Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-05-18
M i - c e l / a II v.
A FATHERS STORY.
BY G. W.

ratuei teii US story, pieaSe.
"a story! What about? ?"
"About when you was boy"
"Well, story it is then. l will tell
you an experience Of my boyhood which
may benefit you some, perhaps" and lift
ing the little four years old Minnie upon
his knee, the father said -"George and
Harry, perhaps this story may interest
you as well as the younger ones. Atany
rate it will do you no harm to hear it."
The boys put away their states and al
gebras, and took their seats near their
father.
"When | was about sixteen years old
my father apprenticcd me to an uncle to
learn the window blind trade. | had
been very carefully trained, for your
grandfather was always as strict a tenn
perance man as he is now, and | mad new
er been allowed to taste of ardent spirits.
NY uncle, as / lpArnSi "a duo tir,a. mos
very fond of his glass, but knowing fa-
ceal from him knowledge Of his habit.
| had not worked for him long before l
noticed that he would often plead head
ache, or some other ailment, for which
there was no cure but little rum, gin or
brandy, aud il l complained of illness he
would recommend the same to me. | was
too innocent at first 10 see motive in
this, but at last | began to see evidences
that my uncle was Incorporate. 1t was
then more fashionable for people to in
dulge in liquor than it is now-a-dsys. In-
deed, men were sneered at, it not willing
to indulge in, a social glass with friend.
My uncle was in bonlage to me, because
of my strict and careful training, but,
boy as | was, did not know it. But |
had often noticed that if he could persuade
me into taking drop or two of something
for my stomach's sake, he always indalged
more freely himself afterwards. | didn't
mean ever to do anything to violate my
temperance principles, but boys cour-
age is somehow weak to resist the allure
ments to temptation. One day, | shall
never forget it, | went with my uncle to
hang some window blinds. We had sew
eral contracts to fulfill, in different places,
and were to be several days absent from
home. The evening of the first day we
stopped at tavern to stay over night
We were weary with our labors and trav-
els, and | was feeling slightly indisposed
from the headache. A crowd of loafers
were lounging in the bar-room when we
entered, and | felt a shrinking sensation
in the presence of that class of people,
with whom | had never been allowed to
mingle. But my uncle, nothing dauntcd,
went up to the counter and called for two
glasses of brandy. They we're set before
him, when he said to me,
"sCome, John, and take something to
cure your headache n
al don't want any anything, uncle, |
said, in faltering tone.
".What are you afraid Of said he' IN
clustering way, 'itwon't hurt you. Come
take it twill do you good.'ae sdl ai2
| Conscious that the attention Of every
rowdy in the room was upon me, with a
lack of moral courage that the moment
after tinged my cheeks with shame, !
raised the glass to my lips and took my
first drink of liquor. o how sorry, how
ashamed [ felt moment afterwards, es'
pecially whom my uncle, emboldened BY
the ready surrender Of my principles
drank without fear Of reproach, and join
ed in the low ribaldries Of the bar-room
| | can never express to you how degraded
felt. / had thrown away the pioul
teachings Of years, the principles which
bad thought iadeliby impressed upon ~,