Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-03-08

ais and troubles q Confess said the col
lector, that have had my suspicious ant
fears bcfore.-Why do you not resolve
that you will never touch another drop
Go, Hodges, like man, and put your name
to the pledge and pray God enable you tc
keep it faithfully 'Why, as to that, sir,
said the blacksmith, the pledsc will do me
no good; the difficulty doesn't lie there.
What curse Is there no prospect Of
putting an end to intempcrancep TO be
sure there is replied the collector. If pco.
pie will sign the pledge, and keep it too
there is no difficulty But suppose they
will not sign the pledge rcioined Johnny
Hodges, still, if rum was not so common
as it is, and SO easily obtained, the tempta.
ton would be taken away THAT is all
very true, but it is every mans duty to dc
something for himself, replied the collector
Il advise you to sign the pledge as soon as
possible why, SIR said the blacksmith,
the difficulty doesn't lie there, as told you,
| signed the pledge long ago, and | have
kept it well. never was given to taking
spirit in my life. My labor at the forge is
pretty hard work, yet | take nothing strong
er for drink than cold water. III am sorry
that misunderstood you,' replied the colec-
Tor, but since you do not take spirit and
your children, as you have led me to
suppose, are of tender years, why are you
so anxious for the suppression of intemper.
ancef Because said poor Johnny Hod-
ges, after pause, and with evident emo
lion, to tell you the plain truth, it has made
my home hell, my wife drunkard, and
my children beggars! Poor things said
he, as he brushed away the tears, they
have no mother any more. The old COW,
that | offered you just now, for the doctors
debt--and | believe it would have broken
their hearts to have parted with old Brindle
lis more Of a mother to them now, than
the woman who brought them into this
world of trouble. i have little to feed old
Brindle with, and the children are running
here and there for little swill, and such
matters, to keep her alive. Even the SMALL
est of these poor things will pick up bunch
Of hay or few scattered corn stalks, and
fetch ii to her, and look on with delight to
see her enjoy it. have seen them all to-
gether, when their unnatural mother, in q
drunken spree, has driven them out of doors,
flying for refuge to the old cow, and lying
down by the side of her in the shed. What
a curse it is [!
'What will become Of them and me,
continued the broken-hearted man, i can
not tell. | sometimes fear that shall lose
my reason, and be placed in mad house.
Such is the unnatural thirst of this wretch
ed woman for rum, that she has repeatedly
taken my tools, and carried them five or
six miles, and pawned or sold them for IL
quor. The day before yesterday carried
home a join, of meat for dinner. When |
went home, tired and hungry at the dinner
hour, found her drunk and asleep upon
the floor. She had sold the joint of meat,
and spent the money in rum. It's griev-
Gus to tell such matters to a stranger, but
cant bear that you orthe good doctor should
think me ungrateful any longer. | shall
never forget the doctors kindness to me
two years ago, when | had my dreadful fe.
yer; and if ever get so much money to.
gether, he shall certainly be paid. That
fever was brought on partly by hard work,
but the main spring of the matter was in
the mind. My wife was then getting very
bad, and when she was in liquor, her lam
guage was both indecent and profane
though, when we were married, there was
not a more modest girl in the parish. Just
before nay fever came on, in one of her fits
of intemperance, she strolled away, and
was gone for three days and three nights
and to this hour, | have never known where
she was all that time. It almost broke my
heart The doctor always said there was
something on my mind; but | never told
him or any one else, the cause of my trou.
BILE till now. What curse Don't you
think, sir, that something can be done to pu
an end to this terrible curse of intemper
anceT 'Your case is a very hard one,
said the collector after solemn pause, 'ant
| wish l could point out remedy. Yor
need give yourself no uneasiness about the
doctors bill, for / am sure he will think nc
more about it, when | have told him YOU
story. fit would not give you too mucl
pain, and take up too much time, SHOULD
like to be informed little more particular
ly, of the commencement and progress o
this habit in your wife, which seems to have
destroyedyou domestic happiness. John
ny Hodges wiped his brow, and sat down OIL
bench, in his shop, and the collector took
seat by his side.
Eight years ago. said Johnny Hodges
come the first day of next month, | wa
married. Polly Wilson, that was her mai
den name, was twenty-three, and wa
four years older. certainly thought it tn
best days work | ever did, and continue
Of that mind for about five years. Sine
then, heaven knows, have had reason t
think otherwise (; for ever since, trouble ha
been about my path and about my bed. A
bout three years ago, my wife took to drink
cannot tell how it happened; but she a
ways said herself, that the first drop of gi
she ever drank, was upon washing day
when an old Scotch woman persuaded he
that it would keep the cold off her stomach
From that time the habit grew upon her v,
ry fast. She told me hundred times
her sober moments, that she would give III
world to leave it off, but that she could n,
for the life of her. So stronghas been he
desire to get liquor, that nothing has bee
safe from her grasp. She has sold h,
children's Sabbath clothes, and my own, e
rum. After | had gotten well Of my few,
J | worked hard and, at one time, had la
!; by nearly enough, as ! supposed, to pc
J tho doctors bill. One day, ! had receive
n