The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-09-11

glass of water, if you please"
jerks could not hide the indifer
ence at once felt towards the stran
ger. Very deliberately he sat 6
pitcher and glass on the counter
and then turned partly away. The
stranger poured out a full glass o.
water, and drank it off with an all
of satisfaction.
"Good water, that of yours, land
lord," said he.
'Is it?' was returned somewhat
discourteously.
81 call it good water, don't your'
81 never drink water by itself
AS jerks said this he winked at
one of his customers, who was
lounging on the bar. "In fact, it's
so long since / drank any water ]
forget how it tastes. Don't you,
Lesliep' a
The man to whom this was adj
dressed was not so far lost to shame
as Jenke. He blushed and looked
confused as he replied:
at might be better for some of
us if we had not lost our relish for
pure water"
ga true word spoken, my friend" !"
said the stranger, turning to the
man whose swollen visage and
patched, threadbare garments too
plainly told the story of his life.
''Water, pure water, bright waterr
is my motto. It's attendants are
health, thrift and happiness. 1t
takes not away the children's bread
nor the toiling wife's garments"
There were two or three custom
ers at the bar besides Leslie, to
whom this was addressed, and all
of them-ln spite of the landlords
sneering countenance-treat the
stranger with attention and re-
spect. Seeing this, jerks could not
restrain himself; so, advancing to
his side and laying his hand rudely
on his shoulder, he said, "See here,
my friend, if you are about to make
a temperance lecture you can ad-
journ to the Town Hall Methodist
Chapel"
or two, so that the hand of jerks
might fall from his person, and then
said mildly, "There must be some
thing wrong here, if a man may not
speak in praise of water without
giving ofense."
'I said you could adjourn your
lecture" The landlords face was
now a fiery red, and he spoke with
insolence and passion.
"Oh, well, as you are president of
the meeting, l suppose we must let
you exercise an arbitrary power of
Judgment" said the stranger. 81
didn't think any one had so strong
a dislike to water as to consider its
praise an insult"
At this moment a child stepped
into the bar-room. She glanced
neither to the right nor the left, but
walked up to the landlord, lifted to
him her sweet young face, and said
in tones that thrilled every heart
but his, ''Please, Mr.. jerks, don't
sell papa any more liquor?'
"Of home with you this instantr'
exclaimed jerks. AS he spoke he
advanced towards the child, with
uplifted hand, in threatening atti-
tude.
"Please don't, Mr.. Jenks," per-
sisted the child, not moving nor
taking her eyes from the landlords
countenance. "Mother says if you
would not sell him liquor there ID
be 10 trouble. He's kind and good
to US all when he does not drink"
"Off, L sayr' shouted jerks, now
maddened beyond self-control, and
his hand was about to descend
upon the little one, when the stran-
ger caught her in his hands, ex-
claiming as he did so, "God bless
the childr' 'No, no, precious
oner' he added, "don't fear him.
Plead for your father, plead for your
home. Your petition must prevail
He cannot say nay to the little ones
whose angels do always behold the
fat e of their Father in Heaven.
God bless the child?' added the
stranger in a choking voice. ''Oh!
that the father for whom she has
come on this touching errand were
present now! If there were any
thing of manhood yet left in his ma
ture, this would awaken it from pal
sled Sleep"
"Papa, oh! papa" now cried the
child, stretching forth her hands.
In the next moment she was cling
ing to the breast of her father, who,
with his arms clasped tightly about
her, stood weeping and mingling
his tears with those now raining
from the little ones eyes.
WHAT an oppressive stiffness pre-
vailed in the roomi jerks stood
and bewildered, his state
of mental confusion scarcely ena
bling him to comprehend the full
import of the scene. The stranger