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

painted In gilt letters, Saloon
Here she stopped, while her heart beat
like a scared birds.
This, then, was what some one who
had a strong sense of the fitness of
things had called stStrong's Hell.
Here was where death and ruin to soul
and body was sold over the bar at five
and ten cents glass
Mary went in.
A man was standing behind the bar.
A man with not unhandsome face, but
one which lacked culture and refine
ment.
care you Mr.. stronga" asked Mary,
timidly
ssYes, that's my name, 81 he answered
pleasantly. 'What do you want of
me?
You don't look like such a bad man
as you ought to, to sell liquor" she said,
looking into his face.
I" Why, had hquor-dealer ought to
look like bad manl" he asked.
Yes, think so" she said. "Only
bad men sell liquor, and you don't look
very bad man. / amt much afraid of
you, and I thought should be. Oh,
Mr.. Strong!" !" clasping her hands plead
ingly, and lifting a face full of beseeching
! to his, ct came down here to-day to
ask you to give up selling liquor. You
| don't know what awful work you're do
ing. / guess you never thought OF 1t.
! Did you? I can't go to school, because
I can't have clothes good enough to wear
and I do SO want to learn as other chill
dren do. I could, if you wouldn't sell
my father liquor and mother could go
to meeting every Sunday. She used to,
before there was q saloon in the place,
but now she doesn't. And the children
won't play with me. They call me a
dr1lnkard's child, and shame me. And
we're real unhappy at home, mother and
man he used to be, since he got to drink
ing. He spends most all of his money
here And we amt the only ones who
suffer so It's all through the neighbor-
! hood, mother says. Ever SO many men
drink, who didn't before you came here.
I thought I'd come down here and ask
you to stop selling liquor. Maybe you
never thought how much sorrow you We're
causing. Didn't any one eyer tell you Z
+ Oh, / cry myself to sleep, lots of times,
! just because father drinks. don't want
/ to be drunkard's child Its the worst
| thing in the world, I guess. If father
1 didn't drink SO, know we'd be happy
again, just as we used to be. Ah,
/ Mr.. Strong, if you was me, would you
want to be made fun of, because your
father drinked2 If your mother knew
what you was doing, don you think she d
feel sorry2 Please, please don't sell any
more liquor. I'll pray for you, every
] night, and SO viii mother, if you'll only
let us have father back, a sober man.
Won't you?
There were tears in Mr.. Strong's eyes;
her words, full of infinite pathos, struck
home, and the mans heart, which was
not all bad, smote him. What would
I.
many years, but the memory of her was
the tenderest spot in his heart. If she
had lived, he might have been differ
ent man. Since her death, he had been
drifting hither and thither, and the good
impulses of his nature had got choked
with tares and brambles.
Child" he said, with O voice that
had O suspicious quiver in it, you've
given me the best temperance sermon
ever heard, and-yOat'ue concerted me !
Not another drop of liquor shall be sold
across my bar. / will close the place to-
night. Waltz
He went out, and took down his sign.
ssThere !'' he said. .sYou see I mean
what say. Go home, child, and tell
that mother of yours that she need fear
nothing from me. I shall not stand be
tween your father and the sober life
WdSo AA4o LA bA1C M41CA y OOA mCAC
happy. Don't forget to pray for me. I
am not all bad yet, and such prayers as
yours may help me to be better man. %
's I wish you'd let me kiss you, she
said. 81 love You, and I like to kiss
! folks I love-
He bent down and caught her in his
arms, and she kissed him. Some warm
tears fell upon her face. They were
promises of better life.
Some old topers were Mortified to miss
the sign from the place where they had
been in the habit of imbibing, and still
more Mortified to find that the place was
closed forever.
81 have been converted, - Strong said.
et have concluded to change my bust
ness, and have taken down my guide
! board. !"
/ For some one had characterized his
sign as a ssg1lide-board to hell.
! Mary's home is happy one now, for,
with the temptation out of the way,
John Deane has gone back to his sober
ways again.
And child's work, under God
wrought the change.