The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-05-08

1t with deep and terrible anlmoslty tha
| can give you no idea of. All me woe
woe to the day ever suffered it to eros:
, our happy threshold again.
1t was busy time, and I had one oI
the ne;ghbors girls to help me. Charlotte
came to me one morning with a strange
face.
Would I cone? Something allied Geof.
frey.
Something allied Godfrey. I sprung.
He was an industrious lad, and cut all the
wood We burned that winter, though he
was so young. l had heard his ak a mo.
ment before, thought.
When l went out, my little boy lay
upon bench that was out there, as still
as though he we're dead almost, and my
eldest brother, Joseph, was bending over
him, and gave such look when | came
to the door. | don't know how | came
to think of such a thing, but l turned
without word and went to the cupboard
10 which | had left the bottle Of spirits.
1t was empty
knew what my mother meant at last;
at last knew, and it always seemed to
NE that my heart stood still with fright
many minutes.
Joseph had known my mothers fears
and recognized its realization. But far
more keenly than any one else could, |
knew now what was my boys bitter LOT
in life. He had been baptized in my
mothers agony and my father sin before
he was born, bade them briug him in
my dear, little lad-and lay him upon
my bed aud then | shut them all out Of
the room, and prayed and wept, and
watched by him till he knew me. My
ooy aud grew nearer than ever to each
other afterward. | tried to do my duty
by him, to shelter him from THAT, and
,he like of what | have just told never
happened again till he was too old to stay
by his sisters apron string any longer. |
kCpt him as long as could, and when be
went out into the world, | cried such tears
because I was a woman Instead of mau
and SO could not go out with him.
Joseph was kind aud thoughtful in
those days. Temptations were plenty,and
when that terrible thirst came and mas
tered G Geofrcy he kept it from me as long
is it was possible He used TO to take his
brother out into the fields and woods and
walk with him ill the fog passed from his
brain; and he was able to elude with a
fair seeming even my keen eyes.
But they had to tell me at last, for
began to suspect and Geofrey cried at
my knee. as be had done when be was
little lad He had not the will, the stuff
in him of which martyrs were made He
was ouly generous, frank, brllia0t, af-
ecaonate fellow; the charm and center
of every circle he entered ! beloved and
admired too much, perhaps, for his good;
for such things enervate. 1t is the hard
knocks that are good for us-the tug up.
/ bill that invigoratcs He used to try and
promise to let drink alone; but, in spite
Of all, the habit grew upon him.
I Well, bg-and-by my brother Godfrey
married, but he had fallen into drink so
badly that Nanuy's father objected entirely
and, when the young people married in
spite Of him, he never forgage them, and
/ they had no where else to go-so they
came to me.
was glad to have them come,
The boys had ceded all their right in
the home stead 10 me, and | was glad to
5ave G0efrey come aud head the farm for
me
Nanny was dear child I loved her
almost as much as he; and he had prom.
sed her faithfully that he would stop his
bad ways He hadn't any but the drink
i dom mean that he had ; but that was
worse Than | can make you know, if you
don't know already. Nonc but those who
have felt its awful baud among their
heartstrings can know how possessed with
a demon a man is who drinks.
Geoifrew meant to keep his promise
he did awhile, so long that even hoped
but, thank God. | ueVer qaite lost hope.
Itdidn't last ,however;,lt dIdu tseem some
how that it could | have seen Godfrey,
when thatterribIe thirst was on him, ,writne
like strong man in the grasp of Devil;
[ have seen him weep tears that were
wrung out of his heart like drops Of blood.
lie would 90 sometimes for mouths
without tasting drop, and then some
thiug--the merest trIde, the sight cf an
old cork, the broken neck of jug, or a
watt of fermonted air from the corn-biu,
would start the rage Of the old craving in
him, and he was all gone again.
| By-and-by he coaxed IN, to sell the farm
aud move to another state. Twas williog
enough, for | thought, perhaps, new asso-
Citations. would be good for him
/ We put part of the money at interest,
and bought house in the village with
the rest; aud Geofrey, who had fancy
for the law, went to studyiOg as though
/ he meant to do something.
! You see | never lost faith; I couldn't