaze upon this beautiful scene,
but objects of loveliness; everything is peaceful, and one would
suppose, that where there is so much to make men happy, they
should be so. Observe that house nearly opposite; it was built
and owned by an industrious man and good citizen, who fell
into habits of intemperance, and at last died in consequence of
them; the house was subsequently occupied by two families
successively, both of which were ruined by the intemperance of
the fathers and the sons.
“This next house upon the right, a widow lives there; her
husband hung himself in the attic, in a paroxysm of delirium
tremens. The next house was occupied by a widower and two
sons: the former committed suicide while in a fit of intoxication;
both of the latter were miserable inebriates, and one of
them died of mania à potu.”
As they proceeded upon their proposed walk, the host remarked,
that he would describe to them some of the mischiefs
arising from Intemperance, from which they could judge,
whether temperance men could be fairly charged with exaggerating
the evils of that terrible vice—or the benefits of the
virtue of Temperance.
A few steps brought them to a broad street adorned with
fine houses, and a double row of trees upon each side. No city
in the country can show a more beautiful street, if taken in connection
with its ample width, its extent, the palaces, almost
upon either hand, and particularly its multitude of noble trees,
which stretch nearly across it, and afford a refreshing shade
during the heat of summer. They all paused; “here,” continued
the host, “you will say, intemperance surely must be
unknown; none but the rich, refined and educated, can dwell
here, and they will not, to any great extent, be addicted to
intemperance.”
Now let us see; this first house was built and owned by a
man who fell into habits of intemperance, and died of delirum
tremens: and several of his family perished miserably from the
same cause. Observe that house just across the way, could it
speak, what a fearful tale it could unfold; I have known it
from the beginning, and am acquainted with its history. It was
built by a very worthy and industrious man, who fell into habits
of intemperance, and committed suicide; he had a wife and two
daughters, all of whom were addicted to strong drink, the mother
being a miserable inebriate. After they moved from the house,
it was occupied by another family, who were intemperate, and
I saw there one day, the wife lying dead, stabbed to the heart
by the husband in a fit of madness induced by intemperance,
while he also was lying upon the floor in the agonies of death,
having also stabbed himself. The house was subsequently occupied
by a family consisting of husband, wife, mother and four or
five children; they were thrifty and industrious, but fell into
habits of intemperance; the aged mother was frozen to death
one cold Sunday night in the attic, while intoxicated, and the
family after remaining there a year or two, growing worse all
the while, moved out west, and were lost on board the Steamer
Erie, when she was burned on Lake Erie, a few years ago;
so much for the ravages of intemperance beneath one rooftree;
these were all persons in humble circumstances. Now let us
pass down this noble street; the first house, or palace, I should
say, was owned originally, by a family which has passed away
within a few years; it was high in official and social position,
and several of its members had a widely extended literary reputation.
The mother was a drunkard, and died a sot; the sons
died miserably, and one of them was taken to potter's field in
New York, on a wheel barrow, without one friend to follow
that humble bier; he was buried in a shallow hole without a
mark to designate the spot; while his father, a man of high
character, lies beneath a marble mausoleum, erected by his fellow
citizens as a testimony of their regard for his memory.
There were two daughters in that family who married men of
high standing, both of whom after a few years of wedded life,
became miserable drunkards and died of delirium tremens.
The next house, also a splendid residence, was owned by a
man in high official position, who was intemperate; he had one
son and one daughter; the former died young from intemperance
the latter married a man who became intemperate, and also died
in early life. The next house, also of the first class, was built
and owned by an active merchant, who through intemperance,
lost all, and died in the Alms House. A wealthy merchant
next owned and occupied the house; he had two children only
a son and daughter. The father fell gradually into habits of
gross intemperance, and in a fit of delirium tremens threw himself
out of an upper window, and broke a leg, and died of the
inflammation which ensued; the son was a grossly intemperate
vouth, and was destroyed by brandy at the early age of twenty-two.
The daughter was also addicted to strong drink, married
a drunkard and died young.
The next house was built and occupied by a gentleman
who had one son of brilliant parts, who became a degraded
drunkard, and was in his latter years in the habit of infesting
the liquor-shops and drinking without leave or payment; he
has been known to take a vessel used for lamp-oil, draw brandy
into it, and drink it raw. He was at one time the most popular
young man in town, but at last died like a dog, with none to
regret his departure, while many mourned his fate.
“Now, as we just turn this corner, observe that magnificent
house opposite us: the home of wealth, of taste and refinement.
But there is at this moment a `skeleton' in that house. If we
should enter, we should behold on every hand, all the appliances
of luxury, all the adornments which cultivated taste can
devise, or wealth procure; magnificent furniture, books, pictures,
and various works of art which crowd its lofty and spacious
apartments. But there is no joy in that house; the hearts
of all its inmates are heavy with unspeakable sorrow; the only
son of that house is a wretched drunkard, and an exile from the
home of his boyhood. He is yet a youth—having not attained
his majority—but is old in profligacy and sin; in a word, he is
a confirmed inebriate, and will steal or lie, which he has often
done, to gratify his appetite. He has appropriated mementoes
of affection, sent by him from a distant daughter to a mother;
he has stolen and pawned his mother's jewelry and watch, to
procure the means of gratifying his thirst for strong drink. All
ffection for parents and home, all regard for a good name, all
fear of shame, are blotted out from his heart; he has one controlling
desire, which is, for strong drink, and he sacrifices all to
that. This boy has been ruined by an appetite generated and
strengthened by the wine which he has habitually taken at his
father's table. Although his father knew the danger to his
children, of his habit of having wine upon his board, and of
offering it to his friends, yet he had not manly courage enough
to break away from a custom, which weak people seem to think
necessary in a genteel establishment. Although the father was
every way qualified to lead public opinion, and to give the law
to custom, yet he has in this case sacrificed his domestic happiness
to one which he felt to be wrong, and knew to be dangerous.
“Observe that man who is crossing the street just below us;
mark his feeble gait, his squalid dress; everything about him
indicates wretchedness and want; he is a degraded drunkard; a
few years ago, he was one of our most active, respectable and
thrifty merchants. He is of a family of three brothers, and most
respectably connected; both of his brothers were ship masters
of high standing, but all have fallen victims to strong drink.
The oldest brother was a noble and chivalrous man as God
made him; but he was ruined by intemperance, and in a fit of
delirium, while at sea, he leaped upon the rail by the main
rigging, and imagining his death was necessary to the safety of
the ship and crew, he jumped into the sea, and was lost.
“The second brother became a common drunkard and inmate
of the almshouse; and this man—you see what he is—and
can hardly believe it, when I tell you that a few years ago, he
was one of our most respectable young men, standing at the
head of his profession as a merchant, and a welcome visitor in
the most respectable families in town. He sleeps in barns, or
sheds on the wharves, and goes down to the steamboat landing
regularly, where the Steamboat Company keeps a large number
of hogs, and feeds from the barrels of refuse which comes from
the tables and scullery of the steamers.
“You may think I have over-drawn or over-colored the
picture which I have given you here, of the evils of intemperance;
but I assure you it is all true that I have told you, and
more might be said even of these particular cases.
“I know not, but a similar history might be given of every
old street in this town, and of almost every house which has
been standing thirty years. The history of one street, or of one
town, will be found to be very nearly that of all; for the causes
of intemperance were operating everywhere alike, and with the
same results.
“And now Miss A. I have to ask you, if the temperance
men are to be laughed at as fanatics, for the great exertions
which they have made to remove the terrible sin of intemperance,
as a general evil from the land?”
You will hardly find an instance of degradation, of pauperism,
or of great crime, which has not its origin more or less directly
in Intemperance; and the effort to remove this prolific
source of human misery and degradation, is worthy the highest
efforts which good men can put forth.
THE END.
