The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-31

! gives me bread for my children Rum
| drinking brings some 10 sorrow. Bat
[ they'd drink i somewhere, and why EOt
I here: / cant let Iay wife 20 20 the pool
/ house. and take our little. helpless Ia
| bics with her. | can't DO that It. Il.y
living you are trying 20 pray away. hur
/ do il II you can.
lie Terched hilu--i. Up uu Jl.~ cOuHf,l
| then. AMI folded hi> arms and down. they
Went Oh their knees. and how they pray
ed, Even the old loairrs at the store
kept still; and when one old lady lifted
up her voice high and shrill over the
rest and said
'-Oh. God. Let one who has -gu>
plead Tor the son> of other women. Save
them from the drunhard'> lie and the
drunkard's grave"
/ heard old Timothy Ha-an. who was
not sober once a year, sob Ike baby.
Pray. pray. pray. oh, they meant
1t. all those women. and | think the Iio
ly Spirit of the Lord came down amoE.s-t
EN-. il seemed 20 grow 80 holy al aaour
them.
And all ot a sudden there was another
woman kneeling there with baby in lIyr
arms. for all the world like the pictures
of Mary, the mother, with the holy child
on her breast. And above all the voices
rose her voice sweet and strong.
God. look down in mercy" said she,
and wash our hands of this crime Let II-
starve. If We must, but don't let III hur-
~ others to worse than death; don't let
us be drunkard-makcTs. Save Us. save
us, save us
Ii was Fanny TadfOrd, and knew by
the look that came into her husband :
face that that the praying band would
90 away happy from Tadford'S.
He rose To his feet. TadfOrd did.
Lord help me-" said lie. IN sell
liquor no longer If | perish, perish,
but I'll do right. Get up, Fanny, unless
you are kneeling there TO thank Him; :;
for you've got your way at last My
men help me, will you, 10 pitch the liz
uOr into the street,
He did it-Tadford did-and everyone
helped him, lOafers and all. To he sure
some of 'em went off with bottles i'll
their pockets, and old Hagan filled his
greasy hat with gin, but out the liquor
Went, these women thanking God all the
time, until they came to the old barrel
of hard cider
1t took two men to shoulder that for
it was full. Tadford was one. As he
lifted, the big veins started out on his
forehead, and he staggered, but ont Ii
went like the rest, and down the yellow
stuff poured into the gutter, and one old
praying lady gave loud scream Of joy.
And Fanny Tadfori, she gave another
scream, and / saw her run toward the
spot where the barrel had stood and
pick something up.
Uncle Rigg;tn, She says To !ur. catch
hold Of mc-l'm turning faint. I've
found It, I've found it,
And 10. and behold, there was old
Tadford's oil silk bag i'll her hands, and
in it the coupon bonds, all sound and
safe. They We're ten thousand dollars
the richer for the emptyin@ Of tlIat Old
barrel. for tine bag was just beginning to
rot, and in Il little while longer the cuu-
pom bonds would have been destroyed.
The praying band found out wiIdt had
happened, and there never were such
glad folks before. They are good wo-
iucu-mo doubt about it.
Yes, of course, the old man lid the
bag where it WAS found, just before ne
died; no doubt OF it. And that's Tad
ford over there No ligUor in his shop
now, / tell you. And Fanny mas grown
young and pretty again i'll this iittl"
while, for Jilr mortgage Is paid, and the
miserable drinking she hated 80, Is now
stopped. ana She's Il happy womaH.-
Three cheers for the Pray ing Band. say l.
Heres the hotel, sir.