WARNINGS AGAINST INTEMPERANCE
WHAT wine-cup! touch it not!
Youth take thy hand away-
Poverty fills it up,
With ruin and decay.
Oh, youngster, heed thee well,
Ere thou hast quaffed a drop—
The seeds of death are there,
Whose work thou canst not stop!
2 When in the wide world, youth,
Thou hold'st thy devious way,
If from the path of truth,
Temptations lead astray
If urg'd to drain the glass.
With thoughtless, heedless men,
Oh, as thou lov'st thyself,
Touch not the wine-cup then.
3 Should hours of darkness come,
And thy heart's purpose fail,
Should life to thee seem vain,
And earth a dreary vale-
Oh, to the voice of truth
Take heed, nor then be deaf,
Shun, shun the wine-cup then,
It cannot give relief.
YAN we forget the gloomy time,
When Bacchus rul'd the day,
When dissipation, sloth, and crime,
Bore undisputed sway?
The time-the time-the gloomy time-
The time has pass'd away,
When dissipation, sloth, and crime,
Bore undisputed sway.
2 Can we forget the tender wives,
Who found an early tomb,
For, ah! the partners of their lives
Had met the drunkard's doom?
The wives the wives-the tender wives,
May bid adieu to gloom,
For now the partners of their lives
Abhor the drunkard's doom.
3 We'll ne'er forget that noble band
Who fear'd no creature's frown,
And boldly pledg'd both heart and hand,
To put intemp❜rance down,
The band the band-the noble band-
The band of blest renown
Who boldly pledg'd both heart and hand
To put intemp'rance down.
4 Nor shall the Pledge be e'er forgot,
That so much bliss creates
"WE'LL TOUCH NOT-TASTE NOT-HANDLE NOT,
WHATE'ER INTOXICATES."
The Pledge--the Pledge is not forgot
The pledge that Satan hates--
"We'll touch not-taste not-handle not,
Whate'er intoxicates."
TUNE." From Greenland's Icy Mountains."
1HOUGH wretchedness unending
Awaits the drunkard's soul,
His eager hands extending,
He takes and quaffs the bowl.
Not heav'n itself beseeching,
With kind alluring voice,
Its arms of mercy reaching,
Allures him from his choice.
2 Ye, who are still delaying,
Who sip the poison'd cup,
Who cheat yourselves by saying
"I will not drink it up!"
Learn, that with open malice
The foe wastes not his strength,
But with that pleasing chalice,
He kills the soul at length.
3 Your safety now securing,
The oath of temp'rance take;
And from the charm alluring
With giant effort break:
Fly-fly such deadly pleasures,
No longer touch nor taste;
Your peace and life are treasures
Too infinite to waste.
OH, shun the bowl, when rich delight
Shines loveliest, mortal, in thy sight;
Oh, loathe the charms that tempt to sip,
And dash the goblet from thy lip.
2 For 'neath the nectar'd pleasure's tide
The rankest dregs of wo abide;
And ev'ry drop that cheers thy heart,
Will madden more the poison's smart.
3 "Tis like the smile of treachery;
'Tis like the glassy ocean's dye;
Deceit is lurking in that glow,
And death and danger from below.
4 Then mortal, when the joys of earth
Invite thee to a pangless mirth,
Beware, nor dare the bowl to sip,
But dash the goblet from thy lip.
INTEMPRANCE rears its sinful towers,
TEMP Room deity of the plain,
O'er it the storm of vengeance lowers;
All, all are lost, who there remain.
Fierce pain, deep wo, and black despair,
With fiery pangs have settled there.
2 Without its gates an angel stands,
A form of wisdom, love, and light,
Whose warning voice and outstretched hands?
Aids and enforces instant flight.
"Haste, leave the city of the doomed-
Oh, stay not, lest ye be consumed."
3 'Tis ABSTINENCE! Who breathes this strain,
Myriads have heard the warning voice;
Lo! they have sought the fresh green plain,
Behold the rescued ones rejoice!
Swift from the city's gates they flee,
Singing in triumph-" we are free!"
4" See numbers are already there,
This plain has been their sure safe way;
Their songs are floating on the air,
Oh, haste with them your vows to pay :
"Taste the rich joy of sins forgiv'n,
On that fair mount, whose top is heav'n !
5" Flee to the mountain; freely breathe The balmy breeze that fans its side, The joys of liberty receive;
Drink of salvation's mighty tide-
Shout, as ye press with vigour on,
The plain is pass'd-the mount is won."
BY LIEUT. G. W. PATTEN, U. S. ARMY.
H! shun the bowl! the draught beware,
10 whose smile but mocks the lips of men ;
When foaming high with waters rare-
Oh! never touch the goblet then.
With friends we love tho' sweet to sip,
The nectar'd juice at close of day,
Yet trust ye not the syren lip
That wins to cheat, and lures to slay.
2 Oh! shun the bowl as thou would'st leave
The poisoned spot where reptiles tread ;
Lest widow'd hearts for thee should grieve
For thee, untimely tears be shed.
Yea! thine may be the fearful lot
To prove, ere time hath dimm'd thy brow,
A sire-and yet the witness not
Of them who weep his broken vow.
3 Hast thou a bride whose every sigh
Deep trembles with the joy it gives?
Hast thou a child whose meek mild eye
Lives in the light its father lives?
Then shun the bowl!-the draught beware,
Whose smile but mocks the lips of men ;
When foaming high with waters rare→→→→
Oh never touch the goblet then!
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