The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-03-12
THE LAST TIME.
A TEMPERANCE STORY.
SCtoME IN JOHN, and let us hav,


~ something warming. There's moth
ing like it, after a hard days work, to
cheer man up"
"Thank you, Joe not tonight"
Have You signed the pledge--gone
over to the enemyP"
"No-not that, but, the truth is, Joe,
promised that little woman of mine to be
home early tonight, and--and"
"Tut, man, you're not going to allow
yourself to be tied by woman's apron
string in that style, are youP That will
be good joke to tell the boys. Come in
and take a glass, or I'll blow"
John Burns weakest point of character
was dread of ridicule. This his compan-
ion well knew, and had chosen his weapons
accordingly; and now he stood holding the
door half open, allowing the light and
warmth, and boon companions within to
aid him in his purpose, forming, as they
did, a striking contrast to the wet, muddy
street.
John Burns hesitated one moment before
he entered, while there arose before his
minds eye pale pleading little face that
had been lifted to his that morning, and a
sweet voice had pleaded "Come home
early tonight, dear; l shall have such a
nice supper and please don't let it spoil"
She had spoken playfully, without any
allusion to his besetting sin; yet he well un-
derstood the wstful pleading of the blue
eyes, the deep undercurrent of feeling that
caused the tremor in the musical voice.
Knowing this, he had promised, sealing
the promise with kiss, holy in its tender
ness. She was waiting for him now, he
knew; peering out into the storm to see if
he was coming. The knowledge made him
strong. Love had nearly gained the vic
tory; but the temper was at hand and the
| influences of the place were around him.
| He yielded, and when once in he was in no
haste to leave, for though the weight of a
broken promise was upon him. and the
thought of the cheerful home and the pa
tient wife that awaited his coming, caused
his conscience to upbraid him, he found it
hard to tear himself away from the gay
company and the light and warmth of the
place to 60 out into the drizzly rain and
cold, damp streets, for though the month
was June, the day would have been more
in place in November-one of those cold,
disagreeable days that our northern climate
sometimes thrusts in among the June
roses.
John Burns and Joe Herney were me-
chanics, working for the same employer
and receiving the same amount of wages;
but their circumstances in life were very
| different.
John Burns was one of those people of
whom we frequently hear it said: I" He is
his own worst enemy" He was kind and
generous to fault, but he lacked firmness
of character. With Herney everything
seemed 10 prosper, for though drinking a
glass occasionally, he never drank to excess
BY nature he was grasping and penurious.
Upon the evening in question, as soon as
the two men had received and drank the
the liquor they had called for, Joe Herney
paid for his glass and passed out, but the
temptation of the place was upon Burns,
and the shades of twilight had deepencd
into night ere he turned his unsteady steps
homeward. A walk of half an hour
through the wet and gloom brought him to
a small cottage in the suburbs of the city.
A pretty place, when seen in the sunshine,
with It's clinging vines and sheltering trees
but looking gloomy enough in the darkness
au6 ctorpn with tho wind ,uo ilin,r ,,rnuol,
the trees and strewing the path with the
petals Of John Burns choicest roses.
He paused under the vine-sheltered door
way to gain courage to enter. How should
he meet those earnest blue eyes that had
never given him an unkind look, even when
heavy with the weight of unShed tears?
He knew she was waiting for him, for out
through the halfopen shutter came tide
Of bright light, and he could catch a
glimse of the cosy home scene. While he
stood thus, the sound of approaching foot
steps and the utterance of his own name
arrested his attention.
"Oh, it is sure to be sold John Burns
will never pay off the mortgage"
lie may get an extension of time, or
borrow the money"
"No. Harcliff is not the man to wait
for his money. And who would lend money
to man like BunsP He spends too much
time and money at the drinking saloons for
his credit to be good. You should have
seen him tonight at Williams spending
his money as though there was no end to
| itn