The Dawson journal., 1883-04-12
Five years at your ager l ex-

Five years at your age!' ex-
claimed, how did this happen
We'll, he replied, it's long story,
but LII make it short. | started ont
from home to try to do something
tor myself. Coming to Leavenworth,
found cheap boarding house. and
one night accepted an invitation from
some OF the young men to 90 into IA
drinking saloon For the first time
IN my life drank a glass of liquor.
1t fired my brain There is confused
remembrance of a quarrel Some
body was stabbed The bloody knife
was fonnd in my hand. 1 was in-
dicted for assault with intent to kill.
Five years for the thougtless accep-
lance Of glass of liquor is surely
illustrating the scripture truth that
'the way of the transgressor is
hard
was holding the cold, trembling
hand that crept into mine.-He
earnestly tightened Dis 74asp as i'm
plorlngly he said, %, Mrs. Molloy.
L want to ask u favor of you
At once L expected he was going
to ask me to help obtain pardon,
and IN an instant / measured the
weight OF public reproach that rests
upon the victims OF its egalE d drink
traffic. II is all right to legalize
man to craze the brains of our BOYS,
not by any means wise to ask that
the State par Ion its victim. Inter
preting my thought, he said, 4 AN
not gong to ask you to get pardon,
but l want you TO write to my
mother, and get letter from her aud
send 1t to me. Don't for the world
let her know where 1 am. Better
not tell her anything about me. Just
get line from her, so | can look
upon it. Oh | am so homesick for
my mother
The head of the boy dropped down
into my lap with wailing sob. 1
laid my hand upon his head. |
thought Of my own boy, and for a
few moments was silent. and let his
outburSt of sorrow have vent.
Presently l said. Murray, if [
were your mother, and the odor of a
thousand prisons were upon you,
still you would be my boy. l should
want to know where you were. Is
1t right to keep that mother in sus-
pense? Do you suppose that there
has ever been a day or nj i5ht that she
has not prayed for her wandering
boy? No, Murray, | will only con
s'nt to write to your mother on con-
sideration that you will permit me
to write the whole truth, just as one
mother can write to another.
After some arg lment, his consent
was finally obtained, and letter was
hastily renued and sent on its way.
A week or SO elapsed, when the
foIloNing letter was received from
Texas.
DEAK SISTER IN CHRIsr.-Your
letter was this day received, and
hasten to thank you for your words
Of ten ler sympathy anl for tidings
OF my boy--the first word we have
had in two years. When Murray
left home, we thought it would not
be for long. AS the
months have rolled on, the family
had given him up for lead, bat [ felt
sure God would give me back my
boy, As [ write from the couch OF
an invalid, my husband is in W
nursing another son, who is lying at
the gates OF death with typhoid fever.
L could not wait his return to write
to Murray. [ wrote and told him,
If ] could, how quickly l would go
and pillow his dear head upon my
breast, just as [ did when he was q
little child. My poor dear boy-so
generous, so kind and loving. What
could he have done to deserve this
punishment? You do not mention
mis- crime, but you say it was com
mited while under the influence OF
drink.
did not know he even tasted
liquor. We have raised six boys.
and never knew oae to be under
the influence of drink. Oh is there
no place III this nation that is safe
when our boys have left the home
fold! my sorrow is greater than L
can bear. | cannot go t0him, but,
sister, pray you talk to him, ana
comfort him. as you would have
some mother talk to your boy were
he in bis place. Tell him tina when
he is released, his place in the home
nest and in a mothers heart is wait
ing for HIM
Then followed loving mother words
for Murray in a ldirion to those writ
ten. As / wapt bitter tears over
the words so full of heartbreak, |
asked myself the question. How
long will this nation continue this
covenant with death aud league with
hell to rob US of cur boys?
Take Time BY she FOresock.
A kind hearted lady, of the
philanthropic kind, strolling about
in the suburbs of Austin, heard the
cries of child aud the sound Of
blows. Looking over fence she
discovered that a colored woman
was beating one of her children.
What are you beating that child
for ?" asked the female philanthropist.
'On account of de pitcher was her
,oY,lt,