The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-17
"Pity He Drinks I"

That was what they used to say behind
his back. To his face they said nothing
on the subject, because he was nobody's
SOD or husband or brother, and so it was
nobodv's business. He had come from
one Of the Atlantic States, and hung out
bis shinple, az the natives expressed it, in
A little Western town, where, though he
brought no letters of Introduction except
pleasing manners and good figure, it was
thought for while that he would be
quite successful at the bar. His speeches
in the courtroom soon began to attract
attention, and il was at first remarked
that he was a." no fool';" afterwards he was
pronounced ga levelheaded fellow" and
finally zone of the sharpest men in the
profession. If he could only be depended
npon." But there was the rub It was
discovered--in fact, he owned himself
shat he never spoke in court without being
well primed with brandy, and occasionally
he went beyond bounds, and rendered
himself incapable of speaking at all.
There WAS temperance society in town,
and Il did good work among what was
generally spoken OF as "the ragtag and
bobtajl," but the young lawyer, who
dressed in broadcloth and drank cham
payne at the tables of the best people in
town was not clsssed with these. and so
the temperance workers let him alone, ex-
cept to ask him occasionally to subscribe
toward carrying on the work, which he
did literally, for there was not more
cpen.handed man in the place. He be-
longed TO the big church." 80 people said,
meaning, If the expression meant any
thing, that he was not Christian but
partly through policy, and partly through
pure good.nature, he was all things to all
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a pew in the
Episcopal church (though he was seldom
seen in iD, occasionally accompanied
some young Methodist to cass.meeting,
expressed great admiration for the learn.
ing and eloquence of the Presbyterian
minister, and annually asked for the
prayers of the Christians, while taking
part in what he was pleased to speak of
among his friends as the "distracted
meetings" of the Baptists.
"He is young man of PROMISE" said
the older men of the town, "pity be is
such q hard drinker." He is splendid
fellow" said the younger men, "pity he
doesn't know when he has had enough"
He is perfect gentleman in his manners"
said the older ladies, "pity he is throwing
himself away" The younger ladies said
nothing, but they thought a great deal,
each one wondering did he mean all he
had said to her the last time they had sat
together on the moon-lit piazza, blissfully
unaware that he sometimes remarked of
himself, that when he could think of
nothing else to talk to girl about, he al.
ways made love to her. An orphan heir
ess, who was courted by all the fast men
around town after they had experienced
"bad streak of luck" at faro or poker,
and who, from her invariable replies in
the negative, had acquired the reputation
Of being very clear.headed, cold.hearted
girl, departed from her usual custom in
the case of the young lawyer (who was in
earnest when he paid his addresses to
her), and expressed her willingness to
marry him and reform him, but her guar
dian interfered. "No," said he, "reform
him first and marry him afterwards. Let
him swear off for year, and if he keeps
his word, give my consent, though it is a
risky business TO marry any man who in.
herits the love of liquor, as he says
he does"
The swearing off was easy enough, and
in the six months during which his oath
WAS kept, the young man made rapid
strides in his profession; but after that
people began to say, PITY he has gone to
drinking again The engagement came
10 an end, and it was said the girl had
made happy escape, and people wondered
afterwards why her looks had gone off 80
suddenly and completely, leaving her, at
twenty, faded and passee in appearance.
Che had, it is true, escaped being beaten
or starved by drunken husband, but she
had not escaped the killing of love and
youth and hope all that is except mere
BREATH" For few years longer her Low.
er's life was made up Of alternate periods
of abstinence and hard drinking, the
former growing shorter and less frequent
a. time went by. "Drunk or sober, he is
gentleman in his manners" the women
continued to say, but the harder hearted
men began to suggest for his case the
oftproposed plan, clock him and a barrel
OF whiskey up together, and see which
will last the longer" Then, after long
protracted spell of delirium tremens, came
the last remark of all He is dead, poor
fellow, and whiskey killed himl Pity he
drankp What a pity some good, earnest
friend of temperance had not done some
thing to reform him instead of merely
talking.-Clara Marshall, in Christian a
Work.