The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-11-01
The Miniature.

Some years ago, when the temperance
movement was agitating the minds o
many-my own among others hac
been spending the evening with friend
who urged me with the warmth OF rea
friendship TO take the pledge. Now, ]
had never been a tippler, and it seemed
unmanly $50 / thought TO do so, as il
implied a want of confidence in my own
powers of resistance alas, did not like
TO remember how often they had been
tested and found wanting), and had
left him in an undecided and unsatis-
fled frame of mind. It was under these
circumstance that, while making nv
way up - street, my attention was
arrested by seeing a delicate, ladv-like
woman peering timOrously but earnest
ly in at the door of a great, glaring rum
palace / was the more surprised, be-
cause it was bitterly cold March even
ing, one of those when every one you
meet looks blue and withered; and the
gentle sex crowd around their comfOrta-
bic fires at home; and she was clearly
no frequenter of such places.
Feeling curious to know her object. I
went in and sat down in the parlor.
where there were some dozen persons
assembled. l was at once struck by the
appearance of young man, probably
about eight and twenty or thirty, who
was carrying on an animated argument
with gentleman near him, on the
rival merits of Burns and Tom Moore.
The aptness of his quotations, and point
OF his anecdote, showed him thoroughly
master of his subject, while the grace
and beauty of his language bespke the
scholar and accomplished gentleman.
The broad, high forehead, and the rest
less, dark gray eye, told of talent, if not
OF genius, and the small, white hand,
the eXquisitely modulated voice indi-
Gated gentle birth and breeding, all
strangely out of keeping with his dress
(which was slovenly in the extreme)
the place and his companions. As the
argument become more and more ami
mated, he tossed off glass after glass
With a rapidity that was astonishing,
and apparently almost uncOnsciously:
but the fiery alcohol began TO tell, and
abruptly breaking off the argument, he
poured forth a beautiful melody. His
auditors piled him with glass after glass
OF his favOrite rum, and song followed
song IN rapid succession; but alasl the
lire OF genius was fast fading from the
eye and giving place to the unmeaning
vacant stare of Semi-idiocy, and the
rich mellow voice was becoming thick
and uncertain. Conscious that he was
now as much beneath his hearers as he
was before above them, he rose and
staggered to the door; but the fatal
craving for stimulants was too strong
lor him to resist, and he stopped at the
bar 10 add one more drop to the liquid
lire that was madly coursing through
his manly veins.
Ana now again I noticed the anxious,
llmldl peering glance of the delicate
lady / had first observed outside, but
this time she had a little child i'm her
arms, a lovely little girl, of about five O.
six. She had her fathers rich br~
hair, which fell in clusterip~ wv
around her open forehead, az = curl
rounded shoulders, her . .d her fail
beaming with tender" ,ft. hazel eve
1ne ram was y less and affection
heid open th~ wv falling fast, and
ehlia 20 g. door for the lady and he
she r. Ter; with murmured thank
p' ..ssed in; and tremblingly al
,ahing her husband, said:
"John, dear, had you not better com
home? 1t is getting late"
An imprecation on her and her home
too, was the only answer, as he fun
the contents of the glass over her; wit
an oath he bade her begone, and whe
she turned to obey him, with sti
LGIGEL OaALlf lie DlAG AAIA 4EtAN I AAAl NAAAAA
The struggle in the mothers breast bC
tween fear for the child's safety and
desire to obey her husband was painful
apparent on her care-worn cOuntenanct
but she obeyed, placing the child nea
its father, and returned to her wear
watch outside the door. That he wa
proud and fond of his child, as he we
might be, was clear enough, but h
could scarcely stand steady a momen
and having taken the child up in N
arms, its danger was apparent to al
The tortured mother could no longC
bear the suspense, and she rushed in I
take the child. With an oath he wame
her off, and raised his arm to strike he
but the little peace-maker threw on
arm around his neck and the OthS
around its mothers, and, with gent
violence, drawing them together, saiC
"Dear papa, kiss mamma, don't strik
her.D
In an instant, the noble feeling sti
uncontaminated by the blighting infit
ence of drink, flushes his cheek an
brow, and tears, at the thought of th
base, cowardly act he had so nearly pei
petrated, rise to his ewes; drawing hi
gentle wife to him, as the little angel {
peace mad requested, he imprints kis
Poh het now sunlit face, and with OH
arm encircling that gentle. loving. lonc
ssunerlhg woman, he quits. LET rs hoH
forever, that dangerous place. Need
add that my doubts were soIvod or
the pledge? 4 ii"u take
some seven years after this ocou
renee, wa was passing the self-same hons
and all the circumstances came ,,i'';'i, iiOHS
back to my mind; curiosity ga l1n iol
haps a better feeling, prompted ~ pe
enquire if the same landlord was tbo,
and if he could tell anything of the ~
sons who had interested me. / briet
recalled the circumstances, and ask
him if he recollected them.
GAY, ay, sir" he said, "that little |;
YOU saw, lost me one Of my best Gus
mers. Mr.. -r' ] started at the nan
for it was one that was beginning to
Fame's trumpet. 'Mr. -, at