The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-09-11
liquor. Doddridge and hired room
ID the attic of the Platoff House. called

wine" genteelly.
Two weeks after the ''club" was STAR
ed, my father called me to him. He
vas feeding the pigs How could man,
ersed in Caesar and the "Book of Mod
m Etiquette" pay any respect to man
Who spent so much Of his time in feed
ng pigs3
"George," he said gently, 81 hear an.
unpleasant report Of a certain party of
voung fellows that frequent the tavern"
l made no answer
"They tell me you are one of them"
"Well sir,-and if I amp
"Only this, my son,"-after a mo-
nent's pause,-,'"I have tried to make a
nan Of yon. You know at what cost,
for am not rich l am"-his voice
broke here, but he turned it into laugh.
Pm not 80 young as was, and L
thought that in time you would take
your place by my side-give the old
man your arm down the hill, -eh, Geor-
gy2" And he eyed me anxiously.
"My name is George, cir. I dislike
those childish authorizations. And for
The rest
I went on in louder voice, though a
queer, choking came in my throat at the
sight of the thin old face "It is time 1
asserted nv independence" I said, AZ
last; and there I stopped.
Independence! Why, you are bnt a
lad vet"
II am a man! And a man with diff
ferent tastes and wants from yours. or
the-the farmers hereabouts. / have a
right to crafty them If l am interfer-
ed with, this village is not the world I
,an leave it"
"Leave ita Leave your mother and
neT".
He turned and looked at me. / could
lot bear the look. 1t told me of the
lime when 1 was his "little Georgy,"
'rottirg by his side all the day long"
know now that my father never
showed the hard common sense which
made him leading man in the country,
u the training of his boy. He led me
With siken cords, when / needed curb
,f steel.
He made no effort then to control me.
We walked side by side, until suddenly
le stopped, and laid his hand on my
arm.
81 might argy it out with other boys,
but can't argy with you. You know
hat club room means ruin! Don't go
back to it. George, don't GO back to it !"
Ipushed his hand down, but ] stood
Irresolute. In my heart, / loved him as
when I was boy But my heart was
crusted over with conceit and pride
l turned into the road leaving him
standing there. l did not go home to
supper thet evening / met Doddridge,
and we determined to snake night of
&C."
Sand many more nights I'll have Of
his same Sort" I said loudly. "I'm
going to cut loose from this miserable
village. This kind of life isn't fit for a
nan who has any ambition"
We were strolling up the street and
had reached the tavern door. The story
Of the club-room had gone about the
village, and the loungers at the bar
laughed significantly as we stopped.
A hand touched my arm, and turning,
| saw my father.
"For my sake, Georger' he said.
The white hair was blown back from
MS face as he leaned forward. / saw all
the age. the disappointment in it. / hesi-
.ated. Doddridge was behind me.
"Going to let the old man put yoke
On you,. eh ?" he sneered in q whisper.
l again shook off the hand that was
upon my arm. "Let me alone!" I
growled, and sprang up the stairs. l
did not look back / did not dare to.
Once seated at our cards and wine,
my courage revived. The evening pass
ed quickly. We drank hard,-so hard
that we were stupefied, and scarcely
heard the tumult of voices which rose
Into shrieks on the street below We
we're reused from our drunken stupor
by knocking at the door.
"George! George! ltis |. Open the
doorp
"It's the-the Governcr,' hiccoughed
Doddridge. "Keep the old fellow out,
I say!'
"George it's your father! The house
is on fire! Open the door! Open the
door as you value your lifew
/ sat still, laughing stolidly, 80 far in
toxicated as not to realize or care for
the peril
From below came shrill cries. "Come
back Let the drunken brutes alone
Bring the old man down."
But nobody could bring him down
With one laundering blow, he drove in
the door, and, rushing in, he picked me
up as if I had been child
In through the open door poured "a
cloud of smoke. The tavern was on
fire, and we were the only living beings
left in it.
NY father was powerful man ever
in his old age. ! was weaker than he
even when sober He carried me to the
window, escape by the door being cut
off, but we were met by roaring shee'
OF flame
Drddridge followed US. whimperins
with terror.
When the crowd behind saw the olC
man, roar went up like thunder.
/ hardly know how my father did it
but he carried me along the shelving
root of the next building, and down |
ladder, fighting the flames back as b.
went. When we reached the ground
he was 80 exhausted thathe fell insen
sible. His burns, too, were severe.
Doddridge fell from an upper window
and lived but an hour.
The tragic ending of the 'sclub" 81
fenced any scofilng which / might 9th
erwse have heard. The fire was neve
MENTIONED to me, snd, after years hat
passed, nobody seemed to remembe
that had been of all sons the most un
grateful and heartless.
But I never forgot the shame ant
misery Of that hulniliating experience
Some men are freed from self-conceit b,