The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-04-23
JOHN COSNE'rI'S NOTABLE BIRTH.
DAY
Mrs. Ellen ROss tNeIsie Brooks
CHAPTER L

John Cosnett felt very much lik
Mr.. Ready-to-halt." as he walked
along under the gloomy sky of a Ger
tain oath of December.
John had not very robust cOnstitu
ton, and he felt the influence oil
weather and surrounding circumstances
more than he would have done had he
oeen stronger man. He knew that il
was to great extent bis own fault that
he had destroyed the health he once
enjoyed by years of excessive drinking;
but this reflection did not make his
trouble any easier to bear-far from it.
1t vas now exactly twelve months
since be had signed the pledge and
instead of looking back with Joy and
! tnaukfulness upon the happy change
which had taken place in himself, his
IamIly and his home during that time,
ne perversely chose to look at every-
Shing IN a light as gloomy as that of
Eve.
don't see that we're much better
on than we were this time last year, p
he said to himself. "Almost all we
can say -, that we are quite out of
debt; but home isn't much better. that
can see. Fifty things that we wanted
then TO make it comfortable, we want
yet and L can't see any prospects of
8etting EN-, 1t has been nothing but
patch, patch, patch, after all our striv-
ing an1 there are lots of things that
wife and children want this cold
weather, that can't be got and won't be
rot for many q day Then see how i'll
Polly has been, and what sicklY little
might she is still /; I shouldn't wonder a
bit If we lost her. and think it would
drive me well nigh mad to lose Polly.
Ah, things do look dark, and there
dOesen't seem much announcement to
keep on. Wife and children don't seem
even to remember that this is the ami
versary of the day on which I gave up
the drink, although it was the hardest
trial OF my life to do it. Not a word
have they said about it, and thev don't
eem TO care. [ suppose if I did Just
Tom Hanvers wants me to so much
go and keep Christmas Eve with him
and the rest of 'em a. "The Golden
Goose: Well, if did it wouldn't be
so bad, after al. Haven't I kept the
pledge the whole year? And that's
more than may can say. II 1 did
nave "a bit OF enjoyment tonight, /
could sign again after New Years
Day."
John thrust his cold hands in his pock-
cts, and iingled the silver about in them
that he had Just received for wages
1t seemed as if he tried to look and
feel as miserable as he could.
All, John, John ! Don't you know
now easy 1t is to make everything in
life look as black as night. if we are
Dent upon murmuring and repiniug?
And don't you know that there is
sunny side to every cloud, and that
oftentlmes things are not nearly so bad
as they seem te be? Now if your
good angel" could have whispered into
yoHr ear Just then, what might you have
Beard? Something like this
:" Now, John, man, pray reflect upon
what you have been saying. You are a
deal better off than you were this time
last year. Not only can you hold up
your head before the whole world, and
say, . L owe no man penny, but your
money has done many blessed things
besldes putting you out of debt. Ger
tt1nly there is not so much to show for
yet; but it has kept the children
I'lentlfullY supplied with good food all
year; it has kept their shoes sound,
and their clothes tidy; it has brought
many little comforts to your home, and
made your wife a glad and thankful
woman. And though many things are
still wanted, they can be done without,
n little longer, and you will get them in
very good time if you hold on braveIy.
Then, although your darling lttly Polly
has been 80 i'll, she is now almost well,
You may say, and, with care, may turn
out as strong as any of the other chill
uren. Aud if it should please God to
take her. He would surely give you
strength according to yOur day, aud
help you to say. "His will be done"
If you look to Him. And as for wife
and children not caring about this i'm
Pnrtant anniversary you just wait a
bit and see. It is because they are
afraid of letting the cat out of the bag,
as your Oldest boy, Arthur, says that
they have not said word about it dur
ing the past two or three weeks.
BE man, John Don't be 50 foolish,
nav, wicked, as TO go off to The |
Golden Goose" seeking enjoyment !"
You know well enough you wouldn't !
find it there. Didn't you try through |
many weary year to get enjoyment in
such places, and after all didn't you
find yourself In the very depths of
misery and despair2 And pray don't !
let Satan deceive you with the lotions
that You would go and sign the pledge
very easily after New Years day. You
might never sign again, if you want to
only break it now, aud then woe, woe,
to yourself and everybody belonging to
on.
Go home, John, go home Home is
the place for the tempted and the
gloom. 1t is c haven to run into and
escape shipwreck. If things look dark
30 you now, go home, and hope for the
shining of the sun tomorrow
Whether Johns reflections took a |
turn this way l know not but certainly |
he kept straight on in the direction of |
home, turning not to the right hand |
nor to the left, where lay many of his
well known haunts, like man traps to
snsnare the weak and foolish.
He Qulckened his steps, for it was in
t7nsely cold, but before he had gone
ar, he saw, long way off, little group
turn the corner of the street, to come
towards him. "I wonder where they're
off to, he said, "and Polly, too, l de-
clare I'll Just step out of sight, and
follow them when they pass by" So he
stepped up q passage close at hand, and
stayed there, hoping he would not be
noticed. In few minutes his children
and Willie, and Polly,
and Susie-all so we'll wrapped up and
so chstty and merry, that he thought
surely they must be ont on some happy
arrand. Before we follow after them
With the father, we will learn what took
place before they started out.
CHAPTER II.
For many day passed little Polly
lad been saying anxiOusly:
"Oh, mother hope [ shall be well
,Dough TO go out with Arthur on fathers
eetotal birthday. Even if it SHOWS. I
nav go, mayn't j? A bit of snow
wouldn't hurt, if get a deal better
md oh, DO want TO help to buy fathers
lOOk."
" No, you'd better not say any more
about it till the day comes" Arthur
aid one evening " for if you keep on
% about it, L know you'll let the cat out
II the bag before father, and that
Eould just spoil every thing. And
even aud sixpence is too much to pay,
.fter having our plan spoilt. Hi seven
md sixpence, mother" he added, with
happy laugh, "isn't it lot to give