Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1876-11-02

from 1t. -
Here John Milton leaned back in his
armchair and laughed long, low chuc-
kle, peculiarly exasperating. cha! ha
ha! no! ho,'' it ended with,
''NOW of all the notions a smart fellow
ever put forth call that the oldest. L
know what will be my duty. / shall warn
all the ladies of my acquaintance never to
sign the marriage pledge with you,
cause you know You can't be sure wheth-
er you will continue to love and cherish
until death do yOu part;' you might take
notion to go to drinking, and throw her
out of the window some cold night; and,
besides, the minute you had pledged yOu
feel desire not to do it. This is the in
evitable law of human nature, you know,
and you can't get away from it.
Be it recorded to Frank Edwards honor
that at this revelation of his absurd self
he had the grace to laugh; nevertheless
he said:
''But that is not a parallel case, you
know"
"Oh, yes,'' John said, 'sof course 1
know it. Was there ever fellow caught
in an argument when there asas a parallel
case? There's more than one thing you
can't do with your peculiar views. l
VOW hope l may never be so unlucky as
to hold note of yours, with an i promise
pay on it! Only think of your having
an awful desire come over you Rerer to
pay it the minute you had put your name
to it; and then, you know, there's your
written agreement with the bank, and
the deed of that office; and-oh, my
there's no end TO them. I VOW you are
not safe man to have in society, Frank!"
''You are disposed to be witty to-
night" Frank said, and he said it stiffly.
There really seemed to be nothing else
for him to say. Rebecca came to the res
cue.
''Of course, Frank doesn't mean that
all promises are wrong.'
''Oh, it is a rule that applies to temper
ance pledged. | understand. But of all
queer things that is the queerest. When
l promise not to steal it is all right; but
when l promise not to drink rum it is all
wrong.''
81 have no special inclination to do the
one or the Other," Frank said, still speak
ing stiffiy. 81 don't need a pledge to help.
1 me -
But you are principled against help
| ing those poor fellows who are inclined
that way.''
''NOne but idiots are helped by the
temperance pledge"
Frank was growing angry, and was, of
course, less careful to be reasonable
John, on the contrary, was in perfect
humOr.
''Suppose l grant, for the sake of argu-
ment, that you are correct" he said qui-
! etly. SIS there any moral or divine law
against helping idiots to be as decent
members of society as the circumstances
will permit? Besides, after all, / am not
quite willing to grant the argument. L
don't amount to much, l know, but I'll be
hanged if I'm quite willing to own my
self an idiot; and certainly was helped
by the pledge. don't know how long it
would have stood me without the gTace
of God to back it; but 1 know that if it
hadn't helped me to get sober r would
not have been very likely to have been
converted. drunken man is, not exact
ly in state of mind to be cOr1verted.''
Mr.. Frank Edwards arose abruptly.
''You are too sharp for me tonight, -
he said, trying to speak pleasantly. 81
didn't know | was to hear a lecture on
Temperance. I'll recommend you to the
lecture committee for the coming winter
if you so desire. LIN the meantime | be-
are TTTffs=ttszing your YocatE6n:@
You should study law, or, rather, prac-
tice it; / apn not sure that you need a
course eff study. | was on my way to
call on Doctor Dennis when you arrested
me, and think, with your permission,
wilkgo. By the way, Rebeeca, don't al
low yourself to be thrown off your bal
I ance by the elOquence of this young man.
There are honest people yet in the world
who are not so afraid of their morality
that they have had to pledge themselves
not to steal.''
''I have pledged myself" ;" Rebecca an
| swered, in a low firm tone. 'FI have
pledged my life to be loyal to the ten
commands, of which 'Thou shalt not
| steaP is one. 1 am not ashamed to be
bound by pledge. believe in them. It
is not John who says, Let him who think
| eth he standeth, take heed lest he fall. =
I'm going to join that temperance socie-
ty, Frank. I wonder that [ haven't done
it before. 1t is the lesson for the first
Sunday in September that made me think
of it. You read that over and see if it
doesn't incline you to help the cause in
any way that you cam"
| cit won't be in that way, though. p
And now Mr.. Edwards cheek glowed a
little, and he was evidently annoyed.
'tBut, Frank, what harm can it do,
even if it does no gOOd?"
''Why it disposes people to drink, don't
you KNOW put in John. EFIt is law of
human nature, an inevitable one. Just
| think, Rebecca, of the awful desire thai
will rush over you to drink glass OF
brandy the minute you have put youl
name to that paper"
Mr.. Edwards turned upon him sharply.
care you so foolish, John, as not to un.
derstand that l have stated simple aXi-
ON, as plain as that two and two makes
four, and not to be overcome by ridi
cule?''
81 don't believe in its present applica
tiOn," Rebecca said: firmly, "Why
Frank, when you asked me not to go on
} that sleigh-ride last winter, and [ said ]
wouldn't, l hadn't the slightest inclina
ton to go, because | had promised yOI
not; although before that had looked
forward to it with pleasure"
, It cost an effort to refer before a thirt
) person to the sacred familiarity of friend
! ship existing between them, and i
} brought deep tiushes over Rebecca's face
John respected it. He turned his hea(
away, and resisted manfully the tempta
ton to make funny application. AS TO
Frank he had no answer ready save tn
: thread-bare one:
'tThat is hardly parallel case. w
will talk together privately of this mat
, ter, Rebeeca. just now [ really mus
60"
3 ''John," said Rebecea, the minute tn
t door closed after him, you and will go t
that society from this time forth, and d
n what we can to sustain it. Shall we?"
: "Amen, said John heartily. "Bu
h then you won't. Frank is as obstinat
y as mule about it. [ can't think what
h the matter with him. 1t is some oil
grudge that he has against the idea of
promise, and he WhiSks all his prejudice
t over on the pledge without ever .seein
how inconsistent he is, nor how muC
20 harm he is doing. Other promises can
made by the score, and no one is NOR
ID rigid and honorable about keeping theT
'e than he: and yet he sticks to his folly
can't understand him. But he'll talk yD
ID over, and get you to promise to have notl
ing to do with it. 1t isn't wrong to &,
yOW to make promises, you'll find; al
he then he will be as sure of your keepin
n your word as 1 shall, in spite of ali IL
l. aXioms in the universe
n ''John," said Rebecca, as >she got o.
o. of her chair and came over to him, :
re see plainly enough that can't teach tn
Sunday-school lesson to my boys as
I'd want to teach it unless 1 have the NOR
e force of the pledge on my side. Pm g
e. Fling to join that society; Pm going to a
q tend the meetings, and do all that cs
for If / nledUe myself tO ann 9,o1g tO ,