Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-10
Z" For MY Sake.O


C. stood in front Of sparkling CRATE
fire, holding in her hand glass of home
made wine. She was a pretty girl-ex-
tremely so with her loving, merry eyes and
her luxuriant, bronze-tinted hair wound
gracefully about her well shaped head.
She did not look like a tempter, that
sweet-faced, winsome, brilliant girl; but
one cannot invariably Judge by looks.
Susie, in her thoughtless girlhood, proved
tempter to the one she loved best on earth.
"Take it, Harold, do" she begged. at
is my own make, and long for your opinion
concerning it,"
"But, my dear, do not drink wine;
have told you that frequently" her lover
answered.
al know It is your custom, and AM glad
of it, but this is superior wine and pure. 1t
has strength too, and will warm you up and
do you good. You have long, cold ride
home. Take the wine for my sake, dear"
As she spoke that thoughtess, fascinating
girl kissed her lover once, twice, thrice.
Harold looked pale and embarrassed as, ac-
ceptng the cup from bis sweetheart's hand,
he said, in half-sad, half-vexed tone, 81
really prefer not to take it, but for your
sake, here goes = and he raised the glass
and drank the contents. As he bent his
head TO kiss his soon-to-be bride "good
nigh" she said: "Why do you look so
sober, dear? You look as if you had lost
your last friend Harold"
"Perhaps not my last, but think have
turned cold shoulder on a good friend"
He laughed somewhat bitterly as he spoke.
Total Abstinence, In the garb of an angel,
bending sadly over this gifted, noble young
man was the friend to whom he alluded (;
,,,,t fo;lnI 10 ,ap,arahaAl biu
ing, also was utterly unconscious that she,
with her own voluntary act, had commenced
binding with gossamer threads the fatal
mesh that might close about her darling.
The wedding day came, and the newly
welded, how beautiful they looked Harold
had never received that questionable COM
pliment OF being called "pretty man"
but handsome, manly, promising he GER
tainly was-broad, intellectual forehead,
shaded by short, silky hair, which showed
to advantage his fne head; eyes which
looked resolute, and were, without doubt,
full of love and beauty and mouth where
sweetness was more strongly portrayed than
firmness
AS for Susie, there never was a fairer
bride nor merrer. They had married for
love, and no one felt disposed to blame them
for thinking in their youthful passion and
inexperience that none ever had equaled,
did equal, or could equal theirs.
Susie's father believed that hospitality
was partly, yes, considerably, composed OF
wines so on this wedding night this fatal
| glass went round and round.
Susie did not say now for my sake.
| There was no need of any winsome coaxing.
| His boat was launched upon a treacherous
sea, but the waves seemed peaceful, and
| Sue thought of no danger. As for Harold,
he felt a shadowy sense OF some unknown
something what he did not know, or care to.
He drank more than one glass that eventful
night, but the subtle currents shooting
through his veins did not have the effect to
mortify either his wife or other friends, fol
he did not become garrulous, only brilliant
and friendly to an unusual degree.
| We cannot trace all the steps toward:
Harold's complete bondage. The insidiou'
enemy rested not. Little ones came to hi
home-fair, sweet blossoms inheriting faith
er's and mothers beauty; and then, after {
little while, they were transplanted to {
fairer cline.
Neither Harold or Susie looked up to Sc,
if the gates were left ajar, but looked down
Susie saw only desolate home, two littl'
graves, a drunken husband, life of grie
and poverty before her. Can you wonde
her heart failed her? Oh if she had onl,
looked up to see the Man Of sorrows" witt
arms extended, offering rest. II she baC
ouly listened she would have heard, " Come
sc weary" etc. Harold looked down anC
beheld a careworn, broken-hearted, fadeC
woman, in whose eyes he could read plalnl!
agony, remorse and bitterness and whil'
he, with his bleared eyes, looked, the enem,
Of souls whispered: "Drink, drink, it vii
make your heart merry, and you'll forge
your sorrow." lie bent his head still lower
while the enemy steadily approached nearer
allowing him TO bind stronger rope abou
his neck as he whispered; drink, drink
DRINK one needs this comfort in the chang
ing scenes of life"
look for Harold and Susie now in that Lowell
southern home, where the golden sunbeam
lowed and shimmered, where LIES SIX,
smiled without perceptible cloud.
Far away in northern city, in a closely
populated street, where turbid, angry cur
rents of sin-hooded souls are surging to an,
fro, they have found shelter though not
home. Imagery of fiction is not needed o
desired here; the reality can equal or sur
pass the most exaggerated mental flight-
The night is bitter, and as we pass d)wl
the dim and filthy street in search OF tn
human wreck we feel like proclaiming GU
feelings in regard to dram-drinking AM
dram selling from the very housetops. Th
keen winds whirl, wall, and groan, as if il
perfect sympathy with the woe on ever
side. Under our feet are pits which NIGH
be called after the place Of lost souls, the
are so vile, SO reeking with the very dreg
of drunkenness and all manner OF deprayl J
The street is i'll lighted, aud yet, our eye
growing accustomed TO the darkness, W
recognize tall aud shattered tenement
swarming with humanity in its lowest gart
We enter one of the dark and narrow alley
stumbling through impenetrable darkness
We mount the shaky stairs-one pair, tw
pair, three pair, four pair-and tiud on
selves in the hallway of low attic. Feebl
lights issue from some OF the many room
on either side, but they are so faint that "
feel in our pockets for match to light on
lantern.
"Direct us to the woman whose husban
was found dead this evening, will 20
please Z" we request of staggering man
the hall.
"The crazy woman ?-hic-yes sir; b
corner room-hic-north side, sir.
We enter the corBer-room, north sid
Starvation sits upon the hearth aud the a.
gel of death awaits another victim. som
thing looking like heap OF polluted ral
lying in the corner is all that remains
Harold. Look at him il you can endure Il
repulsive sight. You fail to recognize oil
feature as belonging to the Harold OF oil
but bear in mind that wrecks of noble We
sells are seldom recoguiz ,ble. The hal
which was once silky and waved about
noble forehead, is now long, matted, an
u streaked with the dark blood oozing fro
the wound in the temple. The face whiC
once bore the impress OF Fathers hsr
e making it beauteous, earnest and lovin
now looks hideous in its degraded, ag
' lied expression. And that creature bendir
over him is Sue--Sue, who. fifteen yea
n ago, in her lovely, dawning womanhoo
looked with love-6lled eyes into Harold
= and begged with criminal thoughtlessne'
d it appears to me), Drink it, dear, for II