Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-05-22

the depth Of winter, just as they were turn
ing him out 1--WE never took him before the
magistrate- if We could avoid it) noticed
that be wds without the tattered old shoes he
generally wore: 50 | bethought me Of the old
boots lying idle in the cupboard, and, calling
him, got them out.
- See if You can squeeze your feet into
these, said. =. If you don't sell them fol
gin, they may carry you along for month
OF Sd.
q" No fear, cuss the gin, he replied, as he
sQuattcd down On that stool there % pull the
boots on.
3. 4 tell what it is, Bill Herd, say It's
him If You don't alter your course. these
boots will last quite long enough 70 carry You
to a madhouse; or worse still, perhaps to the
place where they left their last owner.
'Where'7 thatG says he.
.' To the sal9ws. IHcy are Thom s Pat
ten old boots. You know the man l allude
to-
.'My dear -ir, it was sight TO see him
then assure YOU lie started up with a
yell, and held ont the foot with the boot on
it rs though something within it was singing
him and causing him lrightul pain, while
! his staring eyes were ED blo1dsAot. and his
/ limbs tremhleI as though shaken by palsy
| men ne sjt me Door ol' ana then, standing
with bis naked feet ou the cold stones, he
| seemed chang ii from drlnkea brute to "a
sober man.
J. d ralaei "1!A NY o'hes NaIe lnan wear
| en- saII he 4 IN 9au enough, the Lord
| knows no better than brute beast: but
am glad a5 yet % wear murder 5 boots.
IA4nHy l'f Iae les'-h' however ny leet
Snall nave screaming l'-''F lAey never
did nel5Ie-
eH' l1e sllil s.'N % aniu'e Us
awhile ana the detes'ed .''t7 were hung
PACK INTO tue ca BOARD AGAIN e made no
DOUBT lHat me lesson he had received would
wash ol1 I'D the hlst quart 0i Deer he drank
ana that ais usual, we should nave T. provide
him lodgings on Saturday night. When we
found that he dld not trouble us, we sct 1t
down in our MINDS that he was HI-that he
Tag drank himself down to bed OF sickness
H. last Two, three weeks passed, and then.
me day when was sitting here alone. Bill
leg made ms appearance. torthe moment
ma l'L serve that ne was anaec'u lahied-
" Here again, then p said |. reaching up
Iar the charge book and then noticed that
be- was not only alone. but that be was per
ie-tly Dor, and much better dressed than |
ial mtherI1 seen hlm.
'' What ID you want Who brought You
here asked hlm.
90 Nobody, sir, he replied. haven { /
been drunk-haTen touched SO much as a |
glass o.. -in since you last saw ne 1t Is be
cause fear that | am Just on the brink Of
breaking out again that have ventnrcd here !
10 ASK OF you @ la'ol.
" W hat is 1t ?
want You ID give me OF sell me the |
boots that belonged to- Io-ne'er mInd who I
you know SIR.
80 hat tatJen boots surely F'u /
don't mean those
'' No others. SIR lj lsn because that /
haven glt "a Ialr,-and as he spoke he held /
up one oi q very Sool laI ou' because
feel like iailns out oil my ri5lt' ana want
another dose TO hold me quiet
ou may nave tneh' anu WeicvL'c'
Bill, said l, and couldn ioroear laughing
at the recollection you s1lpped en- on
pretty quick the last time you Lad them on
however, You shall have them Il yo" nancy
them
80 There you're wrong. SIR, he replied |
with an earnestnes7 that was startling. II
is no fancy. ltis because / hate en- that
want em and what is more. want .em to
wear EN-. Nothing weaker than them hoT-
rid things is strong enough 70 hold me back
from the drink. Good resolutions won do
it-all that my vile can beg and pray Is not
equal to it. I've kept it OF for three weeks
now: but You dom know what We suffered
1t is worse than hungerins for bread, is thirst
ing for gin, when once you We made ltyour
food. 1t haunts mo Ii peeps out at me IN
brimming measures and IN tempting wide
mouthed glasses from the dark corners oi the
shoop. / sweat Of it the harder 1 work, and
its tricklmg down my face drives me mad,
almost | go to bed nights only to dream of
1t. For the Lords sake, let me have the
boots shall never beable to make a strong
stand against temptation until have them
on
"Of course YOU had no hesitation in
giving him what he desired, after such an
appeal p remarked.
:. Of course got them out for him at
once. There they are, my lad, said l.
.. II they only do half as much good as You