The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1870-07-14

anu SUI fciibS, Wdueu through III
deep snow, with my clothes in tat
tiers, and my freezing feet almos
bare. And | saw other children 0
my own age dressed warm and com
Portable, and | knew :hey were hap,
Ply; for they laughed and sang a
they bounded along toward school
Those boys had sober fathers.
knew that their fathers were no bet
ter than mine had been once; for m,
mother had told me how noble m,
father could be if rum were not il
his way.
Time passed on, and | was eign
years old-and those eight year.
had been of such sorrow and suffer
ing as | pray God l may never
again experience. At length, one
cold morning, in the dead of winter
my father was not at home. Ill,
had not been at home through the
night. My mother sent me to the
tavern to see if | could find him.
had not gone half the way when
saw something in the snow by the
side of the road. | stoppea, and g
shudder ran through me, for it looked
like a human form. / went up to il
aud turned the head over and brush.
ed the snow from the face. 1t was
| my father, and he was stiff and cold!
| laid my hand upon his pale brow,
and it was like solid marble. He
was dead
went to the tavern and told the
people there what | mad found, and
the landlord sent two of his men to
carry the frozen body of my father
home. 0 shipmates! l cannot tell
you how my poor mother wept and
groaned. She sank down upon her
knees and clasped that icy corpse to
her heart, as though she would have
given it life from the warmth of her
own breast. She loved her husband
through all his errors, and her love
was all-powerfHl now. The two men
went away and left the dead body
still on the floor. My mother whis-
pered to me to come and kneel by
her side. | did so. My child she
said to me, and the big tears were
yet rolling down her checks, you
know what has caused all this. This
man was once as noble and happy
and true as man can be; but, oh !!
see how he has been stricken down !!
Promise me, my child, oh promise,
here, before God and your dead
father, and your broken hearted
mother, that you will never, never,
never touch single drop of the ia
tai poison that has wrought for us
all this misery !
"Shipmates, did promise all my
mother asked, aud God knows to
this moment that promise has never
been broken. My father was buried,
and some good, kind neigbbors help
ed us through the winter. When
the next spring came, | could work,
and earned something for my moth
err, at length | founi chance to
ship; and every time | go home l
have some money for my mother.
Not for the wealth of the whole
world would | break the pledge |
gave my mother ard my God on that
dark, cold morning. That is all
shlpma tes. Let me go now, and you
may enjoy yourselves alone, for do
not bel eve that you will again urge
me to drink"
AS Jack thus spoke, he turned
toward the door, but one of us stop
ped hin.
"Hold on, Jack" said he, wiping
his eyes, "You shan't go alone. |
have got mother, and | love her
as well as you love yours, and your
mother shall not be happier than
mine for swear that she shall not
have drunken son. I'll drink no
more -
GIVE me your hand, old fellow 7"
exclaimed the rest of us in chorus,
starting from our seats; and before
many minutes we all agreed t, imi-
tate Jacks noble resolution. We
called tor pen, ink and paper, and
made Jack draw up pledge. He
signed it first and we followed him,
and when the deed was done, | know
we were far happier than we had
been for years. The wine upon the
table was not touched, and the liq-
uor we had drank during the fore
noon was now all gone in. its effect.
Toward evening we returned to
the ship. There was fIown upon
the captains brow as we came over
the side, for he had never known us
to come off from days liberty So
Der. But when We all came over
the side and reported ourselves to
him, his cOuntenance lighted up. He
could hardly give credit to the evil
dence of his own sense.
"Boys," said he, "what does this
mean?"
"Snow him the paper" whispered
Jack had our pledge, and without
speaking he handed it to the captain.
He took it and read it, and his face
changed it's expression several
times. At length, saw tear start
to his eyes.
"Boys," he said, as he folded up
the paper, "let me keep this, and il
you stick to your noble resolution
you shall never want a friend while l
live"
We let the captain keep the paper,
and when he had put it in his peck,
ct, he came and took us each in turn
by the hand. He was much affect
ed, and | knew the circumstance
made him happy. From that day
our prospects frightened. Jack
Small no more had our envy; for he
took hold and taught us in navIga
ton and we were proud of him. OI
the next voyage we all six rated as
| able seamen, and received full wa
ges, and we left not that noble-heart.
ed captain until we left to become
officers on board other ships.
Jack Sm all is now one of the best
masters in the world, and | believ.
that the rest of our party are still
living, honored and respected men
Three years ago We all met, the
whole six OF us, at dinner again, ant
not one OF us had broken that pledg'
which we made in the hotel at Rio
We had all stuck to the sea, ant
were then commanders of goot
ships.
This is my story, and now yol
know why l can't drink with you
and, as said at first, will not tax
my refusal as a mark of disrespect o
want of good fellowship.
| The Democratic papers are nov
engaged in the task of showing tina
there was nothing romantic abou
Sheridan's famous ride. As Sher
| dan rode twapty milas altar III a haiti