Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-09-08
One Shining Curl.

take with me TO my chamber at night, and
wish to have it placed where my eye can
readily fall on it, when at home through the
day. | will show it TO you"
So saying he touched spring, and the
lid opened, showing shining curl of golden
brown hair lying along the box, while a spi-
raj coil of silver wire was ingeniously ar
ranged so as to keep the tress in place,
without at all concealing it.
oh how beautiful" exclaimed.
al will tell you about it," he said-and
this is the story the rich man told me con-
corning the lovely casket, and its sacred con.
tents:
You see | was rather restless boy; in
sisted, as many another had done before, on
leaving school while quite young, and start
ing out TO seek fortune. My father had
died during my infancy, and although |
loved my gentle mother very dearly, and
thought her the prettiest little lady had ever
seen, yet we were in straitened circum-
stances, and imagined that by going to sea
| might be able to earn something, and so
help mother along. l reflect with some de-
gree of comfort always on the fact that the
chief motive which influenced me then, was
to secure an easy, comfortable home for my
mother, who had toiled hard for my mainte-
nance and happiness for fourteen years.
She parted from me reluctantly enough /;
but, boy-lke, left her with stout assurance
of the wonderful things intended to ac-
complish for her interest.
Well, not to tire you, will say that cir
cumstances entirely beyond my control--so
often the case with a sailor-detaned me
from home for several years.
During this time | continually received
letters from mother, in all of which she
specially warned me against the use of in
toxicating drinks
Being a mere boy when I left her, and
never having experienced the slightest temp
tation to use anything of the kind, | often
wondered why she would say SO much more
about this one form of temptation than any
other. The sailors took their grog very
| regularly, but to me it was distateful stuff,
and so / repeatedly assured her in my fire.
quent letters home-these letters so full of
boyish hope and ambition, so full of buoy
ant expectations of making money, piles Of
money, with which sometime to go home
and take care of mother. God pity us all
! Well, | shall never forget, we had been
cruising about one bitter cold winter and,
| getting short Of coal, we made port some
where on the coast of France and the cap
tain allowed me to go ashore with his mates.
| oOph dibCi itdCiiluR tiIc uOltl hungry, Cplu
and tired, waiter entered our room with
various kinds of hot drinks, those enticing
French drinks, you know, so delicious and
seductive to the taste. Hardly knowing
what did, raised steaming glass to my
| lips, and drained it to the last drop. Good
Lord What demon took possession of my
senses from that moment ? 1t was my first
drink, you see, of good wine. How
reached my bed that night | never knew
the mate paid the bills at the hotel, and the
next night found us on board the ship ready
for fresh start. But oh the shame, re-
morse and bitter experience of intoxication |
| This is what poor mother warned me
against time and again but why was she
so fearful, and why did that first warm
glass OF strong, rich wine madden me so
Could it be that my father-but no, mother
had never told me anything against him,
aud, come to think of it, she had never told
Inc much concerning father any way. Well,
mother should never know, that was one
comfort; and mother never did know.
Six years after leaving my native land
returned young man twenty years of age
returned to find an aunt watching my arri.
val, in the cottage where had left my dear
little mother. But where was she that nc
warm rush of welcome greeted her long
absent boy Poor auntie she tried her
best to break it to me very gently-a long,
choking silence-ah, well you see it all, she
was dead. | was made to understand it at
last My aunt arose after while, and
leaving the room for moment, soon
returned with something in her hand, rolled
in soft white paper it was this shining curl
of goden-brown hair. Then she found
voice to tell me how mother had dropped
and died. and Just before had herself cut fol
me this wavy lock, and had charged my
aunt to deliver few last loving words Of
counsel to the dear boy she should never see
again in this life.
"She said, continued my aunt, "that you
were very confident of making money, moi
one penny of which, she begged and prayed
might ever be spent for intoxicating drink
of any kind"
Then followed the revelation had mo
mentarily suspected and then smothered
respecting my father. | learned how m,
poor mothers young life had been blightet
and her health destroyed, from having dis
covered too late alas that she had married
man of Incorporate habits, who soor
became a miserable drunkard, and died sud
denly from the effects of strong drink.
Carefully wrapping the curl in its wav.
folds of white tissue, placed it in the secre
drawer of an old-fashioned secretary, ant
securely locked it in. Soon after this
through the influence of a kind hearte,
captain with whom | sailed-and here lie
me say he never offered me glass of liquo
all the years was with him, or anything els,
injurous-I obtained an excellent situation
in a ship chambers store, where | receive,
= steady and increasing pay.
AS | was careful about my money mat
ters, used frequently to make deposits il
the bank, and also kept a roll of bills neatl
wrapped away in the hidden drawer Of tn
old secretary. Having in time found man
pleasant acquaintance, and being social
inclined, accepted many invitations to pal
ties of pleasure at which wine was fir,
quently offered.
For several months the temptation :
taste even drop was steadily resisted
although the very smell of the liquor SCENE
to make me almost wild and little by littl
yielded at last to the oft-repeated opportl
mites and solicitations 10 try the dangerou
luxury. 1t is true my conscience trouble
me sadly on every such occasion, although
comforled myself somewhat with the refle'
ton that not penny had | ever spent fC
anything of the kind, and that, after all m
mothers particular injunction. Poor, foo
Ism boy tndt was, tnus weakly 10 argue
But the subtle habit was beginning to g
a stronger and stronger hold upon me, Se'
eral times had been assisted home frol
saloons, and more than once from privai
house; and as yet, from the very first drin
had ever taken at the mates expense,
had always been treated by some Oh
else.
At last, one night, there was quite cor
pany of us assembled in brightly lighte
richly gilded saloon, which Franklin Harri
one Of my special chums had just starte,
- greatly to the distress of his good, piol
mother, when suddenly "the boys" turn,
on me and demanded drink.
Come said one, "we've all stood tre
scores of times; it's your turn now don
be mean, Hal invite us to smile for one
can't you ,"
1t all flashed over me in a moment--n
mothers petition, the fact that | had mean
evaded ever paying for the drinks, yet {
ways accepted them at the expense OF n
companions whenever offered. How oou
accede TO their proposal--and yet tn
taunt of being called "mean especial
when my course justified it no, couldn
stand that.
Just then remembered having rolled I
and placed away my money before going o.
for the evening.
"Well, hold on moment l said, an
trying hard to quiet my struggling co