Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-07-02

"Where is Whiskey Bill, who use'
to drive that old white horse in front o
of a 25 cent express wagon" repeated
the man, in tones Of surprise.
"Yes."
swell, now, it's curious case" he
slowly continued. ''We all thought he
had gone to the dogs, for sure; he was
drinking a pint of whiskey day. But
few months ago he braced right up,
stopped drinking, and now hear he's
in good business and saving mouey. 1t
beats all, for the last time saw him he
seemed half under ground"
When you go home at night and find
that all is we'll with your own flesh and
blood, do you 90 to sleep reasoning that
the rest of the world must care for ITSELF
Do you ever shut your eyes and call up
the hundreds Of faces you have met dur
| ing the day, and wonder If the paleness
of death will cover any Of them before
the morrow: When you have once
been attracted TO face. even if ii be
strangers do you let 1t drop from men,
ory with your dreams, Or do you call it
up again and again.aS night comes down
and hone 1t may lose none OF its bright.
ness IN the whirlng mlsts Of time?
So Whisky Bill was hunted down.
An inquiry here and there finally traced
him to little brown cottage on by
street. He sat on step in the twi.
light, q burly, broad shouldered man ot
aity, and in the house three or four
children gathered round the lamp to
look at picture book.
"Yes they used to call me Whisky
Bill down town." he replied, as he
moved along to make room, "but 1t is
weeks since l heard the name. No
wonder they think me dead, for have
not SET my eyes on the old crowd for
months-and | don't want to for months
TO come"
"They tell me that you have quit
drinking. One could see that by your
face"
"I hope 50. haven't touched drop
since February. Before that l was
half drunk day in aud day out, and more
of brute than a man. l don't mind
saving that my wlfe's death set me to
thinking, but 1 didn't stop my liquor.
God forgive me, but was drunk when
she died, half drunk,at the grave, and |
meant to go on a regular spree that
night. 1t was low down, cir, but | was
but little better than a brute in those
days."
"And so you left your motherless
children al home, and went and got
drunk?"
"No. / said meant to, but II
didn't. The poor things were crying
all day, and after coming home from the
burial I thought to get 'em tucked away
to bed before I went out. Drunk or
sober, l never struck one Of them a
blow, and they never ran from me
when staggered home. There's four
of 'em in there, and the youngest isn't
quite four year yet. 1 got the older ones
in bed all right, and then came little
Ned. He had cried himself to sleep, and
he called for mother as soon as woke
him. Until that night l had never had
that boy on my knee, to say nothing OF
putting HIM to bed, and you can guess
when these big fingers made SLOW work
work with the hooks and buttons. Eys
cry minute he kept saying mother didn't
do that way, aud mother done this way,
and the big children were hiding their
heads under the quilts to dro gn their
sobs. When | had his clothes OF and
his night gown on, was ashamed and
put down, and when the oldest saw tears
in my eyes and jumped out OF bed to
put her arms arond my neck, l dropped
the name Of Whisky Bill right then and
forever"
"And little Ned"
sMebbe I'd have weakened but for
him. replied the man, as he wiped his
eyes. After 1 got the child's night.
gown on, what did he do bus kneel right
down beside me and wait for me to say
the Lords Prayer for him! Why, sir,
you might have knocked me down With
a feather! There l was. mother and
father to him, and couldn't say four
words of that prayer to save my life!
He waited and waited tor me 10 begin,
as his mother always had. and the big
children were waiting; then / took him
in my arms and kissed, and called Heav.
en- to witness that my life should change
from that very hour. 1t did, strand I've
been trying hard to live sober, honest
life. God helping me. no one shall call
me Whisky Bill again."
The foar children. little Ned ia his
nlght.gown, came out for his papa's
good night kiss, aud the little boy cud-
died in his parents arms a moment,and
said:
Good night, pa-goOa night, eyery'
body in the world good night, ma, up 10
heaven-and don't put out the light till
we get to sleep!
A ieweler in South Royalston, w.,