Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-11
A LOCAL TEMPERANCE STORY.

more devotedly attached, and until the oeca-
sion about to be referred te, not only
had no reproachss passed between them or
any words Of more harshness than are
liable to fly about between the most attached
of couples without provoking breach of
loves fair fabric, but not even complaint had
been made by the wife when she had ample
cause to frown, while as to blows-the man
who had dared to suggest that the husband
might under remote possibilities lift his hand
against his wife, would have stood good
chance of being killed on the spot by the blast
of his righteous indignation; and SO, too,
would the wife have withered the veins OF
any one even breathing the suspicion that she
might some day touch John with any ruder
than love tap. But in the last three or four
years John has shown growing fondness for
his grog. In fact. about once a month he
would go "off " TO the extsnt of taking
drinks between drinks, and at such times
come home in condition that was always
rude shock TO his wife, and tried her patience
as never before. The passage of time made
these occasions moro frequent, and John,
when in his cups, became rough to his help
mate, cross (which, sober, he never isl, and
one day this week, when she ventured to re-
monstrate with him, he lifted his hand and
gave her smart tap on the cheek with
his open palm. It was scarcely blow,
but drunk as he was, he realized what be
had done, and would have given all he was
worth to have been able to recall it. But
blow is like water spilled on the ground, and
like water on the ground, too, it had gone in,
and the woman's sensitive nature had alb.
sorbed it like poison. She was too hurt at
heart to speak, and he too great coward to
opea his mouth and be forgiven. So he went
off to his work, while she remained behind
to mourn; however, she isn't made of the
kind of stuff that mourns long. Her hurt
grew to be sting, and as it sung her anger
arose. But the sense of the deep injustice
done her by the one of all others who should
have shielded her from blows, brought with
it the conviction that the offender must
expiate his offense in like kind. There
should be no scowls, and tears, and signs in
her house. The matter should be made even,
right there and then. John should find that
his partner for life was able and ready
to avenge her own wrongs, and more speedily
on loved one, because in such a one the
offense was all the greater, and love
must be taught, that however great tyrant,
he must not be cruel. When John came
home that night he saw a smiling wife, but
never dreamed that beneath that placid OK.
terror there burned like a furnace the aveng
ing fires of insulted affection. He was duly
sober. In a corner stood a neat demijohn,
and its label showed that it was filled with the
very best whisky J-street liquor house
could supply. He asked the reason for her
strange purchase "Oh, she had bought it
to have it in the house, so that when he
wanted drink he could have it at home"
John felt the rebuke, but he couldn't take
dare" even from the wife of his bosom,
and, Just as she had calculated. he at once
sampled the liquor, and praised his wife's
good taste. and thanked her for her consider
alton of his personal comfort. Just as the
woman had also calculated, John continued
to sample the other john until the little john
overthrow the great john, and the latter at
dusk rolled on the bed drunk-stupid drunk,
and too far gone to remove his clothing. Then
that wife arose in her wrath, and, never
wavering from her purpose, she opened the
door into the sitting-room, and then the door
into the hail. and then the door into the
street, and then she carefully laid back
Johns coatails and as noiselessly drew from
the bottom of the window curtain the thin
slat that usually holds the curtain down.
harmless stick : one could scarce kill mos
quito with blow from it, but just then all
sufficient for the wifes purpose, for she never
intended to hurt, but only to avenge by show
of vengeance. She raised the stick aloft and
then downitcame with swiftfury upon Johns
defenseless body just where nature had made
amplest provision for castigation. The blow
was a smart one, and John felt it smartly,
drunk as he was; but it shattered the mere
shaving into a hundred pieces. Then blood
was up. Like the coward soldier after the
first volley, who becomes monster of valor
like the beast that has first tasted blood
like human nature when passion gets the up
per hand as it may OF even the sweetest dis
position, the wife was lost in the wronged
woman. She seized stout cane that stood
all too ready to hand, and laid about her
with 6erceness born of a rage she was as
powerless TO control, with the shorn Sampson
prone before her, as he was TO resist. Fast
and furious fell the blows, and rs john
twisted and turned in his pain he caught them
about his head, and his ears, and his face, and
over his eyes, and across his back, and athwart
his stomach, and about his legs-and every
where that spriugy hickory f. H. At last, as
tired from her haste she paused, there came
reason and a revulsion of feeling that fairly
stunned her. What had she done Bursting
into tears, she fed the house through the
open doors, and took refuge in neighbours
dwelling. She did not return that night, but
lay under a sheltering roof and wept over her
folly. With morning came repentance and
fear. " Had she wrecked her home" She
would know the worst. She went to the
house, ard silently entered in. All was still:
She crept noiselessly through the hall, and
tiptoed toward the sitting room. She sought
to pass the bedroom door and ascend the
stairs but step softly as she could he heard
her, and on her astonished ears there fell
cry call" Mary! Oh, dear Mary, come
hsre give up; l weaken; I'm whipped,
and got what L deserved, too; and / feel
better now for it, For heavens
sake, Mary. come in here, and see
what a fix I'm in. can't see, and I'm
half starved and oh, Mary. if you'll come
never lift my hand to you again. or touch an
other drop Of liquor as long as | live; and il
l do, may the" "Stop, John, don't take
an oath you don't know how hard it may be
to keep it. I am coming, dear" And she
went in. and found John had both eyes closed
for business and hung in deepest mourning.
and welt across his cheek as if lightning
rod had had difficulty with it, and cut on
his nose that had nearly made two noses out
Of ore; and his chin was the real double chin
the first he ever wore, and his head was swol.
len in like proportion, and his lips were no
longer kissable, and, as a whole, John was a
wreck Aud she fell upon his sore and stiff
eued neck and wept, and sob5ed, AID moaHed
"Oh, John! what have l done ?-hox could
1 have done ii? And that i, the reason a
certain man has not been found at work all
this week; and it is the reason, too, why it is
given out that he has had an attack of the
prevailing epizD oty, and that it is stated that
under his wife's careful nursing he will be
able to be around next week. And it is the
reason, also, for the printing of this true tenn
perance story, and explains how the wife had
to relieve her conscience to confdant and
pour out her confession into sympathetic ears.
Aud it explains, also. the oft verified fact,
that two can't keep secret.
CAREFUL OF HIS HEALTH.-He was an
Immigrant. Stopped at saloon on j street.
Laid down 10 cents asked for whisky. Bar
keeper put cut a tumbler and passed the
bottle. Immigrant filed tumbler TO the
bTim. Barkeeper demonstrated; said, Hold
on, my friend, that amt beer" Immigrant
drank it down, and remarked, know 1t,
boss. 1 wouldn't drink that much beer for
SO; it would make me bilious"
MORE RA1N.-At 1915 this morning the
sky, which had been clear since sunset, be-
came overcast, and it began to rain gently.
The promise to the eye that surveyed the
clouds was, at that hour for more rain, and
all the land cries LET it come"
DRESS GooDs.-Remnants Of dress goods
from L. Biens. in all qualities cashmeres,
silk and wool poplins. Japanese silks. black
silks, from cests yard, to be placed on the
remnant table to-day at the Red House.
TWENTY ONE cases Of mems heavy working
boots for 81 90 per pair, at the Leading Shoe