The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-01-19
How a Sea Captains Daughter Kept
Her Father Sober.

A WRITER in the Hartford Times.
the same journal of a periodical drunk
ard who would get drunk every sixty
days, and who, though offered large
sums of money, could not possibly re-
frain for sixty days, says:
1T reminded me of a somewhat diff
ferent Casa sea Captain who sailed
from Portland, Me-, but who lived
about four miles from that city, on a
stage line. He was never able to spend
a single hour in Portland without drink
ing, and after he had taken the first
glass was never sober until he again
went to sea. He had noble wife and
three beautiful daughters, of all of
whom he was very proud, as well he
might be. To this family, when sober,
he was thoroughly devoted, and they
repaid his fondness with extreme de-
votion, The old Captain was the soul
of honor at all times, and, with the eX-
ception of his drinking habit, he was in
every way strictly upright, and espe-
cially capable as ship commander.
From the moment his ship left port he
never allowed glass of grog to pass
his lips until he again set foot in Port
land. But the conyiyial attractions
and associations of the city were too
much for the Captains powers of re-
sistance, and eventually he would be
carried home in a state of drunken
stupor, from which he would awaken
only to plunge into fresh dissipation,
which would continue until it was time
for him to sail again. 1t was a terrible
trial to his family and a source of bitter
modification to his daughters that their
fond-hearted father should be the sub:
ject of such scandal among the gossip
ing neighbors. Every influence that
love and affection could prompt was
thrown around him to counterfeit his
weakness. AT last, after debauch of
vowed to his family that the next time
he would come home sober or he would
not come home at all. He was gone
eight months and had been totally alb
stinent the whole time. During all this
time his thoughts were continually upon
his family and the Joy of meeting them
this time sober. He had now no idea
that this time he should drink, but be-
came terribly anxious to reach his fam
lily and convince their loving hearts
that his affection for them was suffi-
cient to overcome his appetite. He
landed buttoned his overcoat to his
chin, reported to the owners, walked
deliberately to the nearest rum-shop
and in two hours was stupidity drunk
again. An unseen, ineXplicable, yet
irresistible power carried him in spite
of his good resolutions to the fatal re-
sort. He went to low hotel, and
buried himself from his friends and did
nothing but drink, thoroughly deter
mined not to 90 home at all this trip.
But love hunted him out; his wife got
him home and Strengthened him out
for another voyage. His next two re-
turns were but repetitiOnS of the one
described. His familywere in despair.
His wife fell i'll, and his daughter de-
termined that the next time love should
not be defeated. When his ship was
nearly due she took lodgings near the
wharf, overlooking the harbor, and the
moment his vessel was sighted she took
sail boat and went down the harbor
to meet him. Never was help more
needed. His struggles had effected a
mental and physical exhaustion render
ing him completely helpless. He en-
braced his noble daughter almost hys-
terically, but warned her that if she did
not watch him closely he should run
away from her. But love had keen
eyes as well as devotion. She finally
landed this great strong Captain, who
had braved scores of storms, safely in
his home. The same method was pur-
sued in his succeeding returns, and
once on making the harbor in the early
dawn he anchored until daylight dis
covered to his daughter his presence.
TO this day this strong man, to whom
the perils of wind and wave bring no
fear, dares not set foot on shore with
out that daughters hand clasped tight
ly in his"