Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-09-17
4 Little Fun.

Ono day Carol went to see his Uncle
Frank and Aunt Emma. 1t was in Septem-
Der, and Aunt Emma had been making black.
berry wine, and when she put it away she
left one bottleon the table for Uncle Frank
to taste when he came in to dinner. After
dinner Uncle Frank poured out a tumbler.
full and drank it, 1t was new and sweet,
and looked pretty and red in the clear q ass
as he drank it.
That's good enongl said Uncle Frank
aud be poured out little more and handed
it to Carroll Carroll had signed the pledge
a few weeks before and though he felt a
little afraid way down in his heart, he said
bravey, No, Uncle Frank | signed the
pledge in school the other day
"Oh. well, said Uncle Frank, " this
won't do any hurt.
Yes twill" said Cal. Itll make
me break my pledge
Pooh who told you SOP"
my teacher.
"Well, she don't know; she's nothing
but girl, any way"
"Yes, she does, know a good lot, said
Cal and father says it will be breaking the
pledge to drink any kind of wine.
"Well, said Uncle Frank, this isn't
really wine yet, nothing but blackberry
juice and sugar just see now, just little
drop and he took spoon and put little
to Calls lips.
Gal struggled and tried to get away, but
he was only nine years old, aud Uncle
Frank was a great strong man, and some-
how Just little got into Calls mouth. 1t
was good and sweet, with just little smart
taste aud Uncle Frank laughed as Cal swal.
lowed IT, and joked him about it and he
thought it wasn't so bad after all.
Carol keptthinking about it good many
times that day, and he began to feel more
and more ashamed that he had swallowed
those few drops of wine. Now he was the
first one Of the boys that had done such a
thing since they signed the pledge, and he
thought, What's the use to try now2 |
don't care half so much about it as l did
before. There's no fun in saying never
broke my pledge but once want to say
| never broke it al all, or else not try tc
keep it.
Gal didn't tell his good father about il
when he went home that night. Oh, ifhC
only had After Cal had gone home that
night, Aunt Emma said to Uncle Frank
Frank, think it was too bad to make Cal
taste of that wine. "
"Oh, we'll, | only wanted a little fun with
him. He's such plucky little fellow,
like to joke him a little. They'll never
make drunkard of him.
All, Uncle Frank Tkey never will
You have done it yourself You wouldn'
have done it for the world, ifyou had stop
ped to think, if you could have seen ter
years ahead.
Ten years after, when Uncle Frank was
fifty and Cal nineteen, they met one night
and where2 Uncle Frank was going hom'
from work one night, when he saw hors'
coming racing wildly along with only the for'
wheels Of carriage attached to him. HC
was fortunate enough to stop the horse, anC
was leading the frightened animal back thu
way he came, thinking where he should 6nC
the owner all at once he saw the rest o
the carriage in heap by the side Of thu
road at distance from him but what il
that nearer2
Uncle Franks heart stopped beating fol
a moment. Could that be Cal? The clothe
were like his. lie hurried TO the spot
There lay his fair-haired nephew, cut anC
bleeding dead, for aught he knew. Will
trembling hands Uncle Frank turned Cali
face up to the light. 1t was growing cole
even then. A great cash in the templ'
and sharp, bloody stone near by told tb'
story. Carol was dead.
"Who would have thought it of Cal =?
was what Uncle Frank said to his wife tina
night.
Thoughtless Uncle Frank, it was only th'
the sad, sad end Of little fun.