Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-10-07

| - - a.. ~
May DO blessed II you go on So
any way. You've commenced and now
you've got to stick 1t out.
"This was the signal for us to com
mence again, aud once more we tried TO
urge Jack to drink the wine; and when
we found that urging would not do we
commenced to abuse and scoff. We ac'
cused him OF trying to step. over us on
board the ship, and OF all other bad
things OF which we could think. For q
while the poor fellow seemed inclined 70
lot his anger get tho upper hands; but
ut length he calmed himself ana stepping
back to his chair, he sni'':
"Shlpmates wall you listen 10 me
for moment
" Silence. gave consent, and IN o mo-
ment more he resumed: ...
"Since mattcfs nave come 10 tI's
pass l nave resolved 70 tei, you wnat
l had meant 10 Keep iockeu up III my
bosom. ,.
we had Always thought' from
jacks manner, that mere was some
thing peculiar connected WIN nus early
lie, and we were all attentioh III Il mo-
ment:
NY story is pu' very sn0rc one
ne oontihueu, ana l Gun tell IL III q
very iew WORDS FROM inc tlme OF my
ealliest cniluhoou never hnew wnaS "
was w nnve nnPPy noMe' NJ ia1ner
was alunk1r" Once he hau oeen u
goou ,nan nM =, hau sIou nus9anu: pus run
relnou "'i n's niannoou anu inaoe oiu'o
OF nm. cAh M iememoei n now colo anu mo
cneeI!ess was .ne nls' winser Vi my nie
w. tU wh.In NY memoly le"os my Mln"'
We na" ~
no ?oymno IU.n'ns; M.. no.nluG Dul miseIy
anu WOE My M poor !Eoa mDSner useu 70
clasP nle W nel goHon w heeP me w"iln,
ana onoeLonoe s' remomoelTwMen ei, ni ner
very tears iroze ON NY Sheek IN now
my motner PrIyeu 70 1oa % ior or. nor nus
pand; ana l, VINO cou'o Du' JUST Pra' tle'
learned 70 pray, 700: ana USED 10 see
that husDand ana 1atner return 10 his
home, and 1 remember now my poor
mother crled ana tremoled;
" When grew olaer nad 10 go out
and beg Tor pread. All cold and shlver-
ing waded through the deep snow,
with my CLONES IN tatters ana my 1reez'
ing 1eet almost pare. ana saw other
chiidren OF my own age dressed warm
and comfortable ana Knew they were
happy, Tor they laughed ana sung as
they bounced along toward school.
Ihose boys nad soDcr 1athers. Knew
that their fathers were no better than
mine had peen once, 1or my motner had
told me now nople my own 1ather could
be II the accursed demon rum were not
IN MS way; put the 1atal power was upon
MN, ana tnongn ne oiten PROMISED, ana
though he often tried, yet he could not
escape:
"Tlme passed on ana was eight
years old, and those eight year., had
been years OF such sorrow ana suffering
as pray dod may never see another
experience. AT length, one cold morn
ing IN the dead OF winter, my father
was not at nome: he mad not been at
nome tnrongh tne n'gnt. NY motne5
sent me 10 G1e Tavern 70 see II coulu
ma MIN. hao gone nail tne way wnen
saw sometnlng ID the snow py the sac
OF tne roao; l s'oPpea, anu shuaoer
ran through me, 1or IL looked IKE q
human form. Went up TO IL, ana
turnea the neaa over anu Drusaeu lie
snow from tne lace. IL was my iatner-
and ne was still and cold! L laid my
hand upon ms pale orow' ana u was
IKE solio marole. ne was oeao
Poor JACK stopped moment ana
wiped MS eyes. MOI one OF US spoke
!or we hau oecohle 'oo oeeply "o'eu'
But ne soon Went on.
Went 10 tne tavern ana tola tae
people there what haa 1ound' ana the
!and!oro sent Two OF Ills men 10 carry
the frozen body OF my iather nome.
Oh' sMpmates' cannot te!i you now
my poor mother Wept ana groaned;
one sunk aoWn upon ner knees ana
clasped that ICY corpse 70 ner peatlng
Dosom' as tu"ngh she couid nave given
~ ne IRON tue ~alin1h ol ner own
preast. ohe loved nef nus0and thfough
all hls errors aI ana her love was all
powerful now. 1he Two men weht away
ana leit the pody stiii Oh Inc moor. NY
motner whispered 20 me 10 come ana
Kneel oy her slae. olo so' NY
child, she SAID TO me- ana the olg tears
were YET roinng oown ner cneeks' r, Sou
know wna1 mas caused ail thls' Inns
man was once as nope ana happy ana
true as man can De, put' on, see now he
has been stricken aown. Ffomlse me,
my child, on, promise hefe' before iod
and your dead father, ana your broken
hearted mother, that you Will never,
never, never touch a single drop OF the
fatal poison mat has wrought Tor us all
this misery.
On, shipmatos, dld promise, then
and there, all that my mother asked, and
dod knows that to this moment that
promise has never been broken. My
father was buried, and some good, kind
neighbors helped us through the WIN
ter. When the next spring came could
work, and l earned something for my
mother. At length l found chance to
ship, and did so. and every time l go
home have some money for my moth
er. Not for the wealth OF the whole
world would l break the pledge gave
my mother and my God on that dark,
cold morning. And even had I made no
such pledge, I would not touch the fatal
cup, for know that have fond, dot
ing mother who would be made miser-
able by my dishonor, and would rather
die than to bring more sorrow upon her