Northeast High School - Nor Easter Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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--f --ML - T - W ' ' ' . 11-g1 f .T T-' if' TS'-F --jggrr' Mi- ' ' - - - -..,..1fwnnt'l . 1 fi:-xf+1,f?'e f f f m . H L .W i . , , V 16 OF' C-ZEIISTQI3 The Value to Young People of An Intel- ligent Study of the Harmful Effects on Their Bodies and Morals of Alcohol and Tobacco OLIVE RUSSELL, '23. This Essay Won the First Prize in the Missouri W. C. T. U. Essay Contest. The hangman stood near, noose in hand, the condemned spy spoke With- out a tremor, I only regret that 1 have but one life to give for my coun- try. A sharp command, aisickening thud, and Nathan Hale made the supreme sacrifice for his country. That was true patriotism and yet there lies a much deeper meaning than death. There are those who, keeping them- selves physically fit, morally straight and mentally awake, live lives of greater service to God and their coun- try than many who have laid down their lives. Dr. Chas. H. Barker, in a recent address to high school pupils, said that a brave heart, a clear brain and a strong arm were the character- istics of a true life. May I add that these are also the characteristics of true patriotism. But what a stumbling block to these high ideals is the use of alcohol and tobacco. Little more than an intelligent study of the harm- ful effects of these practices is needed to remove all desire to engage in them. Before discussing at length our duty in regard to these evils, let us see some of their effects, thereby im- pressing upon our minds the urgent needs of an action on our part. Considering just the effect of alco- hol on our bodies we find that more than seventy per cent of the ills of men are due to it. Many men habitually take just a little each day. Little by little this habit grows until all of a sudden the whole system collapses. It not only upsets their vvhole nervous and digestive system, but leads to much viler, filthier habits which make the health of the partaker a vvreck. Alcohol goes from the stomach into the 'blood which circulates all thru the body, carrying this poisonous nar- cotic vvith it. In the stomach it keeps the food from digesting and dimin- ishes greatly the utilization of the food by the body. The organs all thru the body become congested and burned by the liquor and the result is what is known as delirium tremens, in which the congestion, burning and absorption of the liquor in the body cause such mortal agony as to drive the sufferer insane. Death usually comes in to close the deal. We also find that the drinkers are invariably the first to succumb to typhoid, pneu- monia and tuberculosis. Another effect of alcohol is the stunting of the growth by a contrac- tion or burning up of the tissues. The bodily growth not only of the drinker, but of the generations that follovv is affected. The children ofthe next generation are sickly. puny Weak- lings, prone to follow in the foot- steps of their parents, becoming drink- ers and sending the habit with its accompanying ill health on to future generations. Considering tobacco, we see that the difference in the effect on the body is very slight. The action of the heart is seriously impaired by the use of tobacco, the rate of heart-beats and the blood-pressure being raised remarkably. If such results are pro- duced by moderate smoking, what is the effect of the widespread use of tobacco on the manhood of our na- tion? Une would not mistreat the main-spring of an expensive watchg hovv much more foolish to subject one flui exp cig 3 i effi goi I neg oft Wh are coi ye: I of wo bei ly. ou the sti the the liq so: cre Bc ne th' ac de dr th th ar co an th tic it al. tl cz w QT 5

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scene glance d the r. The rd the 'What 'ne to Jpears n the fusely nakes lience, have 1 this ot be I will omise n the ,tely, as the l for rough ever v his fectly, 1d in- nbles. :nows Jetter from and alary jether night. .t he next star's life's l and rome! 'murs fXN3n noise lews- apers ntury '. His OP' QHSTQIY 15 acting during the second act surpassed that of the first. He virtually lived his part. To one watching the play, the surroundings seemed to fade from him, and it was as if he watched the drama alone. In the last act the prin- cipal went insane over the death of his wife. All who knew of this watched for the climax with intense eagerness. And they were not dis- appointed. At the end of the play the applause lasted for five minutes. The old thea- tre-goers were surprised, for this new star had done what very few popular actors had dared to do-he had not answered his curtain calls. At last the crowd gives up and goes home, the one topic of conversation being the acting they had seen that night. The magazine and newspaper reviewers were lavish in their praise and for once gave real talent the tribute it deserved. Especially were they ex- cited over the depth of acting shown in the last scene. Pkfkbk Next morning, at one of the Rivei side hospitals a case is being wheeled in. One interne says to the other, What is this-an operation? No, the surgeon says there is no hope for this patient. His mind gave way altogether last night. A sad case! Yes, very sad. It seems that ha- played his part at the Royal last night so well that he really went mad in the last act. The attendants wheel a raving maniac into the ward for incurables. A Withered Flower. HAROLD F. RICHTER, '2i. T A few short hours ago, with pulsing heart, You lived and breathed, a radiant, lovely flower, Diffusing perfume gentle, fragrant, rare, In cultured garden or wild wood- land bower. Carefree and glad, as with your lovely kin, Rejoicing in God's all-embracing love, ln mute communion in the mighty choir, You sang the praise of Him in heav'n above But now life's o'er. After a too brief time, . Your hour is done. Aside you're wither'd cast, Yet still within the ashes lingers faint A subtle perfume, a mem'ry of the past. O God in heaven, when on steed of Night To realms of darkness we've been ta'en by Death, Grant that we, too, may leave no stain behind, Our mem'ry be but a sweet, per- fum'd breath. . ..,.,: . n.,,,' A anmzavai-,.:.:: an-ci-:T :gi -Jzaasnsliu 5: S:-2: if. ' 24 e - V -V . A -

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el- into thru nar- eeps min- the L all and .lt is lens, and Jody lrive tally also ably neu- the grac- The iker, vv is next eak- 'oot- 'ink- . its ture that the 1 of ' the ,eats Lised pro- 1t is e of na- the .tchg Jject OF' QEELSTQP 17 one,s heart to unnecessary harmful in- fluence. If, as was shown in a recent experiment, the poison from a single cigar placed in an aquarium will kill 3 fish in twenty-five minutes, what effect, then, is the constant use of it going to have on our bodies? Its influence on the eyes and kid- neys is a very disastrous one. lt very often causes chronic kidney trouble, while invariably the eyes of a smoker are weak and oftener than not, he be- comes almost blind in his declining years. Next we will consider the effects of these stimulants on the mind. After working for many hours the brain becomes tired and refuses to act rapid- ly. The first resort of 99 per cent of our business men is a good cigar, the next a drink. In their view these stimulants quiet their nerves, brace them, and wake their brains up. On the contrary, the opposite is true, the liquor deadens the brain, kills all rea- son and judgment, while tobacco de- creases the efficiency and mentality. Both interfere with the steadiness of nerve action and normal judgment, thus becoming the frequent cause of accidents. Here, too, the effects of debauchery are visited upon the chil- dren and the children's children on thru the ages. We find the army of the insane to consist largely of drunk- ards and their families. But the most'terrible of all the considered effects is that tobacco and ,alcohol have on the morals. Al- though this, too, has a direct connec- tion with the mind, we must consider it separately since its results are so alarming. Aside from the mere ,sin of drinking we find that it scatters evil and is more infectious than any other sin that we can name. There is no other sin which has such terrible consequences. It greatly lowers the standards of manhood in our country. lntoxication makes men brutes and causes them to do things they would not think of doing otherwise. Crime upon crime is continued by the drunk- ard, in fact, fifty per cent of our crime is the outgrowth of liquor. The following report from New York verifies my statement with appalling exactness: During the last year there were 28,519 commitments to the jail and 3,615 to the penitentiary for crime committed under intoxication. The sin is passed from one to another, from the guilty to the innocent. Because of the fact that tobacco is considered much milder than alcohol, the habit of using it is commenced in early life. The boy believes that he is showing a manly attainment by smoking. However, he knows his parents do not approve and he smokes in secret and lies to cover it up, there- by doubly sinning. Solitude in such cases is the Devil's workshop and Satan soon performs his work of de- struction. T have certainly proved in a meas- ure, in the preceding lines, that the lack of knowledge of the effects of alcohol and tobacco on the body, mind and morals is disastrous to the nation and individual. Let each and all, therefore, study these things until their knowledge is so deep and strong that they may help young America wherever they find him to have a brave heart, a clear mind and a strong arm. Thankful Even in Distress. 1 LOTS ADAMS, '2l. A man was striding hurriedly along the footpath, his head lowered, his care-seamed face deeply furrowed with worry, his shoulders so bent that the gray homespun cloak flapped about him like the loosened sails of a drift- ing boat. His way led to a large com- fortable house constructed of huge logs. Before lifting the latch, he paused and with face upraised toward the