The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-06-28
nard put his arm lovingly around his
wife's waist and pressed his lips to her

wife's waist and pressed his lips to her v
cold. white brow, as she said.- r
Claude! Claude! IL really don't r
unite understands And she laid her C
head against her husbands breast, /
and burst into tears.
All! the dried and scorched fountain Y
had been reflled by the sweet spark
ling dew-drops from Heaven. And
now they flowed on. refreshing the
tired soul, and mingled with the tears
of remembrance which coursed their
wav down the unshaven cheek of the :
inebriate.
The wind moaned and whistled
down the old chimney. and the rain
and hail beat against the cracked
names. whilst the husband and wife
! drew nearer each other. and let fall
| fine tears conceived in sorrow but born
in love. ;,
..Claude, really don't understand,
whispered the wife, now breaking the
half-hour of silence; and raising her
head from her husbands breat she
gazed inuuiringly into his face, ana
said: s.Tell me, tell me all-what this |
means. :,
.:You wish to know, darling. re-
plied the husband, chow it is that l
am sober. when you can still trace the
fumes Ofliuuor in my breath.
Eyes. Claude. dearest! my own low
mo husband once more! tell me all!
Claude Maynard took the thin. wan
face between his hands, and looking
steadily into the deep blue orbs which
were raised to his face in loving ap--
peal. said, as he again drew the head
upon his breast:
..Gracie. when came to this door
tonight. I was not, as you see me now,
a sober man; still ] was not beastly
intoxicated, for / tried hard not to
take ANYTHING. But the strong desire
/ for just taste got the better OF me-
5 and I could not wholly resist the ter
; rible temtatiOn; so thought Wouid
take one drink. and then come directly
f home. But, unfortunately, just as
was leaving the place, Joe Bangs ana
1 Tom Cross came i'll, (both good Fellows
! enough in their way and insisted that
e l should drink with them; and then,
i as matter of course, and as point
s of honor, had to treat them. BY that
e time ! was considerably intoxicated,
r and then you can see it was easy
f enough to drink again, land again. But
e finally, the boys fell asleep, and
IS began to think of returning home.
a and when l got out the storm and cold
e partially sobered me, and when
II reached the door, you, my love, were
e singing that little hymn to baby.
r Hush, my dear, and somehow,
" there was so much pathos and mourn.
ID full melody in your voice that it almost
r. oyerpowered me, and / remembered
nv own sweet mothers face, and
longed to be child again. and be
soothed to sleep by her sweet voice
trilling that blessed hymn. / hat
placed my ear to the keyhole that
might hear every strain Of your swee
voice. and / overheard your soliloquy
nj and, darling, it sobered me entirely
nt and made solemn vow. as l stoot
r. outside that door, never again to toucl
no a drop of any kind of spirituous llq
,d uors. And" he said after momen
On pause. during which the heat-brokel
ct wife of an hour ago had risen to ne
~. feet and grasped her husband arr
IN with so much force, while her eye
nd flashed with an almost unnatural brl
rs. liancy, that her companion half-doub
ed ed her sanity; her lips moved. but nc
he a sound issued from them; but tn
on PRAYER Of thanksgiving was not til
,o. less feryent because of its mutenes
a1v nor the less accebtable in the sight {
a. God. for it was registered in tt
TO ..I.amb's Book of life And nov
ow nv own darling wife, said Claud
the gently drawing her back to the Sc;
, is beside him. Il reiterate that vow.
cen And with voice eloquent fro
my pathos and firmness, he said:
+. Claude Maynard, do most solem
her IL swear that from this night hene
sed forth l will never taste Il drop OF al
rim kind of spirituous liquors. so help i
ind Almighty God!'
ess. ..Thak God! thank God.' now bun
,ur from the wife's lips as she threw h
nlly arms around her husbands neck a
yhf fell to kissing his rough. unshay
,rv face. and shedding rivers of hap
,use tears.
nut Claude Maynard and Grace Grays
ken had been three years married at
,om time of which we write. They start
Ids upon the boisterous and uncertain
mon of life under the favorable auspices
fort a bright horizon.
Not that Claude was rich, but
Won had been two years in business
rife himself and seemed in a fair way
rour become a wealthy man: but it was
hen old. old story. Unfortunately
ude. Claude he had always had fondn
that for the taste of alcoholic drinks.
ping so long as he was not solicited to Or
YES had force of character enough to w
her stand the fatal temptation But as
wife prospered in business new frle
oud. gathered around him. among WIZ
..no as is always the case. were young I
the who had neither too much prlncl
been nor pride to resist any desire WI
a." bid fair to grant an hour OF pleas'
as so not caring what the result to Ell
spec- themselves or their friends might
door 1t is we'll known that the lnf1ue
and of evil. oftener than the good, pred
nges. mates over the young when Welg
i did in the same scales
cred. Hence we find Claude Maynard.
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