The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-01-19
glbang gegistrr.
mrs. ylnal-s Experiment.
~ HARLAN E. WARD.

alton 1T bay. Ine GRIM. S1lllt Won I
tbat John Vinal's drinking habits had
80 long allowed to draw nearer and
l1rsrer the door, at least had entered it.
',oh, my poor, worse than father-
less children" wept Harriet Ninal'
sinking hOpelesS.y into hokcn chair. I
what will become of you -
Then she locked about her on tne
terrible slualor OF what had once been
happy home, and thought how many
other homes like hers Ind been ruth
lessly wrecked that one man might
gorge himself with hi, riches; and in
m ihstaht her resolution was formed.
Simon Copperwaite should see his
works.
Tie village li9uor-seler was seated
gloatingly behind his well patronized
bar when woman scantily clad and
shiyering from the altnmnal winds, eli
tered the room. and, looking neither
TO the right or leil, walked MP to him
and said in tones so solemn that be
couldnotrepress an Involuntary shud-
der:
"Simoa Coppcrwaite, will you
come with me
" I 90 with yNu? where to s. .Tied
he, almost believing that she had lost
her senses.
"Never mind where to--I will lead
the way, and the woman drew her
poor, thin shawl more tightly around
her sliiyering form and tnraed toward
the door.
There was something in her voice
and manner TINT seemed to magnetize
him, and more from that than nay
tree yoliton he called one OF bis hire
lings to the bar antl followed her cat
into the ait.
Woman. where are yon leading
me:s'' be demanded, after they hid
walked in silence for some minutes.
lam taking you to see IL drunk !
ards home." She hiS;ei, grlspiug lis
arm as If fearful that he wonitl seek to
escape; but something seemed to Urge |
him to go on.
They reached the wretched domieil /
which Vinal called hone.
Without a word, Nj Viual, for it (
WAS she, began to point to its utter !
degradation. A. silently rs she, he
looked around him.
: Mother, have you gomez" said a |
ftiIE voice in one corner. ''And did I
you bring Us anytling to eat. for We
are, Oh, SO hungry p
The mother quickly lita fragment Of
acindie. Then she seized the rum
seller and dragged him to the corner.
+" There, : Size said, pointing to the
thin, wan features Of the two children
nestled there. ssTllere, Simon Cop
perwaite, behold your work ="
The runl-sallers drew back in I'M
affected horror.
My God" he cried. II had not
thought of tilis-bat John Xinal Shall
never have another drop from me,
plead as he inay.."
''Oh mother pleaded the child,
do give us just one crlunb apiece,
Mrtie and me, We feel so faint
Just then John Vinal entered. The
a1lnl-seler turned upon him tierccly.
= What do yon mean, John Vinal:"
ne cried out, drinking and spending I
your money feT rum, while your wife
and children are actually starving |
Have you no manliness about you!" |
But John vinal was nearly sober !
then, ahd lie replied with elnal firm
ness :
"Simon COpperwalte, what did you |
mean by selling me liquor till forgot !
my dear ones IN the maddening pleas |
Wes of the bowl? Why have you ours
I'd me all these years with your en-
ticeMeIGs to drink at your acc,lrse,l
bar? Why do YOU sell The poison that
Is killing me, and numbering my loved
ones. while bound helpless in the
chains OF the destroyer writlle and
groaR from day to day:"
/" Yes" said Harriet Vinal, with a
sigh that seemed to rend her very
healt-strings, ''my husband was kind
once-'tis you, and you alone, that
has made him what lie IL now. Yon
have led him, as you have led many
others into your accuFsed tolls, and
now you behold your work all around
you. Are you not proud OF it!n
Before God, exclaimed Simon I
Copperwaite, so!emnly. II never .
dreamed Of this. ! knew ii did not {
Acll liquor somebody else would do II, G
and 50 went to selling. But never l
thought such abject misery would dow I
from it as this" t
''0T home il not the only one that a
has been strieken--n you will go with c
me still further will show you others I
whose inmates yon are starving"
said Mrs.. Vinal, steriily. VIII you {
come ?'' 4
But Mr.. Copperwaite had seen I
enough. Taking his pocketbook. he {
placed q tanknote in Hngriet Vmal's
hand.
"Take that" he said, .'as part of
The reparation' that | owe you. To-
morrow will speak with You farther
on this point, if you will come to my
house.
And turning from the miserable
sb0des the drunkartI-inaher walked
away with sucii sense Of the ntiseries
engendered BY the liquor traffic and
the criminality of those like him.
whose wealth was built on others
woes, as had never dawned upon ms
guilty soul before. The conscience
which he possessed, which all men.
however deeply stepped in guilt and
crime, possess, though 1t may long be
dormant, was at last awakened, and
be conld,not endure the close atinos-
pherc Of the bar-rOom laden with vile
fumes; and muttering something to
the satellite who tended, about the
lateness Of the hour, be retired to bis
couch, but not to sleep. The battle
between conscience and the love Of
gain was raging all too fiercely.
The picture Of that drlnkard's home
= n 1