TIPPLING SONS.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 67, 15 November 1884, Page 3

TIPPLING SONS.

(ad yebtise ment .) (Continued.) Ther-'s the nnt-of-d"or3 symptom for another. Wh-n a young man forsakes his home, coming in perhaps for his meals, but disappearing immediately after, there must, be some outward attract. on. I do not say this outward attraction is always strong drink, but I do say that in many cases it is either strong d:ink or something leading to it by easy stages . It may be the card table or the billiard "table, but these are bad symptoms enough, and that there is a close connection between these and strong drink is clear enough and requires no proof. ft was this out-of-door symptom which ought to have opei.'cd tlie eyes of at least one father -known to me. His sons, who invariably left the house in the evening,' left it, unsuspected by him, for the hotel. They both-died a drunkard's death. It w ; ?s a sad pity he thought so little or the symptom. tie might have stayed them iv tlieir downward course. Another symptom which may generally he accounted a suspicious one is the secrecy symptom. Some sons are exceedingly reserved concerning thoir movements. Questioned, they try t«i evade the (questioner ; to turn the sui.ject. f ihev haAe plainly no desire to give the in format-inn snug-In, audar determined to keep the knowledge to themselves. Open and unreserved on every oth. r topic, here their lips are sealed. Why this secrecy ? it wiay be asked, and ought to be asked. : Thoro must plainly 1 ' he something to conceal, something that are ashamed to confess. It certainly looks -suspicious. It has sumetimes happened thai parents mourning over a fallen son have been reminded of this secrecy v -ars ago. Unt bought uf then, they think much of it now, now that- it is too late. And do they not blame themselves more than a little for their past blindness 1 This secrecy symptom m"ans very much more than most parents. think Then there is the splendthrilt symptom. Some sons are continually applying to thoir parents for advance*. They are always in need of money. They find it hard, it seems, to make two ends meet. A very grave symptom, indeed, is t,his„ Ifc speaks volumes for fast ways and fast living. But how many parents, in their s.jenileit "uud nature, think th- best o^ their i-n'iis, aiid put only a good construction on their demnn.s. Yes, and ;hey have lived to rue it. They havo lived to -cc those unsuspected symptom- develop into drunken nes* in it.-- worst form. And while ilxhitter tours have flowed over their iailen boy, not the less bitter havo they bees from the conviction that hut. for th-ir indolent easiness they would probably have had to thed not a single tear. - ■