Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-08-15
Lame for Life.

AhoNhSft "hea q t'Hhy "otha' .hies
welles is" said Mary Palfrey. looking up
from her grammar, which she had deter
mined at last to study, instead of ramble
over the hills, which she had been vainly
coaxing her brother to take with her.
I" Is that one of the sentences in your pars-
ing lesson ?" asked Henery, in sort of tan
talizing undertone, as he passed through the
room with his hat and ball.
II have always esteemed Mrs. Welles'
a sensible and Christian woman, by no
means given to comical things,' replied
Mrs. PalfIey, why do you call her funny,
Mary?"
A number Of us girls went in with
Clara after school was out, to get some fow
er seeds she had promised to give US while
: we were waiting, Mrs. Welles asked if we
were temperance girls, ifw had ever taken
the pledge, and many other questions, and
told long story about woman that she
saw the last time she was in the city. Af-
ter We came out, Caroline Palmer said she
did not see what use there could be in our
taking pledge; none of us had drunken
fathers or mothers"
If that is all the reason you have for
: calling her funny woman l think you
should give her more appropriate title
: Mrs. Welles knows far more Of the evils Of
t intemperanee than most persons, because
she gives it more attention. She remem-
bers our beautiful town, dsfgured by many
I rum shop; and many of our respectable
+! families disgraced and afflicted by the disso.
e lutte drunken habits of some of their leading
It members"
d "Why, mother, was their ever any other
S drunkards in town besides Mr.. B ?"
o Yes, Mary, and their are others now
e but not as many as there were before the
: law to stop selling spirits went into effect
l. In this neighborhood there were six or sew
ii en- confirmed drunkards, heads. of families
A. and some of them died of drinking. Wom
< en- also were in the habit of taking spirit.
is for the slightest pretenses if they had beer
r out in the cold, or if they were sleepless a
v night they must have warm dram before
10 going to bed. One would have thought thai
a. there was no pain or ache, that we coult
have that spirit could not heal. Few, yer.
TX few know how many child has been taugh
e. to love intoxicating drinks by its own moth
m er. Il was so common, that even girls woul,
n not blush to go into shop for quart .
to rum. Now the agent files the name Of ev
as cry purchaser for inspection, and inquire
th the use for hich it is wanted. This cours,
,r keeps many from its use."
Y Another reason why Mrs. Welles is 81
of interested in temperance is, because she ha
c, suffered by intemperance."
n How, mother? ! am sure Mr.. Welle
w is good man. and none OF Clara's broth
n ers are drunkards."
g "True, but they have daughter Twin
Mt, near the town line, just before you eros
wv Willow Greek, that has suffered shocking
in ly."
Id why, mother, l did not know that Clar
n Welles had sister,"
u Yes, Mary. Mrs. Oatson that is lamt
-e, is the eldest child. A few years after the
to were married, her husband fell into yer
h bad habits, drinking very hard, neglectin
of and abusing her, and their children. On
,e, day he came home in drunken fury, sh
of was in the act of carrying something dow
a cellar, when he gave her kick or push ths
let caused her to fall the whole length of til
lid stairs. She lay for hours without assis
RS, anee; there being no one else in the hous
an except her badly, the other children, ] thin
m were at school. AT length she was foun
lp- and cared for. There was compour
IRE fracture of her hip, besides other bruise
fe, 1t was thought she must die, but in grei
ire mercy her life was spared to her childre
NC Now she is just able to hobble around Il
ie- house upon her crutches but never aga
wn will the once stately Ellen Welles be alb
hy to put her foot upon the ground. She
is lame for life. 1t is not at all strange III
in her mother takes an interest in those pri
ill ciples that may possibly avert such cons
nd quences."
ng "When was little child" continue
Id Mrs. Palfrey, /" / used to take great inte
j it est in reading the statistics of intemperan
he in the journal of Humanity" paper n
eat father used to have. There would be Il
his number of drunkards in Massachusetts,
Ter the New England States, and in the Unit
tn States, but have never seen an adequa
St statement of the woman who are innoce
ed sufferers ty this strong drink which is ra
air ing"
yr-
eir An old lady, who had apparently not lor
-of- TO live in this world, requested her daug
. II ter to teach her song of some kind, as 81
Int. had never learned TO sing, and did no. kno
nst one tune from another. Her daughter WI
mr. curious to know what had put such motto