The Shasta courier., 1866-03-24
item tried, yet he could not escape.

lime passed on, and / was eight years
ola, and those eight years had been wears of
such sorrow and suffering as l pray to God
l may never see another experience. At
length, one cold morning in the dead of
winter, my father was not at homo He
had not been at home through the night
MY mother sent me to the tavern to see ;f
could find him. had gone half the wav
when l saw something in the snow bv the
side OF the road. stopped. and shudder
ran through me, for it looked like a human
form. went up to it, and turned the head
over. and brushed the snow from the face
1t was my father !-and he was stiff and
cold l laid my hand upon his pale brow,
and it was like solid marble. He was
dead ~
Poor Jack stopped a moment and wiped
his eyes. Not one of US spoke for we had
become too deeply moved. But he soon
went on.
'' went to the tavern and told the peo.
pie what / had found, and the landlord
sent two of his men to carry the frozen
body of nv father home. Oh !. shipmates, |
canhot toll you how my mother wept and
groaned. She sank down upon her knees
and clasped the icy corpse to her beating
bosom as though she would have given it
She loved her husband through all his errors,
and her love was all powerful now The
two men went off and left the body still on
the floor. My mother wished me to come
and kneel by her side, | did so. "My
child" she said to me,-and the big tears
rolling down her cheeks you know what
has caused all this. This man was once as
noble and happy, and true as a man can be-
O1 cpp ha hoe haa e{r,oL
Promise me, my child, oh! promise, here be-
fore your dead father. and your broken
hearted mother, that you will never, never
touch a single drop of the fatal poison which
has wrought for us all this misery
"Oh! shipmates. l did promise, then,
and there, all that my mother asked, and
God knows that, to this moment, that prom
ise has never been broken. My father was
buried, and some good, generous neighbors
helped us through the winter. When the next
spring came | could work, and l earned
something for my mother. Not for the
wealth of the world would | break the
pledge | gave my mother and my God on
that dark, cold morning. And even had |
made no such pledge, would not touch the
fatal cup, for | know that | have fond
doting mother who would be made misera
BILE by my dishonor, and | would rather die
than bring more sorrow upon her head
Perhaps you have no mothers and if you
have they do not look to you for support, for
know you too well to believe that any of
you would ever bring down loving mothers
gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. That is
all, shipmates. Let me now 90, and you
may enjoy yourselves alone, for don't be-
lieye that you will again urge the wine cup
upon me-"
AS Jack thus smoke he turned toward
the door. but Tim Black stopped him.
Hold on. Jack" cried Tim, wiping his
eyes, and starting up from his chair.
have got a mother. and love her as we'll as
you love yours. and your mother shall not
be happier than mine. for by the love bear
her, l here swear that she shall never have
drunken son. l will drink no more''
g Give us your hand. Tim," cried Sam
Pratt, In 60 with you.H'
l waited no longer, but quickly starting
from .:y chair | joined the other two, and
ere long the whole five of us Joined with
Jack Small in his noble life plan. We call
ed for pen, ink. and paper, and made Jack
draw up pledge. He signed it first and
we followed him, and when the deed was
done l knew We were far happier than we
had been before for many years. The wine
on the table was untouched, and the liquor
we had drank during the forenoon was now
all gone in its effect.
Towards evening we returned to the ship.
There was frown upon the captains brow
as we came over the side, for he had never
known US to come off from days liberty
sober. But when we had all come over the
side and reported ourselves to him, his
countenance changed. He could hardly
give evidence of his own senses
Look here, boys" he said, after he had
examined us thoroughly, "what does this
meanY
Show him the paper" whispered I.
Jack had our pledge, and without speak
ing he handed it to the captain. He took
it and read it, and his face changed its ex
preston several times. At length | saw
tear start to his eve.
Boys" he said, as he folded up the
paper, +" let me keep this, and if you stick to
your noble resolution you shall never want .
friend while / i've"
We let the captain, keep the paper, and
when he had put it in his pocket he came
and took each cf us in turn by the hand =
lie was much affected, and knew the cir
cumstance made him happy From that
day our prospects frightened. Jack Small
no longer had our envy, for he took hold and
taught us navigation, for we were proud of
him. On the next voyage we ali six were
rated as able seamen, and received full
wages, and we left not that noble hearted
captain until we were to become officers on
board other ships.
Jack Small is now one of the best mas
ters in the world. and l believe the rest Of
our party are still living, honoreA and re-
speeted men.
Three years ago we all met-the whole
SIX or us-at the Astor House, in New
York, and not one of us had broken the
pledge which we made in the hotel at Rio
Janelro. Four of US were then commanders
OF good ships, one was merchant in New
York, the other was just going out as Ameri
can Consul to one of the Italian cities on the
Mediterranean.
You now know why did not drink wine
with you, and of course you will not urge 1t
upon me, nor take my positive refusal as
mark of ccldness or disrespect.'
The San Jose Mercury says that on Satnr-
day evening Mrs. Robert Lucas, who resioes