Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-30

can stand it; can stand it as long as he
can. He pronished not to touch drop
NOT DROP. Pm blessed if | believe he
can doiit. should be ashamed to be the
first to back down, and WON'T Wen see
how, long John can stick and hang"
Polly washed her dishes-theY were poor,
7 cracked, mis-matched. things-but she
washed them as she would have washed
better ones, aud set them away and when
this was done, she peeped through the VIM
dow into the garden, and there she saw
John busily at work pulling up the weeds
and 7hoeing around the tender plants. At
eleven o'clock he came in after drink of
water. ie. 5 .re ti
by gracious! !" he muttered. as he wiped
the sweat from his brow. '.lt kind o. takes
hold of me-" .sz5t..fa t-I5, sf-sez =
= Had Polly followed the old bentof her in
clinations She would have taunted him
with being lazy and COOL for nothing; but
she dared not do thatnow; and yet she felt
obliged to say something, because she knew
that the spirit of her promise required that
she should be pleasant.
"Come in to rest, didn't ye, John ?"
"No-I Just, come in to get drink of
water, that's ALL" fl-Igs-T
.WOuldn't glass of spirits taste better9"
ID mo, Polly--nOt now. You know I've
made the promise, and mean to keep it if
God gives me strength"
i The wife's next words were spoken from
s.Hold on. John, let me get pail of fresh
water. That's been standin'."
81 can get it, Polly"
'.No"-still from the heart-'you are too
tired. I'll get it for you." .s1-
And away she went; and very shortly
John had drink of pure water, fresh from
the well; and when he had drank it he felt
no thirst for anything stronger.
Was it e,cold water which John had
drank that lightened his hoe when he re-
sumed his labor? No, it was something
that had reached down deeper into his soul
than that-simply A KIND WORD. And for
the remaining hour of the forenoon he
worked away, feeling that kindly spoken
word tightening his spirit as glass of rum
would never have done.
And how was it in the house?
In half an hour Polly Nudgkins was
humming to herself a tune-an old tune
and it was something she had not done be-
tore for long time. Surely something
must have occurred to send ray of sun
shine across her path, because such people
do not sing in the lowering of gloom.
Could it have been the effect OF her own
kindly word to her husband
Noon came, and dinner was ready. John
came in quite weary, and under the influ-
ence of the new spirit which Polly had
called up she really sympathized With him.
The provision for the meal was very mea-
ger, and if she had followed the habit of
years, she would have pointed out the fact,
and taken occasion thereupon to shower
abuse upon his head; but she could not do
that now. The humming of the old tune
had so softened her voice that without
much effort she kindly said:
- It's poor dinner, John, but it's the
best we have"
And John, all his old good nature aroused
by the magic touch of kind words, replied {:
sNeVer mind, Polly, We'll eat what we
fn- 0nh Phnr 70 1yofl III
have something better. If l don't drink
any more rum L shall save in two ways /;
l shall earn more, and l shan't spend so
much foolishly." .i.;.5 -
As Polly Nudgkins heard these words she
asked herself, if she he'd her husbands
welfare in her own hands? Aye-and not
only that but with his welfare, the welfare
of herself and his children. But would he
keep his promise?
And still small voice whispered within !:
Keep your own promise, and hope for
the best.''
On the following morning, when John
awoke, he heard his wife at work in the
kitchen, and when he had dressed himself
he crept out like culprit, expecting to be
abused for his laZiness. He did not think
it within the bounds of possibility for Polly
to hold, but he was mistaken. Polly had
been schooling herself, and was ready for
the fabors of the day.
swell, John, how do you feel this morn
ing?" u
He had been feeling, to use one of his
own expressions, ''kind o. streaked," but
those kindly spoken words, and the smile
which accompanied them, lifted his spirits
up in a moment.
"By glory ~ he cried, shaking himself IL
feel first rate"
He eat his breakfast and then went out
to work, but he did not work as he had
worked the day before. Towards night he
came in looking sad and detected, and he
sat dow with groan.
whats the matter, John ?' and his wife
came and sat down by his side.
''Polly, I'm afraid you'll have to give it
up"
The wife was startled. She was Just be-
ginning to dream of peace and comfort.
Could it be possible that the halt formed
fabric was going to tumble to pieces?
John, aren't you going to keep your
former promise?"
s'Oh, it isn't that, Polly. God knows 7
want to do all can, but am weak and
faint. can't work as l meant to work. /
have drank rum so long, and drank so much,
that it pulls me down terribly to break off
as / am doing now. 1t will take me two or
three days, perhaps week, to get strong
again, and in that time 1 can't work. I'm
all of atremble now. Oh, you don't know
how weak l am"
''And you want glass of spirits to"
mo, no!'' cried John, vehemently, 81
don't want any such thing"
''Then what do you want?" asked the
wife, earnestly. 'What can l do for you?''
The husband looked up wonderingly.
'Polly," he said, tremblingly, Il mean to
keep my promise; but can you keep yours
if l amt able to work %
There was much of fear-so much of
pray erfulness in the fainting mans look as
he spoke, that the wife felt her heart warm
ed toward him as it might have been warm
ed toward a suffering child. His face was
a mirror upon which she could read all his
thoughts and feelings. He wanted to sue
ceed-he wanted to conquer the enemy,
and he wanted help. He knew his weak
ness, and he feared that in the hour of his
sore distress, his wife's kindness would fail
him. She read it all-aH this and much
more as plainly as it could be spoken. At
that moment she could not, ha9She tried,
have spoken harshly. When he came to
her SO humbly and beseechingly for help,
she could not cast him off, and it cost her
no effort to put her arm around his neck
and say to him;
.sJotin, fear not for me. will keep my
promise if you will keep yours; and if
weakness and sickness come upon you from
your drinking, / will be good, kind nurse,
and help you all CAM
And then John let his head sink upon
his wife's bosom, and there he cried like a
child.