The Columbian fountain., 1846-06-17
Rev. J. I. WARD, Assistant Editor.
PRICE ONE CENT.

was SoIHeuli1S Oh COnilrmdtlOn IN the act
of signing his name, that strengthened her
hopes. twas not long before she had
good warm breakfast on the table, Of which
her husband eat with better appetite than
usual, and then, after reading his pledge
over, Jim started off.
As before, he had to 60 past Harry Ar
nold's, and early as it was, there were al
ready two or three Of his cronies there for
their morning DRAM He saw them about
the door while yet at distance, but
neither the grog shop or his old companions
had any attraction for him. He was con-
scious Of standing on plain that lifted him
above their influence As he drew near,
they observed him, and waited his approach
with pleasure, for his fine flow Of spirits
made his company always desirable. But
as he showed no inclination to stop, he
was hailed, just as he was passing, with,
"Hallo, Jim! Where are you off to in
such hurry''' "'.
"Off to my work like an honest, sober
man." Jim replied, pausing to return his
answer. /" I've taken the pledge, my heart
les, and what's more, Pm going to keep it.
It's all down in black and white, and my
names to it in the bargain--so there's an
end Of the matter, you see! Good bye,
boys Pm sorry to leave you-but you
must 60 my way if you want my company.
Good bye, Harry! You've got the old
whiskey- barrel, and that's the last you'll
ever get Of mine never had any good
luck while it was in my house, and ] am
most heartily glad it's out, and in your
whiskey shop, where | hope it will stay.
Good bye, old cronies ~
And SO saying, Jim turned away, and
walked off with proud, erect bearing. His
old companions raised feeble shout, but
according to Jim's account, the laugh was
SO much on the wrong side of their mouths,
that it didn't seem to him anything like a
laugh.
At ii O'Clock, Mr.. Jones came out as
usual, and said
swell, Jim, suppose you begin to feel
a little like it was grog-time9"
"No, sir" Jim replied "I'm done
with grog."
"Done with grog :" CALCULATED Mr.. Jones,
in pleased surprise. "Why, you didn't
seem at all afraid of it, yesterday"
81 did drink pretty hard, yesterday; but
that was all your fault"
"My fault How do you make that
out?"
s'Clear enough. Yesterday morning,
seeing what poor miserable wretch had
got to be, and how much my wife and chill
dren were suffering, swore off from ever
touching another drop. ! wouldn't sign
pledge, though, because that, thought,
would be giving up my freedom. In COM
ing here, got past Harry Arnold's grog-
shop pretty well, but when you came out
so pleasantly at | | o'clock, | couldn't re-
fuse for the life of unexpectedly as felt
as dry as bone. So drank pretty freely,
as you know, and went home, in conse-
quence, drunk at night, notwithstanding
bad promised Sally, solemnly, in the morn
ing, never to touch another drop again as
long as lived. Poor soul! Bad enough,
and discouraged enough, she felt last night,
know.
$50 you see-when got up this morn
ing, felt half-determined to sign the
pledge, at all hazards. Still didn't want
to give up my liberty, and was arguing the
points over again, when Sally took me right
aback SO strongly that | gave up, wrote
pledge, signed it, and nailed it up over the
where it has got to stay"
ITO be continued.