abstainer.
There are circumstances in which a `little wine' may be advisable. Why,
the apostle Paul himself, when Timothy's stomach got into a chronic
state of disease which subjected him, apparently, to `frequent
infirmities,' advised him to take a `little wine,' but he didn't advise
him to take many quarts of beer, or numerous glasses of brandy and
water, or oceans of Old Tom, or to get daily fuddled on the poisons
which are sold by many publicans under these names. Still less did Paul
advise poor dyspeptic Timothy to become his own medical man and
prescribe all these medicines to himself, whenever he felt inclined for
them. Yes, there are the old and the feeble and the diseased, who may,
(observe I don't say who _do_, for I am not a doctor, but who _may_),
require stimulants under medical advice. To these we do not speak, and
to these we would not grudge the small alleviation to their sad case
which may be found in stimulants; but to the young and strong and
healthy we are surely entitled to say, to plead, and to entreat--put on
the blue ribbon if you see your way to it. And by the young we mean not
only all boys and girls, but all men and women in the prime of life, ay,
and beyond the prime, if in good health. Surely you will all admit that
the young require no stimulants. Are they not superabounding in energy?
Do they not require the very opposite--sedatives, and do they not find
these in constant and violent muscular exercise?"

With many similar and other arguments did the speaker seek to influence
the mass of human beings before him, taking advantage of every idea that
cropped up and every incident in the meeting that occurred to enforce
his advice--namely, total abstinence for the young and the healthy--
until he had stirred them up to a state of considerable enthusiasm.
Then he said:--

"I am glad to see you enthusiastic. Nothing great can be done without
enthusiasm. You may potter along the even tenor of your way without it,
but you'll never come to much good, and you'll never accomplish great
things, without it. What is enthusiasm? Is it not seeing the length,
breadth, height, depth, and bearing of a good thing, and being zealously
affected in helping to bring it about? There are many kinds of
enthusiasts, though but one quality of enthusiasm. Weak people show
their enthusiasm too much on the surface. Powerful folk keep it too
deep in their hearts to be seen at all. What then, are we to scou