Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-06-15

you know, Jer' Brown, you're driving her
with sorrow, to an early grave-cRAvE
you miserable old cud -cudermudreon 3
God help me. = and the dull, heavy eye:
would be watered with tears. Z" will re
form We will drink no more, YOU ant
|, Jerry Brown, an we'll take care of the
farm and Dora, and We'll be the men we
-we-ought to be-he, won't we Jerry
-hiccup"
Sometimes Dora would laugh at all thi:
"a laugh with a hope IN it-and ther
Jerry would look up to her with his dull
dim eyes, swimming IN tears, and answer
the ring OF her voice with drunken, low
ing smile, and the hope in her looks, with
determined expression, and g VIII dc
it, Dora-so help me-help me Dora g
And she would say, g All, won't I?''
with look Of Joy, every time, "a if she
had never been disappointed, and had full
confidence in everything Jerry said.
" See here for once Jerry felt as if
something more than words was needed
-" | will break my bottle, Dora-hic-
cup.-there In my pocket; get it - and
the eyes at last were Lit up with resolu-
ton.
Smash (.
" Now Jerry would certainly refoi n
for he had thrown the bottle through the
window, breaking one more of the few
panes still remaining in the sash. An
other old hat, or piece of paper, would
have TO be raised over it to keep out the
cold.
When Dora sighed, Jerry felt as if he
had done something very foolish, and,
somehow, he was sorry he had not taken
parting drink. But the girl smiled so
sweet :, and was so sure, seemingly, he
would keep his word, that be sunl, into a
drunken sleep, with a resolve to reform
for pillow. which was almost as soft as
the white arm under his head.
Once Dora said to him, in sober mo-
ment, when they two sat together alone
III the old house, her curls pillowed on his
breast, her white hands wandering thro
the gray hair on his head, and her dear,
soft eyes looking up into his own i" Faith
er, do you not love me better than the
men you meet in the village bar-room
every day %
How he trembled, in limb and voice, as
he answered, after few moments pain
full thought, 9 Dear child, you know | dc"
And the poison stuff you drinks ii
so very pleasant? Pleasant enough 10
make you leave me all alone, and to suf-
fer 1t to hurry you into the grave? Oh,
father, is it g.
jerry didn't ~nswer right away. He
hugged Dora closer TO his breast, and
kissed her pale brow, and then sat still,
and thought And, pretty soon, there was
a tear III his eye, and a big sob troubled
soreiy the bitter waters of his heart, and
his breast rose and fell in a vain effort TO
roll back the grief that would have vent
He only said-S' Oh, Dora, Dora -
But all his resolve were of no avail
He did not love the poison he drank so
very well-It was more habit than any
thing else. Yet. he could not REFORM
The serpent was round about him if he
would only use his hands, he might tear
the reptile eff, and be the man he ought
to be. He could not even do this. He
was slave to habit. He might as well
have been chained hand and foot, for all
the freedom he had, or have been lashcd
with slavedrivers whip as TO writhe
under the sting of the rum-serpent.
jerry had too big heart, and rum had
destroyed the yigor of his mind, and will,
and power over himself.
Oh, there is no slavery like that which
acknowledges habit master, and bends the
knee to vice and appetite.
Thicker and faster fell the snow, be-
fore and behind, and around the tremb-
ling steps of Jerry, as he trudged slowly
along the road 10 Pubbletown. His tracks
were filled as fast as made, and the snow
came up to his knees. and higher, and his
eyes grew dim, he was so tired, and he
staggered more and more. But at last
the village was reached. and so was the
tavern and In the bar-rooms, with loose
companions, the poor old man grew warm
outside and in. and merry, 100, and drunk
and the hours went swiftly by.
And still The snow came down. Great
clouds Of white, it seemed to Dora, as she
looked through wet eyes, out of doors,
tuinhlod down like avalanches, instead Of
little flakes, silent as thought, as they
were. The fences were covered, and
roofs of low houses were strangely near
to the velvet carpet, ALL too, yielding, and
far as the eve could reach was almost un-
krolen white. Roofs of barns and houses
were covered, trees sealed up, white on
their branches, movers by carried white
with them, and teams that passed poor
Dora, in the old farmhouse all alone,
stumbled as they went. and sic 5gh-boxes
were full of snow.
Where was Jerry Brown
When the afternoon began TO go down
into night, Dora's face was by tae window
all the while, and her gaze down the road
was one most anxious. The shadows
grew broader, daylight sunk slowly down
in darkness, and the snow continued to
fall. Still, the old man did not come.
At last It was dark entirely. Youmight
have seen ,ears in Dora's eyes when she
lit the candle, after sitting so still in the
darkness that you would rot have known
she was therefor she was thinking
and placed II where the light might shine
]