The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-04-02
A CHILD,s WORK.

lays.
The speaker was a girl of perhaps
twelve years of age. The one addressed
was girl of about the same age.
4 group of children had gathered by
the roadside to play. A small house
stood near by. From this house the
child addressed so rudely had seen them
at their sport, and had joined them, to
be repulsed by the words with which
have begun my story.
Her eyes filed with tears, and her
cheeks flushed mp with shame and wound
ed pride.
ST know my father drinks, but I
amt to blame for that" she said, bit
Eeray.
sWen. we won't play with you, any
way" said the first speaker. "Win we
girls 20
"Nol no !" cried the other children,
in chorus
There you heard that, didn't you?"
cried the girl, to the child of drinking
father. 81 hope you're satisfied now.
Go along with you we want to play,
and we won't be bothered with you, so
now. I'd be ashamed if were you
You're drunkard's daughter Shame !
Shame ~
She pointed her finger in derision and
seorn at the poor girl, and, parrot-ike,
or rather, like children, the others fol-
stShame |" sc Shame :" rung in the ears
of the disgraced child.
She covered her face with her hands,
and turned and ran away from them,
never stopping until she reached her
mothers side.
Then she sunk down sobbing as if her
heart would break.
esWhat is the matter with my little
girl ~ Mrs Deane asked, tenderly.
Tooo1 HxyIfIN
sorrow-haunted eyes. A woman who,
without being old In years, was old in
sad experience of life.
81 went ont to play with the girls,
and they told me I was drunkard's
daughter, and wouldn't play with me,
sobbed Mary, hiding her face IN her
mothers lap.
HtPoor child -
Mrs. Deane sighed heavily, but she
did not weep.
She had found out, by bitter expert
ence, that tears were of but little avail.
She sfroked Mary's hair, and tried TO
soothe her by kind words. But the
wound she had received was deep one.
ssOh, mother, do you suppose father'n Il
eukr give up drinking?" she asked, after
little silence.
ST don't know" Mrs. Deane an
swered. "I hope so. I have prayed
1O1 SQC4 q Dl6SS1IlR 11O10 Gl110S EIISAO Il
can comprehend. IF God heard, he has
not answered my prayer yet. He may in
his own good time. I can only pray,
and hope, and leave the rest to him. p"
81 can't go to school weekdays, nor
to school Sundays, - said Mary, signing
as no child of her age ought to sigh.
Sand the children won't play with me,
cause father drinks. And you can't go
to meeting, cause you hain't clothes to
wear. It's too bad, mother, isn't it? :"
3: It is sorrowful way of living, her
mother answered, kissing her. 50 do not
care SO much for myself, but for you. I
bate to see the years which should be the
brightest ones In your life, darkened and
leave off that awful habit. y
The words held the pGthos and sub
Unity OF prayer.
stWhat makes Mr.. Strong sell liquor,
wonder " questioned Mary.
6 / don't know, . her mother answered.
ttTo make money, suppose. think
q man who can make money by selling
that to his fellow-man which viii ruin
his body and soul, must have q. heart as
hard as any stone"
g / wonder if anybody ever asked him
to give up such wicked business F"
Mary asked. Maybe he'd quit it If he
only knew what misery he was commit
ting. Do you suppose he would .
Sim afraid not, answered Mrs.
Deane.
Mary sat and thought for long time
after her mother left her.
Suddenly she seemed to make up her
mind as to the course she should pur
sue, and she got up and put on her bon
net, and started down the road without
sso1-s1asr ezaxvf1,iJ,fy ff, bo1. r1Cf1lnxs
Poor Mary
Her home had not always been the un-
happy one it was then She could re-
member the time when her father used
to come home from his day work, sober
as any man. Then her mother would
meet him at the gate with kisses, and he
would take up his child and carry her to
the house, and they were all so happy,
so happy
But now
She shuddered when she thought of it.
Now, she had hardly clothes enough to
keep her warm not enough to enable
her to go to school, and for the same
reason her mother could not go to
church. Now, her father often came
home the worse for liquor she could
not bear to kiss him with that sicken1ng
scent of whisky ON his breath. All his
earnings, for week sometimes, would
be spent at the saloon IN the village.
There was but one saloon IN the place,
but that was enough to circulate a deal
of misery and heartache among the
neighborhood.
When Mary got out of sight of home,
she turned off from the road, and knelt
down among some bushes and prayed.
Itswas asimple little prayer, but it had
something very touching in it for all
that
Dear Jesus, she said, please help
me. I'm going to try to save my father
from being drnnkard, and I cant do it
alone. don't want to be called a
drunkardss child, and be laughed at any
more. do want 10 go to school, and
mother wants to go to meeting, and we
can't if father keeps ON drinking so.
Please, dear Jesus, help me, and make
Mr.. Strong stop selling liquor. Amen. 2
Then she got mp, and went on again.
She reached the village.
The first person she met was mer-
caaasat, with whom they had often had