The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1867-10-08

when natn Irattt VINO was our ncknoNi-
edged leader caught his arm.
"No--not SO. said Sam You shall not
pay or il, We will not eat at the ex-
pense Of one who win sneak out Of q
scrape in this way. We want nothing
more to do with you unless you will
take glass Of wine with us.
"very well. said Jack. and as he
spoke could see that his lip quivered
and that he dared not speak more.
He turned towards the door then
but before he reached il Tim Black ran
and caught him, at the same exclaim-
ing;
May be blessed il you go offso any
way. You're commenced and now you
have got to stick it out"
This was the signal for us to com
mence again, and once more we tried
to urge Jack to drink the wine; aud
when we found that urging would not
do we commenced TO abuse and seoff.
We accused him Of trying to step over
US on board the ship, and OF all other
bad things which we could think Of
For while the poor fellow seemed in
clined to let his anger get the upper
hands OF him; but at length he calmed
himself and stepping back TO his chair,
he said:
"Shipmates, will you listen to me for
q moment y
Silence gave consent, and in few
moments more he resumed:
"Since matters have come to this
pass / have resolved to tell you what i
had meant to keep locked up in my own
bosom"
We had always thought from Jacks
manner, that there was something pc
culiar connected with Jacks early life,
and we were all attention in amoment.
my story is but very short one"
he continued, "and can tell it in q
very few words. From the time Of my
earliest childhood ! never knew what it
was to have happy home. My father
was daunkaad Once he he had been
good man and kind husband, but
rum ruined all his manhood and made
O brute OF him. l can remember how
cold and cheerless was the first winter
of my life to which my memory leads
my mind. When we had no 6re-no
food--no clothes--no joy--no nothing
nothing but misery and woe! My
poor mother used to press me to hel
bosom to keep me warm, and once
once remember when her very tears
froze on my cheek o, how my moth.
er prayed to God for her husband and
I, who had just learned to prattle
learned to pray, too. used to SEQ
husband and father return to his room
and l remember how my poor mother
cried and trembled.
when / grew older | had to go ont
to beg for bread All cold and shiyering
l waded through the deep snow, with
my clothes in tatters and my freezing
feet almost bare. And / saw other
children dressed warm and comforta.
bic, and / knew they were happy, foi
they laughed and sang as they bounded
along toward school Those boys hac
sober fathers. | knew that their faith
ers were no better than mine once hat
been, for my mother had told me hov
noble my own father could be il the ac
cursed demon rum we're not in his way
but the fatal power was on him, anC
though he often promised, and though
he often tried, yet he could not escape
"Time passed on and / was eight year
| old, and those eight years had beer
years of such sorrow and suffering as
pray God | may never see another ex
perience. At length one cold morning
in the dead of winter, my father wa
not at home. He had not been at hom
through the night Ny mother sen
me TO the tavern TO see il / could fnt
him. Ihad gone but half the way when
saw something in the snow by the sid
of the road. stopped, and shudde
ran through me, for it looked like hu
man form. / went up to it, and turn
the head over and brushed the sno,
from the face. It was my father-an'
he was stiff and cold / laid my han
upon his pale brow, and it was like sol
id marble. He was dead"
Poor Jack stopped moment AM
wiped his eyes. Not one OF us spoke
for we had become too deeply moved
But he soon went on. 81 went to th
tavern and told the people there wha
had found, and the land lord sent tw
Of his men 10 carry the frozen body G
my father home. 0, shipmates. / can
not tell you how my mother wept an