St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-10-15
How old Jim Drayton" Kept his Word.

'i' hi'i w Nv van ltutillitl W lItH llt ilsi'i
Il cottage of his own; and when he was
well dressed, and had il frank, honest
face: when his chilGlen went To Sun
day school, and his wife was well cloth
eel and carried Il happy face. Old Jim
found himself going down hill, and al
most III Il year he had changed from Il
hardw"rking, respectable man to IL lazy
s"t. and II" effort on the part of those
who loved HIM could stop his descent.
His home went, his fortune went. good
clothes ana happy faceS disappeared.
and wrrtci'edness and poverty moved
mt" the old tenement house on Beau
''I,' o''',. Will r i''','. , -. In,
-" W" '''l''""', -, ~" ''S '',!''
was run over 'n,' h'.''" o't' 'ill
was "ea" ar',ilh "hiie 'i'e oo"H laN III
t,,l station, ,nu,t Mh.n h,. w.,s srnt m,
for JrunL,nues. ,,. f,,,. h..,t;,,,, L,s w.if,. D
Have Won never soon him .I..,i,,u Iii.
drunken sleen in the oIl.vq Haven't
Won heard the police sneak of "OId linn
Driyt,n 80 red. wicked f.cr. boyino
uot nu. soft line in it-r.d evcS lool;-
iuu stunidIv and v,c,ntI, nt van,
bntt.red h,t r,uy.d cIotbes- sur,-
tx must have met him some time.
Old linn meant to hay. = lilo d,uuk
That WAS =, GOOD way to wind the old
ye,r mn. III. had been drink Thanks
1iyiu~r h. had stoup.r.J hnm;. drink
Christm,s uiobt aud when his hn,.
were heard Wishing Santa Claus had
moi nos,.J Them by- TN. father became
al"cred and beat them. The harkecprr
knew him as he entered the saloon and
called for drinks. He had called there
d,z.us of times h.fnr. and his f,c,
MAS as familiar as the sirht of the bio
d,c,uter from which he uourcd his
drink.
-,
"''' Il iii'il''''' r'i'' tue ''' he'l"i +,
WI" was "'i'"S VII ''' '"'''''''' anu
.,' ,'I, '''' SIT "'" !" at ''' '"" VI '''
'"'''
lw" young men came III and sal
down near hIm. Jim was III the Slad-
"w. and they dId not know who II Wis.
And a> they drank their beer they spoke
"f the d!im" year. and "f their resolves
t" break of some of their bad habits,
and finally one of them said:
''S"mr one said that old Jim Drayton
had cut his throat y
Ills good news if true." said the 9TH
cr. NO one will miss the old S"t not
even his family. His wife and children
are IN rags. his home hasn't Il comtolt.
and if he'd only die. folks would feel
like helping them. Hes the lowest
drunkard III Detroit.
''1tS; I've often wondered why he
didn't jump into the river. rcioimcd the
other. "lt | ever get as low and rag
%ed and mean a> old Jim Dayton. I'll
shoot myself.
Old Jim heard every word. If he
had had glass of whi>kcy down, he'd
have leIpcd up and cursed them: but
he WAS >"ber-;Is sober as he had ever
been for ten Years. and he made no
move; was ne l"" ana hie''l Dld
every p"dN itti tillt way toward nm
i,id every body notice MS poor ola
blouse, his ragged childreh' his red iace
aud "aterH tIee Dld men speak t'
tach "tnci Oh ms "eS[a.'ati"l, MS neg
ie'' "i MS ia'll'iH ""u"' MS "ta' Il
ne S""u news I" Tue !,h"ii'
10 N"u want Whlske\ or GIN
asked lht nar lehuer "'lt old jim ana
i", "t', '',', 'III ,I ni'I ~ T''r' L, Ia, In
,'2"' 7'''' .,,J n''' ,I,imI, ;n,r nr;nil l".J
,II.I,.I h., - L',,,..,t I,.,I H.. t.',,I,
""'i ''I'' VI n.r ''"i'', 1 'H I'll 'I I, ,,''', :,
1"'it' az" Ii,t i;a ''"' IL; w., II
,l'" III hn' l"','"''' n'". ~ ms ''T'''o,H :
-, '""", "'I 'I'..,,, l H., 'I H; i'' L,, ,'
III I' i. ,'" a'I ''rl
''''.'.,, ''','' I. .;,t' - ~,
"' H. Ill ,',, 'r,,, I'.,. I',, ,'i
,i.l ',,;i'''i,;,,,
'1', T"n ~" INV ,i'rn.. | ,,h., man ,.,r. IN
,,,I nh;I., ,h.', v.r.. J,inI i,,, ',,.. -,
,I',,,, ,,'.l.,I.
..I,,.t tL,t ,lJ lin, n,.,,,,u AVA,
,I,..r.. j., ,I,,, ,.,,rra, D..
,i,., ,i,, ,II ,- .,,...,...l
.I ~ '"''' ''' WI" ''''
'''''
Nv "ndri II ne iSl gong l" swear
on la ma! hh responded th'
'hiln'
ne M"lhS SUN" "'i jim again
hrN called up S"iilt'lll" "i MS "l'
SPil .-alld ne >piAh@ ont "l MS chaii
ANA rN'Iilh't" .
i'H' a'h S"ii'" I" swear "i, >.
%" swear OH f"l - III hl ha
laughed the men.
But | will know that I'm Il
drIlnkard. and that I'm ragged and low
but can reform
"That's good" they all Laughed
''hIggrSt thing ont. Old Jim DraNton
swearing of -ha. la ha."
Il will with Gods help, will " h,
replied. striking the bar with his fist.
Their shouts of laughter tollowc,
hlm a> he went ont, hut they strength
cncd his sudden resolution. He walked
directly home. He stopped for Il mo
ment at the gate and wondered why h'
had never before noticed how gloom,
and Wrrtrhed and lonesome the ole
mover looked; III was III nome i"r :
"I'l','i'''' an" Il W''t-nfi''tr. ne open
tu ''' S't'' Pi"S'"' '"'h '"th'"' ''h'