Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-07-01
EARLY LESSONS.

Though neither born in a garret nor
bred in kitchen, Jasper Jarvis was far
from having first seen the light amid
wealth. His father, mechanic, while
not the victim of great vices, could not
boast of any prominent virtues; his
mother, however, was areligious woman,
living in the fear of God; every one of
her thoughts being filled with an every
increasing desire for well doing, both as
q duty to herself and an example to all
around her, and to teach her boy les
sons of righteousness by example and
by precept; SO that Jasper. while he had
no bad examples from his father to cor
rupt his young mind, found plenty of
sources of good in the observation of
his mothers pure life.
But the day came when Jasper left the
parental roof to seek livelihood among
stranger rs. On that day, as his mother
placed on his forehead her last fervent
kiss, her parting advice was to shun bad
company and beware of evil counsels,
words which in later years bore their
fruit.
Once his own master, as boys love to
say they are when they have gone be-
yond parental jurisdiction, Jasper's
temper, manifested principally in the
practice of daring public or private
opinion, soon begun to overmaster him.
It was not sudden change from mild
moss to i1ascibility, but gradual incli-
nation to self-will.
At fist, if the cause of irritation was
not extremely marked, the good eff
fcctS Of his mothers early lessons as
serted themselves and checked the ris-
ing anger; but with the feeting years,
as he grew older and became more ac-
customed to his life of self reliance, his
fits Of passion became more pronounced
Now that the restraining hand of
his parental guide was no more there to
direct him in the choice of pleasures
and companions, his selections were
made without much regard for ultimate
consequences. To him the present be-
came all the future nothing. That
class OF yoGng men, nice of dress and
glib of speech, who usually lounge
around corners and barroom doors,
are ever on the alert for fresh
victims-boys, particularly, with money
to spend and easily misled. A
few of that class soon enticed
Jaster in their midst. The first step
thu@taken, his strides in their mode of
life, habits, and vices, became rapid. At
first only passing vulgarism of speech,
then an inclination to idleness, and final
ly drink and the indulgence of accom-
panying passions.
OF the victim of an irasciblA temper
the spirit of daring is a Characteristic
the desire to appear fearless usually
rules in his breast There is a charm
to him in the appreciation of guilty COM
paOlons at such exhibitions of self-will.
And Jasper was often led into dissipa-
tion and recklessuess by the challenges
of his associates.
The jeers and taunts of his compan.
ions led him to enter barroom :;
and when they applauded him for that
act, aud then dared him further, he
raised the glass and rum passed his
lips. His first drink caused him few
pangs Of remorse, but that soon wore
away under the laudatory words of his
false friends; and if Jasper did not 90
down to the bottom of the scale Of error
and crime, it was due to an incident of
his married life.
When he took wife it was with the
purpose, among others, to mend his
ways, but little things in his domestic
life, which to others would have been
unworthy of even a passing notice, ir-
ritated him. His frctfulness returned;
anger, oaths and self misery followed,
and the home he had promised to cheer
was made desolate. The home-life road
he had promised to strew with the flow
ersof patience and industry was blocked
up by the thorns of passion and drink.
The sweet tempered wife he had vowed
to cherish, he almost abandoned; he
blasted her hopes of JOY and content
ment, and wrecked her aspirations for
happiness. In lieu of smiles and pleas
ant words, he gave her sour looks and
blasphemou9 utterances, and though
love for her existed i'll his heart, passion
drlled it to imperceptibility. Then
came little children to play around his
knees and make sweet music with their
innocent prattle, but Jasper understood
no pleasures but debauchery and drink,
and he turned away his little ones with
cruel words, and often with blows
Nothing that his wife did for h m was
ever acceptable; nothing she said pos
sessed any charm; he came to Late the
very voices that God had placed around
him, and what, with unjust complaints,
fault finding and cruel words spoken
when under the influence of liquor, the
poor, uncomplaining wife found life a
burden indeed, and her tear swollen
eyes and pale, hungry looking features
told plainly that gaunt misery and deep
wretchedness had crossed the threshold
OF the home, about whose protection and
care he had periured himself. Tears
and entreaties sometimes recalled.him
back for while to his old self; bnt the
voices of his companions in dcbauche1y,
their taunts about allowing others to
be his masters and dictate to him, and
heir invitation to participate in "only