The Shasta courier., 1869-04-17
Toms First " Drunk,

at the eating house near the store; but
this was the first time he had been sensibly
overcome by any strong drink His father
bad brandy and wine in the closet, never
on the table, always under lock and key
never supposing that the boy had key,
too, to the same closet. Boys are pretty
sharp-sharper than some excellent fathers
suppose. The fable OF the old crab who
told the young crab that he ought to 90
straight instead of sidewise, and who met
the response from crab junior, "Wn, do
you 60 sidewise yourselfH has its echo
in the household life of many father and
son to-day. 1t was the case in this instance.
The good old man wanted the boy to do
we'll He did his best to conceal from him
and the rest of the family his own appetite
for the strong drink He would not open
ly and willingly have set him bad ex-
ample; but when the paternal tongue
moves thickly, the paterna eyes blink and
grow bloodshot, and the paternal nose be-
comes rubicund, there is no lock so strong,
no key so complicated as to shut the
secret from the family and from the world
Tom not only knewsthat his father drank,
but he drank from his fathers bottles.
1t was a bright September afternoon
Tom had been playing baseball with some
of his friends; or rather, he had been
trying to play; for there was an unsteadiness
about his gait, and wildness in his eye
which made it as probable that he would
hit somebody in the head with the ball as
that he would send it as balls ought to be
sent. He was excused, and his place filled
by somebody else. Feeling badly, he
wanted to lie down on the grass but a
couple of kind friends perceived what was
the matter with him, aud thought he had
better go home while he was at least par
italy able to work his own passage. "Come,
Tom, we will go home with you. Stand
up like man, old fellow. Here's an arm
on each side of you. Now, put one foot
before the other, and move along" But
the stupe6ed brain refused to telegraph
word down to the unwilling feet which
way to go, Or what to do, and Tom didn't
move along in good style. Something's
got to be done, boys-quick, too; for he's
getting bad. And poor Tom, getting
every minute more limp and helpless, un-
consciously resigned himself into their
hands, that they might do whatsoever they
pleased with him. A grocer's large wheel
barrow was brought into requsition, and,
with his head dropping to one side, and his
legs dangling over the end of the uncom-
, Portable vehicle, poor Tom rode to the door
of his fathers house. Father was out, and
the friends lifted the poor lad upstairs and
laid him out on sofa, where he slept and
snored as onl ly those who are under the
influence of strong drink do sleep and
snore.
The sleeping and the snoring go on for
while, and pa comes home The room
where the favorite closet-is, is the same to
which Tom has been carried, and is the
first room in the house which the old gen
tleman visits. As he goes to unlock the
closet, he sees and hears the slumbering
and snoring Tom Shall he be angry, or
shall he pity him? He hardly knows
which Never was he SO embarrassed in his
life. His own son-evidently drunk
Drunk by his fathers example No! stop
a moment. 'Was | ever drunk ?" Did |
he ever see me in this condition 2" No,
he didn't; the young rascal He ought to
be thrashed. Needs lesson now at the
beginning, and perhaps he will never do it
again acaU thrash him, big as he IS
Here, Tom Wake up there, sir . What's
the meaning of this! Give an account
of yourself, sir -
But it is hard work to wake the poor
boy out of his drunken sleep. Let him
sleep on, old gentleman, and he will give
you an account of himself when he wakes
up. You will take your little nip"
meantime, will you? And do you notice
any diminution in the amount of brandy in
that bottle as you take it out of the closet
Not particularly. You do not scrutinize
very closely as you quietly withdraw it
from the closet and as quietly put it back
again.
WE'LL after while the alcohol goes out
of the boys brain, and he begins to be
himself again. But it is slow aud stupid
work Poor fellow 1t would be ridicu-
lous were it not so sad
Where am |, and what's the matter p
Matter enough" responds the old man
in no very mild tones. You are drunk,
sir That's what's the matter y
D-d-d-runk? d-d-d-runk? d-d-did you
--hic-say. d-d-d-ad?"
Yes, sir; you've been lying here, in
my house, dead drunk Drunk as a fool
Now, what have you to say for yourself?''
Sa-a-a-ay? Wh-h-hy-fact is-h'c-
fact is-h'c-d-d- dad, LII g g-got the
-out-out-o' your b-b-bott-h'c-bot-
tie ~.
"Out of my bottle. o God. And is
n,y son drunk, for the first time, out Of his
own fathers bottle? 0 God forgive him
and forgive me !"
And the old man rushed to the closet,
took his brandy bottle, and his gin-bottle,
and his wine-bottle, and dashed them down
on the stone floor of the fireplace, and
said, "God help me never to touch liquor
again and God help poor Tom." And
then he put his arms round poor Toms
neck and cried like baby.
Poor old man The fetters were upon
him, and the shaking of them off was not