The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-04-05
A BAND OF HOPE.
HAPTER /.

he Town CLOCK pealeu the nOur OF
nine, on the last nj ht of the old year
The clouds which had all day hung
heavy and gloomy were now silently
falling into bits, covering the earth with
amantle Of purity. In the upper part
Of the town, there was silence in de.
serted streets, for all were within enjoy.
ing comfortable homes, and bright fire.
sides but down alongside the black and
turbid river where, in rows of dingy
houses, dwelt many wretched and com.
FORTRESS poor, the streets were neither
quiet nor dark, at the corner of every
block there stood beer saloon with its
arch ofjewelled lights sparkling in the
gloom Of the street while the gay music
from within attracted many passer by,
made him pause, enter, there to empty
his pockets; and craze his brain with
the poison that kills both body and soul.
In front of one of these places of attrac
tive misery. the full glare of the light
shining on their rags, and pinched. wan
faces, stood three children listening to
the sounds Of revelry and merriment
within, and casting anxious glances, as
the door swings to and fro.
do wish father would conse," said
Kassy, the Oldest, delicate girl of
fifteen, as she drew the thin, old shawl
around her own and her sisters shiver.
ing form; " if he only knew how much
mother wants him."
81 don't wonder he likes to stay in
there, where it is warm and light and
NICE" said Sylvia; sat home it's so
dark and cold; and mother cries so
much. What makes her cry, Kassy?"
know" said Thee, shaking his fist
at the door; "it's because father comes
here and gets drunk, and leaves us with
nothing to eat, and then he's cross, and
strikes us, and scolds mother. It's too
bad When I'm a man I'll kill all the
men who make liquor, so / will II
"Hush Y said Kassy, as the angry
little voice was broken by sob; "you
must not talk of killing. What if the
police should hear you Come up on
the door step and I'll wrap my dress
around you nice and warm-he'll not
be long now"
Did father use to drink ?" asked
Sylvia. when they were nestled together
in the shadow Of doorway.
"Oh no." Kassy answered cheerfully.
4" remember when he was so nice, and
good, and strong, as he could be, and
our home was beautiful, and mother
would laugh and sing all day long; it's
very different now p
~ suppose he'll go on getting drunk
always and always" said Theo from his
corner.
"We'll hope not; if he'd only sign
the pledge | think it would cure
him." said Kassy. "There he comes,
now must help him home you keep
close behind-he'd be angry if he should |
see you"
Up the long street where the gloom
seemed to press quickly upon the glare
of the gas lights, Kassy led her father
while the children fright.
ened and shivering, closely followed.
Often and often had this faithful daugh.
ter been like guardian angel to her
fathers staggering feet, when but for
her he might have persisted by the way.
Once he had been strong, upright
man, with firm step and steady hand.
Kassy remembered his better days, but
the younger children only knew him as
he was now, with feeble gait, shaking
hands, and blood-shot eyes,-a poor,
pitiful wreck, that l think the angels
could hardly have reached in the depth
Of degradation to which he had sunk.
| am sure that no one but an angel
could have reached him. An old ira.
dition which tells how the angels fell
from Paradise, says that "the thread
that first drew them was as thin as O
cobweb, but they did not resist it, and
it grew as strong as a cable" So it was
with Joseph Burd; he had not resisted
The cobweb, and now the cable bound
him hand and foot, and he had no
power to rise again. His children
formed the last link that bound him to
God and his fellow men. In his sober
moments he took great delight and
pride in these dear ones whom God had