Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-18

deeply blie cled. Quietly, and with moist eyes,
tho two or three drinking customers, who hsd
been lounging ia the bar, went stealthily out /;
and the landlord, the stranger, and the father
aud his child, we're left the only inmates of the
room.
Come, Lizzie, dear This is no place for
US, !" said Leslie, breaking the deep silence -
Wen 60 home"
And The unhappy inebriatc took his child by
the h'nd, and led her towhrds the door But
the little one held ck
'Wait, papa, wait" she said, ''he hi sn't
promised yet. o, l wish he would promise -
Promise her, in heavens name ~ sid the
stranger. -.
Promise, said Leslie, in q stern and solemn
voice, as he turned and fixed his eyes on the
landlord.
"If do promise, keep it, returned the
landlord, in a threatening tone, as he returned
the gaze of Leslie.
"Then for Gods sake, promise!" exclaimed
Leslie, in half desPairing voice, promise, and
am EaCeP
"Be it so May be cursed, if ever sell you
drop of drink at this bar, while am landlord
OF the Stag and Hounds =" jerks spoke with
an angry emphasis.
"GOd be thanked !" mumured tho poor
drunkarJ, as he led his child away. "God be
thanked there is hope for me- yet"
Hardly had the mother Of Lizzie missed her
child, ere she entered, leading her father by the
hand
30, nother!" she exclaimed, with Joy lit
oounienance, and in a voice of exullatiOn, -
''Mr jerks has promised"
promised what Z" Hope sprang up in her
heart on wild an dHuttering wing, her face flush
ed, and then grew deadly pale. She sat pant
ing for an answer.
THAT he would never sell me another glass
Of liquor" said her husband.
A pair of thin, white hands were clasDed
quickly together, an ashen face was turned up.
wards, fearless eyes looked their thankfulness
to heaven.
"Thero is yet hope, Ellen, said Leslie
"HOPe, hope! And o, Edwa-d, you have said
the word"
Hope, through our child. Innocence has
prevailed oyer vice and cruelty. She came to
the strong, evil, passionate man, aud in her
weakness and innocence prevailed over him
God made her fearless and eloquent"
A year afterwards a stranger came again that
way, and stopped at the Stag and Hounds. As
before, jerks was behind his well filed bar and
drinking customers came and went in numbers
jerks did not recognize him until he called for
liquid with a hearty zcst Then he knew him,
but feIgned to be ignorant Of his identity. The
stranger made no reference to the scene he
had witnessed there a twelvehmonth before
but fingered in the bar room most of the day
closely observing every one who came there to
drink. Leslie was not among the number.
what has become Of the man and the little
girl thst l saw here, at my last visit 10 Milan
Vile !" said the stnnger, speaking at last to
Jenks.
-'Gone to the Devil for all care" was the
landlords rude answer, as he turned off from
his questioner.
"FOr all you care,nO doubt, " said the stranger
to himself. g Men often speak their real
thoughts in passion
DO you see that little white cottage away off
there just at The edge Of the wood Two tall
Poplars in front
Thus spoke to the stranger one who had
heard him address the landl Tj.
i do. What oft 2 he answered.
The man you asked for lives there
'Iudeed
And what is more, if he keeps on as he has
begun, the cottage will be all his own in another
year. jerks, here, doesn't feel any good blood
for him, as you may well believe. a poor
mans prosperity ia regarded as SO much loss to
him. Leslie is good mechanie-one of the
best in Milanyille. He can earn twelve dollars
week, year in aud year out. Two hundred
dollars he has already paid on his cottage and
as he is that much richer, jerks thinks himself
so much the DOOrer-fUr all this surplus, and
more too, would have gone into his till if Leslie
had not quit drinking.
Aha L see; we'll, did Leslie, as you call
him, ever try to get drink here since the land
lord promised never to let him have another
drink!'
Twice, to my knowledge
'And he refused hint
Yes. II you remember, he said, in his an
ger, may be cursed if l sell him another
drOp."'
I remember it very WE'LL
That saved poor Leslie. jerks is supeTsti
tious in some things. He wanted to get his
custom-for it's worth having-and lie was
actually handing him the bottle one day, when
saw it, and reminded him Of his sell>impre-
cation. He hesitatated, looked frightened,
withdrew the bottle from the counter, and then
with curses Grove Leslie from his bar room,
threatening, at the same time, to horsewhip
him if ever he set foot over his threshold
again
Poor drunkards mused the stranger, as he
rode past the neat cottage of the reformed man
a couple of hours afterwards. As the case now
stands, you are only saved as by fire. All law,
all protection, is on the side of those who are
engaged in enticing you into sin, and destroying
your body and soul In their evil work they
have free course. But for you, unhappy
wretches, after they have robbed you of your
worldly goods, and even manhood itself, and
provided prisons and PauPer homes /! and for
your children'-a dark shadow swept over the
strangers face, and shudder went through his
frame. Can it be Christian country in which
I live, and such things darken the very sun at
noon day = ho added, as he sprung his horse
into gallOp and rode swiftly onward.
ATthur's Home Magazine