Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-10-05
Guuprr'gG urk5hllra Re9iatsr
WASHING SHEET.


Once upan II time. ,wh,n The subject Of
tenn, eranco was being freely discussed til.
tizens of a little town in the western
part OF Massachusetts, called u meeIin.
TO talk over the matter. There had ne
yer been temperance society in th,
place, but after some discussion it wa.
voted TO form one. They drew up plede,
of total abstinence, and agreed il an,
memeer broke it he should be turned out.
Before the pledge was accepted, Dea.
con D. rose and said he lad one objection
TO it; he thought Thanksgiving Day
ought to be free for members to take
something, as he could relish his dinner
much better at this festival if he took his
glass of wine.
MIR. L. thought the pledge was not per-
feet. He didn't care anything about
Thanksgiving. but his family made great
account of Christmas. and he couldn't
think OF setting kown to dinner then with
out something to drink. He was willing
to give it up on all other days. and. in
fact, that was the only time when he
cared anything about it.
MIR. B. next rose. and said he agreed
with the other speakers. except in time.
He didn't think much of Thanksgiving or
Christmas, though he liked lille at any
time. There was one day, however. when
he must have IL, and that was o. tle Ali
of July. He always calculated OH having
regular drink" upon that occasion, and
he wouldn't sign the pledge if it preven-
ted him from celebrating independence.
Squire s., an old farmer. followed Mr.
B. He was not in the habit of taking
anything often, but must have something
when he washed his sheep. He would
sign the pledge If it gave him the privilege
of imbibing when he washed his sheep
Why. he considered it dangerous for him
to put his hands in cold water, without
something to keep him warm inside.
After some consideration, it was con.
cluded that each member Of the society
should take his own occasion to drink
Deacon D. on Thanksgiving. L. on Christ
mas. DC. The pledge was signed by a
large number, and the society adjourned
in u f1ourishing condition, after it was re-
solved that it should be the duty OF
the members to watch each other. to see
that they did not break the pledge.
The next morning D. walked to his
neighbours yard. who, by the way, was
MIR. s., the sheep man. wondering, as it
was bitter cold morning. whether S.
was yet up. He met his neighbour coming
out of the house, and, to his surprise,
gioriously drunk-or, TO use very mo-
dern phrase, burning a very beautiful
kiln
why, S." exclaimed the astonished
deacon, "w what does this mean, sir You
have broken your pledge. and disgraced
our society and the temperance cause"
Not-hic-as you know no-hic-
deacon; l haint-hic--broke the-pIedge,
deacon"
e Certainly you have. sir, and 1 shall
report you to the society. You agreed
not to drink except when you wash sheep.
You can't make rue think you are going
to wash sheep such cold as this"
" Follow me deacon"
S. started for the barn, and the deacon
saw large wash-tub standing on the floor
with an old ram tied to it. the poor ami
NAL shaking dreadlully with cold, and
bleating most pirifully.
Hic-therr, d-deacon." said s., poin-
ting to the sheep with an air of triumph,
THAT old-hic-ram has been washed
six times his-hic-morning. and I-hic
Amt done with him-hic-yet T.
The deacon " retired"