The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-03-29


frantic with his old longing. The
rest of the Sabbath had been hind
rance rather than help TO him, for
he had already been suffering several
days from the effects of abstaining
from his usual after-dinner and after
supper potations. The amount usually
drank on these occasions had not been
great, but the habit had for some years
been SO regular that his amazed and
indignant physique protested against
the change. Had he been capable Of
spiritually withdrawing himself from
the world on the day of the Lord, he
might have found help and strength,
but he was as incapable OF such a
thing as We're nine-tenths of the
church-members in Barton. While
he remained at home, his children
were noisy enough to have hurried a
rapt seer back to the realization of
earthly things when he went abroad
he could not, rs was his usual wont,
step quietly into the back door of
Bayne's liquor-store. He strolled
down to the stable-yard of the Barton
House, hoping to find some one with
whom he could talk horse, but the
hostler was not in sight, and the sta
ble-boy, who had been heard TO say he
didn't count much on them fsllers
what signed the pledge and went back
on their friends" eyed him with evil
dent disgust. In the street he met
people going to and from church and
Sunday-school, and they looked at
him as If their eyes were asking, Are
you keeping your pledge?n Then, to
crown all, his wife gave him such a
beseeching and yet doubling look
every time he left the house and re-
turned TO ii that he almost hated the
good woman for her affectionate
anxiety.
Tom was up bright and early Mon
day morning, and though he soon
mounted his wagon and left his wife's
eyes behind him, he found his longing
for liquor as close to him as ever.
Reaching the brickyard, he was rather
startled to find there Deacon Jones,
his employer, and owner of store as
well as the kilns. The deacon looked
at him as all the religious people had
done on Sunday, and Tom inwardly
cursed him.
"How are you, Tom?" inquired the
deacon, ana then without waiting for
reply, remarked:
There's somethin' I've been a
| wantin' TO talk to you bout, Tom, an
| was sure o. catchin' you here, so l
came over before breakfast. You
signed the pledge tother night"
This latter clause was delivered with
an accompanying glance which caused
Tom to put great deal of anger inte
his reply, although his words were
| few.
''Yes, an KEEP it, too"
Pm glad of it, Tom. There's been
times when you didn't, you know.
| Well, what ! want to say is this.
Some folks folks say that some men
drink because they have to work too
hard, an because they have trouble.
Now, mebbe-I only say mebbe, mind
-mebJe that's what upset you those
other times. Now, if was to give
you work all the year round at seven
ty-fivc cents day, an not work you
more'n ten hours day, would it help
you to keep straight ~
Would it," said Tom, scratching
his head, wrinkling his brows and
eyeing the deacon incredulously.
"Why. of course it would"
"Well, then,' said the deacon, "I'll
do it. AS long as the brick business
is good you can work at haulin' from
seven to twelve an one to six. Don't
you s'poss you could put two or three
hundred more brick on load without
hurtin' the hosses ?-I don't want to
lose any more'n | can help, you know,
by cuttin' down your time. Rainy
days I'll keep you busy at the store
some way; them's the days farmers
can't do much on the farm, SO they
bring their butter and eggs to town,
and there's sight of measurin' an
weighin' to be done. An after the
brick seasons over I'll find you some
thin to do at the store. You can put
the pork-house am warehouse to rights
before the packin' season begins, an
you can weigh the corn an wheat an
oats an pork when they come in, and
mend bags, and work in the pork
house three months out of the six.
You wouldn't object to takin' night
spells in the pork-house instead of
day-spells, would you, when we have
to work day and night? Night-wages
costs us most, you know, an you
ought to help us make up what we
lose on you when there's nothin' do
i'm"
Just as yoa say" replied Tom.
He did not clasp the deacon in a CRATE
full embrace, for the deacon had in
his thrifty way prevented Tom from
feeling especially grateful. The owner
Of the brickyard had intimated that
the new arrangement was for Toms
especial benefit, but his latter remarks
caused this feature of the arrangement
to speedily disappear from view. But,
although not doubling for an instant
that the deacon meant to get his money
back with usury, Tom felt his heart
growing lighter every moment. AT
the same time he felt angry at the
deacon's occasional suggestions that
the arrangements We're partly of the
nature of charity. So he replied:
Just as you say; but, deacon, l
aint the feller that wants money for
work ! don't do, you knew that. The
arrangement suits me first-rate, but
I'm goin' to work hard for my money
you can bet all your loose change on
that
Thomas ~ calculated the deacon,
sternly, II am not in the habit Of bet
ting. It's a careless, foolish, wasteful,
sinful way of using money"
That's so,n replied Tom, reflective