HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Times, 1890-06-20, Page 2xnglytm times
FRTDA," ,: dUNB 20, 1890.
VS'Ogic e ETHEKEE.
Some t iiaakriilo, 1'v>tneaeae.
rig AVV. r.EROY R00$rru. Stranger...yea ehculd have
i k went h h from Becky's face! rue, also, Let us take tjn to think I
;was Deooratfon Day,. and the ol s seemed as if the Lvrd. had le g y Uoenpato the girl a ,
Ii It r are in the
t
I was I;i's� dllt.zed and wild to see. lust whati
be rnieaut, at first,
Aud awl18n etni things iBeesley, ete worst laiat no time
For theca that's out of trouble. to be jokiu'
them that's hi i
Says be: It ain't n0 joke, Seth Stebbs; I'aa
not so rotten mean 1
You stay at home and let me go, I'll take
what God has willed;
For no one will be left to starve if I get
hurt or killed. seen the 1! lit
that shone
�et, lreepevertee w e Tido enough
.—t;;tt for her lj►ree;
We know nothing of it, and I care
nothing. It is herself. I love.
Listen, Roy. The lady.'s proud
face softened ae she laid. ono white t
head on her son's shoulder, while Ids
arm stole around her fondly.
are my only child ; all my hopes are ,
hound up hi you. ].,et us not quarrel
about el,ia;.,foolieh girl. She is dear to
ro t Ilia for it with others. tt'hen
thronging by h • fill the place 1 nut guests are per, if yon
To the consecrated g d h alta said God bto&s you, Johu b;iraae wind we wt1,t dee what
ea ed round whiten their
is best
buried heroes lie. And when. t for all, Will you prbnli e ?
'tti♦as joat as iI tlletlord;s , eel ha , s.
and many a silvered h ad, Almigtlty voles: Wadeloav aud aw , ` To watt for your t pn&ant until our•
and broken down her fragile Ilpdy.
She leaned heavily on iylrs, i,ivin;-
stone's strong arm,
What is this picture ? she asked
her.
The portrait of ane whom reared
and loved as my owe child; and whom
we unaccountably lost, owing to an
unhappy misunderstanding. She was
a lovely creature, and was to balm
keen •leoy's wife. Sometimes I emir
,tr
wt11 never n?;lrr,y now,
By this time they had 'reached the
library. Of the many peirttinge on
the walls one only was concealed by a
honey curtain ; Roy dew the crimson
folds aside. Au ,exclarnatioZ1 frpul
les. Grey and Rifles Brandon, and a
Therewere sad•eyed ye:Abe and maidena,
pudloeiuglittle children g boring round spoke lit Becky ,i words.
. ,,
the nation's dead. I trentblo1 like numbb palsy when I recol-
A asaiog straw er is the ;place, I lingered Goclheard me think : If Ilii is good why
•• p• for the dol; '
' idourt he heli, us'novir?
lected how
To join the mourning pQ0ple, and it is no
shame to say,
iy alien heart heat faster and my eyes
gave tribute due,
As1 wali;ed, and mused, and liateued to
• the thele I tell to you. •a
Hish,eedec fentstet s. bore me white a, apart
frons all the res , '
A single mound and headstone stood' with
.fresh -blown beauty`dresiied.
I3esiee them was a farmer loan. is snow-
idhite head was hare
' Ani brltwed in revtlrent attitude as it he
offered patyer. ♦ a
•elected Rave n,assetetrfeSl le hal I not
CheiVeed ttbee
et stratigti ihscri'ltition on the slab .« John.
t ' Stanley shed, me. the day
7lltaking bgld, I said: Good sir, was the man keep
you mount hour sou? Tnathe took my plaoe,li pe
m? gChristmas., Aud
And )pray, what means the legend that is 'when we' kneel t6 ra `
' ;ra'ven on the atond all comes back—h�ow, for love of us,
• our brave, youtieseighbor died•-
It don't seem hard itiE trust in The 11'Ian
that was Crutaled. '
And then I thought; Wal, beth, I guess
this wans't sent 80. much for you 1
it wa -pity for the child eul It was Becky's
••prayer that drew !'la
They said good-bye aud blessedhimas he
hurried to the gate;
For the time was more than up and, the
stage boy couldn't wait.
I let hint go in silence; but hope he under-
stood
The tears that fell upon,his hand when Ree
parted on the road.
It won't tata long to finish.. Before a year
lead_passed
Be was sbot at Chickamauga, and dawn
Whet sleeps his last.
It ain't all told, it can't bet Butwe always
hame•faced, be turned away, lint)
flowing siirrow dried
Then, smothering many a rising sob, he
thus to me reptied : •
of tniae,; but,
Wel; no; lila won au'C now
stray er, y
All heYs ben to mel --then choked with
tears iesistlPss in their flow.
•Then'I asked: Were there no kinsfolk—
none of bis blood. to come
Or was it in their stead you , laid these lilies
'" on his tomb?
al, yes ; his .voice still quivering—guess
e neighborsM d
"AVIS."
Be CHARLOTTE; ` 1. STANLEY.
But you have known me so short a
tune -- only six weeks—how is it
possible that vop cats love Los "
•
guests., 1 Y I can promise
eh
N�c.ty is it possieede Rather ask how
th was all `lad
Te'hitve me come down •liege to ay to, is it possible to av cid loving you? And
honor this poor lad. , hesidFs,isit fealiy so very incomprehen-
sible,.Rut, stranger, senee you'd like to know, set , Avis ? You .leave'"known me
by me on his grave; just the same lerigth of time, and yet
There aint no better place to tell the loin's —yet—I have ventured 'to.'•hope that
of the brave.; ou—that ou love ins dear. Oh 1
And you shall hear just hoyv it was I chose Avis, is the sweet hope false ? Have I
the words you see
Ctthat t e Aod every word is, true 1 deceived myself 1 Ur.,, ill you indeed
este ore gone es, murmur of admiration from all the
at.''j t
And meantime not to speak of this . rest; ,ore -witness to the loveline!�s'of
ila. inte'ge that was disclosed,
Avis. uta t ,•
. s. reseed forth ea
Monier was sick when fl st she call
and cpnsocluintly 1 r,a+eived her. .Site
doe so beautiful . fusd innocent, one:
yet eat sad and friendless, tit+t,t my
whole heart went out to her fienet the'
first. 'She told me tittt,sunnie ovary of
her adoption ere and of t$ y's love and
hers but without montiening a single'
name so that I never thought cit your
Shit had left, she saki in order that he
might forget her. Sloe gave unP, as
reference her own former .music teach.
c'r, who while answerme for Avis- in
every way declined to tell anythtt+g.
that the girl i ad left coticealect. Sits
she came to us, and dwelt ever sitia
quiet and sad, poor • guild, hitt safe•
and kindly cared for, • 1 left lier at'
home with Ica and mother when 1i'
came' away. 'She is there now.,
Roy Livingstone naught leer hands
;in his and pressed them tai his,
,lags..
God bless you Recto! he eri.eel hoar -
eft with emotion. .ieou have sown me
beck happiness and love. 1S11`s Grey.
Twill briug your daughter to yon: It
go by the train that leaves in half an
hour before nightfall you shall Did
her in yoq arms. Adieu, all ! and he,
was gone.
#o gerly,her
That's harder mother. But if you t, r Grey P• c
will tell her' that you m- ' consent, 1 eeeel ness seeming for the tune for_
• 'o ten. She leaned on Mrs Living-
,. will ot,ey you 3
I will tell her every, word that has steno ttrembling violently, her glover-
a sed between us, seta Iles, Living- ing laps were deadly pale, her eye
steno. ' t fixed on the picture,
ua son—
• Sohn Stanly died for ,ne!' confirm it by promising td be, some
,Fali'uary. sixty-three, lcay' up north in happy day my wife 1 a
Illinois— He would cave caught and clasped
;That's where I've always lived since I was. the fair girl ie his ams, but else keep
—
a little boy, ins lain back by' a g Lure of her little
lie a
t an
among t
' I dru€ g
' ra
a ui re
re was PS wP
The g k e
, while
her re
dor
ion
d g
Y
;nine, Stabile, '
rest Seth Steb
That's me, was spotted to be seat down fixed with bese 'ng ;earoAatnes$
• 'South to fight the Rebs. upon his face, answ, red :
,That's
want a pesky copperhead that loved the I It is not what I wish—or even what
stone.
And she, meant to keap her prom- The portrait of a graceful girl, fair
ise. But Avis was not welting for her as a lily -flower ; the loyely, wistful
as slefehad expected, File' girl had eyes, with a world of loving tenter—
gone to her own room,; sending to nese in their midnights depths, kinked
Mrs. Livingstone a piteous ' little out from a face of exquisite eteauty
message excuse. Her head ached. but as ivory; clear Ind pale ;? tender
Might she be allowed to keep in' her dimpling smile upon the scarlet lips,
own chamber ? ' . a trailing spray of scarlet blossoms in
Tile lady smiled. the blue•blaele hair, soft and glossy as
I`will set her heart at rest tomo? row the raven's wing—a simple robe of
she whispered. • Al. will, be well to- white, and''ou one lovely, snowy ,,arm
tnorrow.'' a curious golden bracelet, This?' was
But Ween to -morrow came a • sad all. •
ee
surprise c lne with it. 'Avis had c�i Mrs. Grey stood` like cue , tea. cod
P 3! • s her spits i
ap
Scum too well, *,
I wa'nt a coward, nether, as my neighbors
all can tell,
.„ Boit when I heered lily 'lame by the Re-
•' drain' sargent read, a
It seemed asif chain lightniu' went orashin;
through my head.
'Twos mor'n three mile {of crooked road I
had tri travel home;
Don't remember how I!Sgot there; some
Devil seemed to oo;`ihe
And Snarl into my ear: Ye r drafted 1
* Becky's always sick !
You've seven helpless children1 There's
your little cripple- Dick 1
There's a mortgage on y ur farm, so you
you wish -that must be thought of,
peered. ` ' i tion visible to all. er
That 1 may not cause you grief or delicate hands'" were tightly' 'Locked
pain—you who have Tjeian to the a true together, her breath .catue le quick
tn'other-1 fly from a temptation that gasps.
ouid prove too' strong if I remained. liow like! she murruured,., how
When I am goue*your son will' soon strangely like 1 In heaven's came who
forget,me. I pray God that he way is site?,' r *-
—for his sake.'• But I shall not for. My adopted daughter, Mre. Living -
get, nor cease to love you Farewell, stone replied, for .Roy egad turned
dear friends. Forgive your little aside'in stletteee, overcome by the
Avis. sight^ of the beauty he had loved and
This was alland she had gone— lost. `Twelve years ago I took her—
leaving no trace, Making no further then five years oljl—trom a poor teed
sign, In vain, Roy sought for hef, fisherman downson the Beaute, three
even with the 'help of detectives; hev- or four miles away. lie 'had rescued
ing left home arid come to the city for her frons the sea on the, .iiight. of a
that purpose ;, while his mother, no great storm, twb yearn, 'beiore, and
less anxious for the safety of the lost had cherished and cared for her • ten -
girl, made what excuse she could to derly,; but finding sickness and old
her assembled guests for his absence. age robbing him of health and strength
After a month of weary searching he .he sought to find a friend to his little
returned,
No new
mother's
3
there
finding he
11r. Roy, but your mother—your
,nothsre wee has beers. like a mother
iii nee also, so good, so generous.
Wh. would she sal!—
' A voice, t`-reinuYous yet stern inter-
rupteaceer—a voice that made them
turn and start in spat confusion.
She would say thee 'llou were right
in remembering her,' `vis, and that
she is glad of this, proof of your
gratitude; for the rest; Roy Living-.
stone's mother looks f;irther than her
own family circle, and higher than to
ci,n't raise cash to pay a poor dependant, however good or
µ Fora substitute! you'lll
rihtive only fifty
I fair, when she seeks a bride for ler
ceuts, a day
`1!o keep your eight a gbin' while your
'fightiu'.in the South
'And not: e». sour eau earn enough to feed one
hungrymouth
In them days .I wasn't pious—though I
tried to keep injeword,
But Becky was as goodts any angel of the
•
L9
rn.
°told in�� had
She took it very different. When I son,. ,vhe:, Avis, silently 'weep a,
her of our doom ' left thein— and so this is the 'fault
She turned as pale its death and went pf your artist folly.£, You would ' `slut
staggerin' to liar room. . ,
i' my pretty COTnpenf0n s picthre, for -
And. I
But, as for me, I felt and said—Wal, her Issas t and lost your otyu. I
strange-, 1 don't dire " ' " Might have looked for this 1 should
To tell you all'I felt and;said—for oh, trly- like been more careful. Rut do you
load Was hot.
. C i.
It ?
man acrd God seemed hateful i I do T,nna that I shall tolerate such 'telly
.And
hope its been forgot I
`Nal, normo' come quite soon enough. At
only eon and a future aistress for The
Laurels. Leave us, .vis. I do not
blame you, child, for-thia folly, it had
tepee no fault ol: our*. 1 will `speak
to eee further presoit,tly—wait in my
room.
And, so she went ort; turning to her
The dusky grey of Clip autumn twi
light filled the lovely school room that
afternoon, but oecastonally fiaelttrs the,
light, from a small but cheerful fir
fell on the slender girlish figure that
sat before it in a low a'.l;rn chair, Iter,
soft, pale cheeks supported by . one,
little hand, her eyes fixed on the glow-
ing coals. A world cit loving love
and fond regret was iia those great
dark eyes, that saw not what they gaze •
ed upon, but was looking far away into
the past. Thinking of Itoy—alwaes
thinking of Roy; where`was he? How'
fared he? llad he forgotten Avis?,,
Alas poor Avis could not forget! Hark
what was that! A footstep in the hall`
outside the door. Nothing in that to
make the eyes so bright and the pale''
cheek flush to vivid crimson 1 ah !,
bat it bad sounded like Roy's footstep.'
Roy's footstep—here—what idle
dreaming! What strange tricks fancy
played her c£.r<entimes. She co 11lid
close her eye s, and hide her face in her
hands, as now—=now, partly for shsnie
at her own find folly—end fancy-', ..1
oh; such thirigi3l' reamer the Laurels'
her happy borne once more, anti' Mrs
Livingstone her stied adopted mothert,
Fancy Boy's tender smile and. loving'
look ; recall the very words he ;pokes...
tone—his.
' earnest
lit
s
sigh—
What was that. That • ryas not
fancy, surely? She sat quite` still`- -
her face, still covered by her hands ..,,
and listened; a sigh had sounded close
beside her, breathed like the very echo.
of her dream;` and no •"'SK. voice—nit,
heaven, what voice) twhispered' "her
name.
Avisl lode at me,' Avis! ' t"
She turned—the `rose razed, for
+one moment in his fiweas'1f be'tvilder-.
ed; then with a cry df hove andjpy un-
utterable; =toy! my beloved! spreug to'
the arms, on the breast of her true;
lover.
You have found mei she cried. You
have found toe.
Never to lose you aga:u, Avis! Never
again! .�
And your mother!
Her great `eles searched/ his face,
timidly, an tously.'' •
She w , le"welcomc,yn�if as 1 do. We
shall part no more. '''You Will learn,
dear,, that she never•lueant to part us
And another waits 'for you. Oh,
conte, loge, to the heart that aches to'
welcome.�.you—to the arms of your own.
:true mother..
Only ose month later a brilliant
bridal party aroused „tti joy and lnirtli
the slumberingechoes of The
ur-
,.
els. ,
.And alio so fair as Avis, the sweet.
bride,.witfi lteeetroup of lovelp brides-
4.
of, whorl Rose,f3ranidon laugh-'
and blushed, lie merry chief? Who
so rich •so rrud, su ' happy as Avis.
nowt;'t'Avis tithe lioundling,e found,'
indeed, it 1a4 and by her .own true
mother. Av. , the Lost, restored to
all who loved ad mourned her. Avis
loverotho inthe joyful r' h en generous, noble.
bl ofue e
g
le days of leer .overt
Y h 1a y
knew she would manage to ears her louth, and while so doing li;ive stolen
heart in prayer. , i '
I overheard you aalethe girl, just
•to be your wife 1
.. !'• You did. `r1ie young pian a'tswer-
,�, Ve',d est our -silent breakfast when I beardt' ea geeutly, but evithip resolution that
` ' the stage horn blow : !was uneeistakable, J. love her, ar
tThat meant that in five minutes. I must . wi11 marry her.
leave them, live or diet `ket,1 t tee cons Without your
So more than hilt distracted. I begun to ,
l say good-bye. !mother's blessing ? 'es this the aifec-
' gen—the duty`ot my own child' My
,
k and
m
crippled led
n dto Becky. Y P
of
run B p
Ide=
'1 set at de an
gY.. •
win h c
eartsick acid disco",uraged.
rte said, in answer to his
us eestiees • nor 'will
t4 p �
lei
tee lost
all
of
e.P
I �
A yearli cl passed since gentle Avis
disappeared, aud once more a gay
party of merry guests made The
Laurels bright and cheerful, foremost
among them Rose Brandon, the beauty
and heiress and belle. A great favor-
ite was site with stately Mrs. Living
.stone, and there were not wanting
those who named her as the future miss
tress of the splendid bet somewhali
gloomy houge whicli,her "beauty and
'right. Even
which the
and d rearret
red somewhat
Ler fresh;
ie liseened''to'
Ilei that ha
grown so rare, stole to a ee' 1e ps,' and
shone like a light in Isle. eyes. His
mother, watching him, ''sailed, too,
well pleased.
Is she not beautiful` she whispered
`make a fair
to him. She would n
and.
YBscion
s n per The. Laurels,
gracious
Roy. quee .
.
But the gloom came back to • bis
face 118 he answeredisadty:.
'm
Mother, a
e 1 t0
HxliH
queen went ,
Myix
year ago. I have ar' constant heart,
and cannot transeer m e alle'aianee.
Roy ! cried the ieiar, merry voice of
Rose Brandon—IB 'y, have you given
up painting ? Ye used •to be so
ambitious. Only a year ago, I remem-
ber, you were ent11 eiatitio abut some
picture that was" to: bring yon fume.
What has becomere it? Are; you au
artist no longer 1,
There' was silence for a few eeconda;
then Roy answered; quietly ane grave-
ly : d stud sf--'t i e o time
�Ps Its k f ,
�u
p
seven t had to go.
baby—Dick L j
n her
his a h': around Ile
ut) Lt
gave p
e1
s on the bridge r
the st
a e -alis g
!When g
`• me warnin' to be `uicl[, I shall never set � you at defiance,
Sof ketches diem both in arms, but 1 mother,and least o all for Avis' sake,
lr couldn't do no more y She is too good, to ardently attached
I couldn°t speak ; I couldn't pry; my heart n
e. was ard and sore to you, to do au„h, to wound you.
joyous laughter made so
Roy Livingstone's brow,
cloud of disappointlnen
had grown habitual, de
as his artist eyes took i
proud loveliness; and as
her animated talk, the s
girl id me. Imagination canteet pic-
ture anything lovelier than the' 'child
r bt
u her tfi
est sight,
,
e' 1 1 ii,
was then. g
and have 1oeed her always I adopt-
ed, educated her, ,fiud brought'h;r up
as my own. I have the elotlles she
wore when she was found, Het tliiy
furnish no clef to her payp let
on her arm, clasped above ' the
elbow,',was a bracelet ; it Efts her
slender wrist neve ; you see ,ate wears
it in the portreet; upon it ,}4 a single
. word—the old fisherman took it to lee
her nameeelind`' so ..called her;` we
I nave' ehange4?It Avis . was,ylte. word,
and Avis she's called. ,"K =4' -
j A cry freen'Mrs. Grey interrupted
her ; she sank upon her itetees before
i the picture with outstretched arms.
Avis l' she cried. sly ehild—it is
my child ! Fourtee>t' years ago the
cruel°sea washrd11er aid her tether
f eM my arms. The waves restored
emu dead, but lie was seen�po `more.
Where is she,oh, where is she 4 And
the clotheeehe wore 1
• She seek back int Roy s support
ing arntespeechlese • itnost inseii.sihle.
Mrs; L vineetoneeliestened,, frons "the
room, but �eturned immediately with
the little 'garments. eeping with
love and joy;•the long treaved moths''
identified teeth all. "
M.lerised tie elm merdi, ul Heaven that
kas kept he; , safely, and, eestored' hev
to me aster' ll theseeeeers 1 And you
my f iend,turning to /tees Livingstone,
how shall I thank you ' for your loge
and care.? Oh' 1 bring her to r ee.
Let me clasp hert'otoe t more in my
arms. Why do 'you, ho'sitate 1 I am
strong enough, jo`y does not kill.
What ;is it 1 she 'ccontinued, wildly,
eing with growi g 'fear upon the
paleeeyerted face of mother and son.
Has harm be$allel my child 1 Have
I found her. My to lose iter 1 Avis 1
' lent will you not have compassion for
Teat minute was the blackest of my life, t9, also, mother 41. We love. Avis }las
r i mtYst aIIow,
ley beart'criee'dot; If God is good why Beet to you as a dau8hter always ; let
R don't be lig ei us now it be millet to mace her so, indeed:
d ht
my aug
Rose
side.
r ! her 's-
Vit f31 'tl2`ie?
ration ape a to her
9'he cried. Avis is safe
butnew r
` ed the is
re4
stntl.
I ,put:.
fi
•� and absence, and silence, and deser
it on exhibition. p v mother has it in Be cal tion—loved her faithful) and ugly to
the library. I ha never painted and well, ,'No harm has' conte to her the last. ,A Y.
since. Listen tome, I eau tall ou where to • ` '
A kind of chill fel on the company; find her. "
insttncttve1 they fol theywere ou . ' , The power 'of ceti`tempbstio>ti grows
dangerous ground, vett he beauty's t know: Avis? as Roy tha spoke, You by use.+
voice toe a iter tone' as she + ' patience strengthens the spirit,.
ha p'1 kI now her well, b 1 h the never sweetens the tenser, stifles anger. isx-
� �i P , b�
L edgently:
tld u
est on
and myr find a C ,
ed re cold ou eve
dust that! the iroit flour open Where e y h q
teeth began to tit, so truly yours -whose mind is of T!4ay I `see tliepie
t ought it wets tee iva t' to your hurry me up ur own trainin ? I love with a love He arose "tttitiiout
.
e► bit.
that twill not change.Iettlees you the wpy l the lilirs
;Pee Yue ; it watt 3o7in Eitatkley, the brave give me Avis for'yit Lfe, $hall not ! following, led by o
boq that's bufiba heron - marry, f of all came bars. Li
ere be st t oleo and handsorle• Only Absurd 1 ,'dein stone's eves ` old frielyd Mrs. C
tttruecl of ritnicteen yearl
ill says he yell eiatrt in time! Neighbor ;dashed scurufully. When our guests ° wealsel,'With inbeer
4L rays
lleiednet go. b 1 ave arrive to•da "von will and nasty tar ;great ihvslid ; an
urtti:ld its a orvinpf aharuA It !P$ Yfl>�',s dolor �yjr;a ,�• (4?�dlli}3 it is �M pip: dt1 n�lq
oimt fOgllr i a .. iy
M
re Roy 1 known her'bntil. this meat of her tingulshes envy, subtitles Pride; it
word one lite conned
, the guests all hays
lerandon. Laic; rave,
,e7 .a fair, cadfleo
d have heii ea you Many thins that sleep is lost time.
ngstone with her
ion' with this jtsmuly. Why bridles the tonged, restrains the Belies
It kept youiloss and grief a and tramples upon tetilptations.,
eye Ihrt
y?tA
h es
fiat yoli troubles king' But the style.of your work will be
1 mightily atfeeted by the style of your
hair. She was , I is nearly ar eiuce she came sl 'briber. Sound Sleep, is the sister
a et'advertisment tut n o en
tou s
a
t
an useable ri fof id
etc g pa Awake, Ste 1 is net n sub
f hearse tot yoara for jt massa govuatneaa for 1 stile Idot. iyir tiotr, it le an additlt►ti,
!/
4 +.
T. M r
TEMPERANCE COX,U
acne aorto At' worour 11t Y. W. 0. I
cuent e%
The Denver. Co),. slower alis
one of lee estate i•illasl inetitutl
the city. The donations are ill
soloing from public its well as 1
t"uut'r:es, The nesooieted Clt'
give $12 a mouth, Every'Ilot
the city recognizes the nesse
praeticel help, one recently
1,•1110 ruse plata, The texts al
,pioyed es " beacon lights," tin,
:Melly a soul into the true Lias
When'']?rederick Douglass s
'inuauiug the enslavement
'people, Sojourner Truth rouse
,from his desponde lies with the
tion ; Frederick, is the 'Lard
:lily sisters, the omniscient eye
wtttebes over the creature's wh,l
has Riede, notes ell these thin)
'they are stored up agaimit �tI{
of wrath. Hippy foe those .v
Nee trolls complicity walla the
traffic, ill that clay.
'HOW 'I • BECAME A 1
IBII1ONIST.
BY JOHN G. we al*.
August, 1887, 1 woN
ut to"'ee
bity and wandered tip and'down tite
of that groat metropolis, with
ten thousaud'sitloous, a Lnian alone
find, trying«to get sober and keep su
went to bedliuugry many a night,
a great mauy'people in the oity hu
went near them.
I was winning the fight very "W4
oue morning I got up with. that Miff
ing of reatlessuess that is called '+a
for drink." I knew I was to dris
day, yet'I made a struggle: I rem
would look at my watch and think,
is seven o'clock, I'll not drink till h;
seven, Then at half -past seven I
till eight, and so on through the
hours; I spent the forenoon walk
and down from Harlem toward tb
tery and back again, hesitating at
saloon door; but passing every oue;
"desperately half an hour at a time
uu expenditure of nervous energy
,have but oue ending; I knew it bu
pot•yield.
It was nearly noon ;'I was walk
Broadway and heard.e `band of mus
ing down. As it came near I stood
edge of the sidewalk tif look and to
Back of the band there'was a long
,sPIon id carriages wttli'fia a and t
a,nd in the carriages wee'e well•drese
kept, oomfortably'looking men. It
. some, delegation of distinguished
What was it ? The saloon -keepers
York add Brooklyn out f8r a holida
If yori!liad been there, you ants
seen nothing but the baled and the o
and the men; but' I could see suet
as language falls to` picture. You h
way, o• f''industrial processions is 1(
samplee'of their handiwork in the
odes, and the saloon business isan i.
meu say. "Iu this line there 'was n
pies carried openly, but I could see
to the (msriage wheels, a countless
'tude of men ehrieking, struggling;
g,
"staggering, stumbling down Broad,
`iielebrate the triumph of the drink
Back of these another tnultitud;
^iitiful—of woman, sad -faced and
hearted, dragging ou behind, wit)
Walling children clinging to their sl
tugging at their barren breasts, aur
ing though 'twos a holiday, and Ira
/Able, the misery of the pageant sh,
iii% the light laughter of the tippli
aud thoughtless girls who leen
drunkenness and wondered 'at ,
Farther than the eye could reach t
procession- stretched away •throe
great oity, over the 'Harlem rive
whoa lost to sight in tate • piteing v
'Westchester county.
• I . could see at ever''y 'revolutic
wheel the idol of soda woman
Crushed beyond recognition. Br
seethed payee with the boa
the hundred ''thousand men 'w
died» drunk in America in the yea
the wheels webt crushing over 1
turned faces in the suieneee noon:
see in the smoke that curled u
c pfr
cigars of the merry.makers,shreds+
food, end books and clothes fri
homes of thep oor. I could see
clothiu" that these men wore
threads, torn from the heads of s
mothers, along with mauy colored
drawn from the dresses of dispirit
broken-hearted wives. I could I
own wife among the followers in
1 could see my own dhildren tt
beneath the wheels, I thought
unutterable 1 When musk' tame
a.out giving up the struggle --when
ed from the s eo Atlee I felt p , I I bad
My body was erect, my lips con)
my heart firth, and 1 knew 1 woi
drink that day ; and then aud that
though loatle.' by a thousand men,
a now resolve. My own ohildrot
live to be a spectacle In soh 'a pmol