The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-09-14
Temperance Reading.
TIE TERRIBLE RIDE OF PETER
MBRIDR.

MBRLDE.
Have you heard Of the ride of old Peter No
Of that midsummer night fun of horrors for
him,
Of the fright that he had-how he thought
How they found him at morn bruised in
body and limb?
] win tel! you the tale. for it shows what may
TO man when he foolishly NEEDLES with
rum Sew @ sGa fE tNT1t
A merry old topper was Peter Mcbride; zig 4
he was 1ond OF ms glass as school7boy Of
And tippHng to him was a matter of prize. .isa
He rode every night for his regular dram
10 the village hotel, on his old chestnut mare
he loved the black bottle that greeted him
there. lsfssi slt kina ia4ase zag
But o, what a foe was that bottle to himl ug
II shattered MS nerves ana it. Redeemed his
His round cheeks grew hollows his eyesight
His form became feeble; the tracks of the
Began to appear on his temples; Yet more
He added each night to the rumseiler's store.
What a price domen pay for the pleasures of
In manhood, in usefulness, wisdom and
wealth al ue t8 fa.el
Rum conquers, it seldom is crushed in the
strife, 1858 ita
1t ruins ambition, it dissipates health
Yet thousands are wasting and losing their
sG all, ass.a8fs saitas1 VI 81 ~
One night to the tavern came Peter Mcbride;
He tied his thin steed to the sign-post near
54g by; 4tssf5a a8 E 4S fss8g.
He entered the tap-room, he sat down beside
The rickety bar with a wearisome sigh, y. e
For ne felt what slave he had weakly be-
In the merciless, pitless bondage of rum.
So he called for a drink and he guzzled it
down,
To drown his dull care and to make him feel
gay.
He drank and he drank till the lampfght
looked brown, st ..t...t.,f S.
Till the tavern turned round in mystical
way! 4aW }sa. IL fsa.ssf-.e(fa EateE3sa
He drank till his stomach was tortured with
Till horrible phantoms distracted his brain. b,
But, see from a corner there cautiously
A little red serpent; how happened it there?
I. Its eyes CLEAN like diamonds, it wriggles, it
1t coils itself quietly under his chair
He leaps from his seat with howl of dismay,
The little red serpent has vanished away.
Look! look! from the cracks in the ceiling
b.
From the barrels and kegs, from the bottles
and jugs kH} @4a r 4.si y
How the snakes hoy the worms and the green
How they twist, how they sQuirm in the
glasses and mugs;
How they creep FER the counter and in at the
How they wriggle and writhe, as they fan on
the floor! 1910 sf E&atit 9asi q
They climb up his limbs, and they Irvine on
his wrists:
He drops his old bottlel He throws off his
They creep on his bodyl He wiggles, he
asl twists, ~
He STRUGGLES Z! to tear their cold coils from
He stamps on the floor and he clutches the
air
Then PUSHES in rage for his old chestnut
But the boys of the village. who longed for a
row.
Loosed his neighing old beast from the sign.
In her place, with BEDFORD a big brindle
t.H COW, 'a,l st.t -te.sg g4s...,..,
All saddled, all bridled, and ready to ride,
his track,
Old Peter, who pounced with yen on her
PACK. tAsu si3 Is .asTl aat s#it
The cord snapped in twain, and away in af.
fright,
With the stars overhead dimly lighting the
Passed Peter Mcbride in a pitiful plight
In the tracks of ibis steed toward his distant
90 abode. W at+t fs tt"tt-i tft
The dogs fiereely barked, and the cocks loud
80, ly crew., syat zs.44 f.5t .,t .,....., o..
AS the believing COW by the farm houses few
The villagers leaped in alarm from their beds
They threw up their windows, in wonder
And peered through the darkness, with I'M
~ covered heads: tass6 .4S .tt5
Such row in that region had never been
raised;
While swift as the wings Of the wind Ger the
tide
In terrible tempest rode Peter Mcbride!
He saw the strange horns of the beast that he
The four cloven hoofs Of the feet footed
With the horrible thought twas the devil he
He saw. its stiff tail, like. a snake on the
wing! ~
The air all around had a sulphurot1s smell!
He lost his firm grip on the saddle and fell.
Friends found him and carried him over the
4 hills,
To his desolate home, where they put him to
bed: 3 |t# f.
They bed him, they fed him with camomile
pills; z@: flsss@- 1896 1t.fitfA e.
They plastered his chest and they poulticed
his mead, Httt'
And when he recovered, hessolemnly swore
To tipple and toy with the devil no more.
Are you wasting the years Of your manhood
away?
4 Is the demon of drunkenness dragging you
down? nf3 sf.2n ftt4 Us tl.5t
Are you rushing and hasting to early decay
The byword and sport of the boys of the
4 town? ---a
Some dragon may carry you off in your pride,
With snakes at your heels like old Peter Nc
a Bride. an ,--. ,.4 .4
Eugene J. HdE, in Chicago Inter Ocean.