Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-07-01
EARLY LESSONS.

Though neither born in 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; bis
mother, however, was areligious woman,
living in the fear Of God; every one OF
her thoughts being filed with an every
increasing desire for we'll doing, both as
q duty to herself and on 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 q livelihood among
strangers. 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:
1t was not sudden change from mild
ness to irascibility, but gradual incli-
nation to self-will.
At first, if the cause of irritation was
not extremely marked, the good ef-
fects 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-
cuHtomed 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 young 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
thus taken, his strides in their mode of
life, habits, and vices, became rapid. At
first only passing vulgarism of speech,
then IN inclination to idleness, and final
ly drink and the Indulgence of accom-
panying passions.
OF the victim of an irascible temper
the spirit of daring is q characteristic !;
the desire to appear fearless usually
rules in his breast. There is charm
to him in the appreciation of guilty COM
panions at such exhibitions of self-will.
And Jasper was often led into dissipa-
ton and recklessness 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, and 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 60
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 passing notice, ir-
ritated him. His fretfulness returned;
anger, oaths and elf-misery followed,
and the home he had promised to cheer
was made desolate. The home-life road
he had promised to strew with the fow-
ersof patience and industry was blocked
up by tho 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
blasphemous utterances, and though
love for her existed in his heart, passion
dulled 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 md drink,
and he turned away his little ones with
cruel words, and often with blows.
Nothing that his wife did for him was
ever acceptable; nothing che said pos
sessed any charm; he came to hate 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 q
burden indeed. and her tear swollen
eyes and pale, hungry looking features
told plainly that gaunt misery aud 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; but the
voices of his companions in debauchely,
their taunts about allowing others to
be his masters and dictate to him, and
one glass;" always turned him from the
path of sobriety, industry end care of
home, which he had but a moment be-
fore resolved to follow. Each succeed
ing deviation seemed to bring only in
creased misery for his family.
He had now couple of boys, one of
whom was aged about six years, and
possessed of much intellect. To say
that Jasper loved his children, as the
world understands that term, would be
claiming too much, for he would never