Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-30

pearance Of the glass bottles.
"Only little new wine" replied u
carelessly as could. Mere juice of thr
grape
But it's wine, nevertheless, pursued
he.
but it's not wine, "cried Sam Pratt
who was one Of the hardest nuts old Nep
tune ever cracked.
"No,' climed in Sim Black, another Of
about the same stamp. It's only little
simple juice. Come boys, fill up
The glasses were accordingly filed, Sam
Pratt performing that duty, and he took
care that jacks glass had good quantity
of swcetened rum in it.
NO. said Jack, as the glass was NOV
ed toward him; if you are going to COM
mence thus, | will keep you company
with water rs long rs yet remain orderly,
but will not touch Il dlop of wine"
This WAS spoken very mildly. and with
II kind smile, but yet it was spoken firmly,
and we could see that our plan was being
knocked in the head. We urged him to
drink with us, only one glass if no more.
We told him how innocenl it was, and how
happy his social glass would make us;
but we could not move him.
" Lei him 90" cried Sim, who had al,
ready drank some. In fact. all of us bul
Jack had drank more or less during the
forenoon. " Let him 90. We don't want
The mean fellow with us!"
That's it, added Sam, "oif he goes.
If he's too good to drink with his ship
mates, we don't want him."
"Yuu misunderstood me-" added Jack,
in II tone Of pain. I'm not too good to
drink with you, in the sense you take it,
But do not wish to drink ut all {"
Too stingy, that's ALL said |, deter
mined to make him drink if | could. But
Jack looked at me so reproachfulIy as
said this, that | wished l had not spoken
us did
'If you wish to enjoy your wine, mess.
mates, said Small, at the same time rising
from his chair "you can do so, but beg
you will excuse me. will pay my share
of the expenses for the dinner"
And for your share of the wine, said
Sim, " for we ordered it for you. "
NO." replied Jack, / cannot pay fol
the wine"
"Meanm cried two or three at breath
:" No, no, messmates, not mean. | will
pay for the whole dinner-for every arti
Gle YOU and have had in the house, save
the wine.'
And us lie spoke he rang the bell. He
asked of the waiter who entered what the
bill was for the company, without the
wine; after the amount had been stated
he took out his purse to pay it, when San
Pratt, who was our acknowledged leader
caught his arm.
mo, no, not so" said Sam. " You shal
not pay for it, for we will not eat at the
expense of one who will sneak out of !
scrape in this way. We want nothing tC
do with YOU unless you will take IL glas
of wine with us"
VERY well,n said Jack; and as h
spoke | could see that his lip quvered ant
that he dared not speak more.
lie turned toward the door then, bu
belole he reached it, Black caught him, Il
the same time time exclaiming:
may, old boy, you don't go off so
You've commenced, and now you've 90
10 stick it out.
This was the signal for us to commenc
again, and once more we tried to urg'
Jack TO drink the wine; and when w
found that urging would not do we com
menced TO abuse and scoff. We accused
him of trying to step over us on board
the ship, and of all other bad things o
which we could think. For while tn
poor fellow seemed inclined to let his ange
get the upper hand; but at length h'
calmed himself and stepping back to hi
chair he said:
"Shipmates, listen to me fora moment.
Silence gave consent, and in II momen
more he resumed:
"Since matters have come to this pass
| have resolved to tell you what hat
meant to keep locked up in my own bo
som.
We had always thou hit, from Jack
manner, that there was something peruIla
connected with his early life, and we wer
all attention in moment.
"Mv story is but short one, he cor
tinued, land can tell it in very le'
words. From the time of my earlleS
childhood, | never knew what 1t was
have happy home. My father was
drunkard! Once he had been II good ma
and II GOOD husband, but rum ruined Il
. his manhood and made brute of him.
can remember how cold and cherries Wi
J the first winter of my life to which men
ory leads my mind. We had no fire,
food, no clothes, no joy, no anything
no hing but misery and woe! My POI
t mother used to clasp me to her bosom
5 keep me warm, and once | remembe
t when her tears froze on her cheek. o
how mother prayed to God for her hu
| band; and |, who could but just pratt
e learned to pray, too. And | used too 5
k the husband and father return to his hon
; and | remember how my pDor moth
y cried and. trembled.
v When grew older had to 90 out a
n hen for bread All cold and shivering
Il waded through the deep snow, with
If clothes in latlers and freezing feet almt
d bare. And saw other children of my o'
c age dressed warm and comfortable, an(
IS knew that they were happy, for tn
d laughed and sang as they bound
g. alonr towards school. those be
Ind sober fathers. | knew that tn
Is fathers were no better than mine had be
4 once; for my mother had told me n
* noble nv father could be if the accur'
III demon rum were not in his way; but
ut fatal power was upon him, and though
n often promised and tried, yet he could
re escape.
I'd Time passed on and l was eight ye
h. old. and those eight years had been ye
he of SUI h sorrow and suffering us pl
|c God may never again experience.
BY ength, one cold morning in the dead
.io winter, my father was not home. lie
FIX not been home through the night.
tx mother sent me to the tavern to see
On could find him. | had gone half way wi
.r- Islw something in the snow by the sld'
nd the road. stopped, and shudder
through me, for it looked like u nun
ur form. | went up to it, and turned
be head over and brushed the snow from
.ol face. 1t was my father, and he was
he and cold! | laid my hand upon ms |
to brow. and it was like solid marble!
nj was dead"
th Poor Jack stopped moment and WI
ith his eyes. Not one of us spoke, for we
nd become too deeply moved. But he S
We went on.
en- II went to the tavern and told the
ne ple there what had found, and the Ia
to lord sent two of his men to carry
,p. frozen body of my father home
lsn shipmates, I cannot tell You how my
nd mother wept and groaned. She sank u
lon her knees and clasped the icy corpse
IN her beating bosom, rs thou4 h she W.