Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-10-04
Q, |; J. s ! |;
WALrER GoRnax,s Resolution.
By HoRATro ALGER, .JH.


BY HoRATro ALdER, .JE.
Step by step, Walter Gordon had sunk
from position of respectabilifyto to that Of
confirmed inebriate. When be COM
menced visiting the tavern at which liq-
uor was dealt out, he did 20 with n feeling
OF shame, which led him to 90 ct =, time
when he was likely to meet few persons,
But as the habit grew upon him, he be-
came much more reckless Of public opin-
ion. Gradually his income from his busi.
ness-he was carpenter diminished;
people being afraid TO tras: him with COM
missions, for they would probably have to
wait longer time than was convenient.
Walter was married man. At the age
! Ioftwenty-fiye he had united himself to an
estimable girl, who though she brought
him little in the way Of worldly. goods
proved an excellent wife. t
They had been married ten years, and
had one child, a boy Of six, the sole fruit
OF the union. Charley Gordon was a
bright. rosy-cheeked boy, with merry
ways that might have gladdened any faith
er's heart. 'ets X3a,T
iOf course their worldly circumstances
had been sensibly effected by Mir. Cor
don course. Dollar by dollar, the hoard
IN the savings bank had dwindled away.
domestic comforts. It cost Mrs. Gordon
a long fit OF weeping, when one day the
landlord of the village tavern, rough
man, with neither principle or refinement,
drove up to the door, and on upening II
announced that he would take the sofa.
1.-The sofa y exclaimed. Mrs Gordon in
amazement.
Certainly Hasn't your husband told
you about 1t ?" 4s eli
'.Why should he tell me p inquired the
wife, not suspecting the truth
Hes sold it to me-" said the landlord,
looking shame faced, in spite Of his brazen
effrontery. A ssss
"And without saying word to me
about it p e8 e41 Is CO..
That's his affair, not NINE"
"What induced him to sell it? How
much do you give him for it ?"
| "He was owing me q debt-a matter Of
fifteen or twenty dollars" muttered the
landlord. H@f ftf& es1 9iat
"And this debt was for rum, / sup.
pose," said Mrs. Gordon. bending her
eyes scarchingly upon the landlord. like
an accusing spirit.
"Well, and suppose II was. / suppose
its debt for all that" wo'
| '.You can take the sofa.n said Mrs. Cor.
don; ''it is in that room. But Iwarn you,
John Glover, that the riches which you
are fast accumulattng will bring you no
happiness. Running the souls and bodies
OF your iellow-men is great price to pay
for wealth."
"When l want to hear preaching / can
60 to church," muttered the landlord, .
little uneasy in his conscience at the words
of his victims wife, callous as he had be.
come.
A month afterwards the Gordons moved
from the comfortable house which be had
hitherto occupied, to miserable old build
ing which had not been tenanted for a
long time. and ought to have been pulled
down. But ii lad fallen into the hands Of
John Glover, the tavern keeper before re-
ferred to, and he had persuaded his vic
tim to hire it. t'Sss<
Sad days succeeded the removal. First.
the physical discomfort of living in such
a miserable shell was not small. n 1t afford
ed scanty protection, and the discomfort
was increased by the deficiency Of suita-
BILE furniture.
All that was good had gone the same AZ
the sofa. Not carpet was left, and but
single stove. So they were obliged to
live, during the cold season. in one room.
Walter Gordon, however, was seldom at
home. 1t had long since lost all Its at
fractions for him, and he was generally
| to be found in the bar-room, where the
landlord was gracious. and his drunken
hilarity and jest were applauded by the
company. 1t was not quite time for the
landlord to break with him. That he
would defer until his victim was complete
ly ruined, and there was no prospect of
his squeezing any more money out Of
him. 4ae
One night Walter Gordon had remained
IN the bar-room longer than usual. He
remained until all his companions had
slipped off one by one. and he was left
alone. He, too. would have gone, had he
not fallen into drunken stupor, which
had left him half insensible TO what was
going on. Half insensible, l say, for
events proved that he was not wholly so.
| At this time a stranger entered the room
and wished TO speak with the landlord
apart. s+HJ
II have no fire elsewher, said the land.
lord. "You can speak freely here.''
But" expostulated the stranger,
pointing over his shoulder at Walter Cor.
"Oh. that will make no difference. H's
a poor drunken fellow. and is far enough
over the bay not to comprehend anything
that is going on
"Faugh!" said the other. II should not
think you would harbor such miserable
fellows AS he"
Il shan't much longer. l have most
cleaned him out, and when have, shall
order him off, 'eH
With this they proceeded to business.
which was Of character not to require
| further attention.
The landlord supposed Walter Gordon
was too far gone to hear what was said.
Perhaps it would not have troubled him
much il he had known that il was mis-.
take. ar sa
4 Walter Gordon did hear the last words
that were spoken, being, as has been said.
only half unconscious. He had still man.
hood enough left to feel the full measure
of his degradation. Now it was present.
ed to him in q way that was humiliating
enough. ab
| $50 I'm a poor drunken fellow,- thOucht