PICTORIAL ILLUSTRATIONS.
By A. S. Hutchins
The eloquence of oratory charms the ear, and moves the deep emotions of the soul. The painter’s brush, and the skillful hand of the engraver, too, may charm the eye, arouse the imagination, awaken wonder and admiration, and fill the mind with pleasure and instruction or with horror and disgust. It is to be regretted that an art so highly beneficial to man should be used to sink and degrade the morals of men and the rising generation, rather than to improve and refine them, as often is the case. Before me lies a pictorial illustration of what is called, “The Devil’s Five Degrees,” of the Dependent Order of Drunkards, very forcibly showing the downward tendency and sure destruction of the unfortunate victim to strong drink. The first representation is that of a young man of refinement, and fair promise to fill positions of trust and usefulness. But, alas! the intoxicating cup sparkles in his hand. He is about to pass it to his lips, and its contents are to burn their way into his system. His inward thoughts are, that he can control his appetite, and that there is no danger before him. But “wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” We follow the gradation down, passing one degree after another, each form presented growing more and more repulsive and haggard, till we reach the fifth degree, where we behold a bloated mass of deceived and lost humanity, leaning upon a support. How changed in so short a time, and with so few steps! But the picture is a true one, portraying a sad and truthful lesson. The young man who sips at the cup, to be respected, or at the solicitation of another, for lack of courage and self-respect to say no, would here do well to look into the mirror and behold his end, and remember that no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom. But there is a query in connection with this lost wreck of manhood, which to my mind is a problem. The artist puts into his mouth a pipe. Was this done to enhance the misery of the poor, bloated shadow of manhood? Had he not sorrow enough to carry him to the grave speedily without the addition of the poison pipe? Did he learn to smoke away down in the fifth degree? Here is not where the pipe is taken up. The boy and youth use it, to make them appear smart. The minister, who handles and explains the word of God, uses the pipe, and chews and spits the poison weed. So also do the class-leader and the deacon. Or was this pipe put into the mouth of this unfortunate man to indicate the class to which smokers naturally belong, or whether they are tending? Be this as it may, smokers may here stand and behold a brother-smoker. Temperance men who smoke, should especially learn a lesson here. We should not have marveled one-half as much had the pipe been put into the mouth of the innocent young man, to accompany the glass till a perverted appetite had finished its work, sending its victim away without any hope in a future life of bliss and immortality. The use of the pipe and of tobacco far more frequently paves the way for strong drink than does drunkenness invite tobacco-using.