Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-11-03
Gales and Sketftfs.
TIE OLD CIDER MILL


for miles around brought their fall apples
to him and took away in their stead some
of his delicious cider. Every year in
creased his business. and added another
tier to the rows of barrels and hogsheads
that were piled up to be drawn off for
hard cider and vinegar. until he began to
think Of starting a regular business OF
making sweet cider for city market. and
giving up farming What would have
been the result had he lived. no one can
tell. but sudden cold took him out Of
the world and lett his family Of boys with
out a father.
There were six of the Warner boys
without father.
There were six OF the Warner boys. as
thew were called. and the eldest took up
his father's business and kept the cider
mill running from August to January.
Il was all in vain that his mother urged
him to give it up; his only answer WAS
I'VE must live, and the old farm will
never give US as good living as the CT.
der business. | am going to be married
soon, and must look out for myself.
When he married he brought his Wi e
to the old homestead. and from the time
hi. first baby was born till his new house
was DultL, tIt PtiCh w ~ Ne~os
faster than before. Unfortunately tor Sllas
Warner, his wife was one who never OPP
posed ANYTHING he thought said or did
She had been brought up in temperance
family, had been Christian several years.
and knew in her heart that this business
was all wrong, but lacking the moral
courage to say so, kept still and saw it
90 on.
Don't you think Silas would give up
the making cider if you were to ask him p
said Mrs. Warner one day when larger
amount of apples than usual had been
brought to the mill.
"Silas does not like to have anyone in
terfere with his business" was the reply,
which silenced the anxious mother at the
time.
II shall make no more effort to stop it.
shall urge him personally for his chill
dren's sake to give it up" she said to her
self, and waited for good opportunity
to see him alone. As usual, her words
had no effect except to bring heightened
color to his cheeks, and an impatient an
swer to his lips.
'.Do YOU want me to be pauper.
mother? One would think you did not
wish me to own anything. How could |
pay for my new house if 1 went back to
farmingP That house is built with cider;
every board represents so many apples"
And | would rather see you live in a
log house. and know that you were doing
your fellow men no harm, than to have a
palace with Gods curse resting upon it.
You have boy of your own, who may
be ruined by his fathers cider"
IN risk any boy of mine becoming a
drunkard, mother. so don't worry. Ii
did not make cider some one else would,
and all the difference would be, the money
would go in their pocket instead OF
nine
lie turned away from her. and went
toward the cider mill to see to the grind
ing.
Silas Warner had inherited all the good
qualities OF both father and mother and
was really an unusual man. Honorable,
generous genial, and true, every one re-
spected and liked him. lie had but one
falkland that was too great love for
money. He could imagine no sorrow
apart from poverty, no happiness
apart from wealth. He would not
do dshonorable thing, even to make
money. but whatever was legitimate he
considered it right to do. AS he had
seen his father make cider ever since he
could remember, the moral perceptions
were blunted by use. and to him there
was no wrong in making cider, which he
sold when sweet, or converted into vine
gar. The thought of possible danger to
him or his family seemed simply absurd,
for had not his fathers family remained
uniniured by the business ?-and why
should not his? Yet, somehow, his
mothers words rang in his ears, and re-
fused to be silenced. Even amid the noise
of the mill. he could hear the words
.'curse of God" and a scowl on his fore
head told that it was not a pleasant
sound. A glance at the new house. with
its broad piazza and bay-window, where
his wife was sitting at her work, drove
unpleasant thoughts from his mind, and
he whistled robin Adair'' and went OR
with his work.
Years passed. The new house was fin
ished and furnished prettily, and on the
piazza four children played on the sum-
mer DAYS. The eldest was now strong
boy of ten, then came girl. then another
boy OF wondrous beauty, and last of all the
golden-haired baby girl.
Far and wide Silas Warner was spoken
vi Us tHt tuC ClutT
merchant" father OF four beautiful chill
dren." and as yet no shadow had rested
upon his name or home. Instead ofbring-
ing upon his head the curse of God. as his
mother had predicted. nothing but bless
ings had fallen on him. He no longer felt
the slightest scruple in thinking of his
business. and every morning sent the
wagons to the city with new cider as reg
ularly as the sun rose. The old farm was
now rented, and his mother no longer ex-
postulated with her son. Lite had been
one long. summers day since Silas had
taken charge of the place. and she felt
that God had dealt very tenderly with her.
The first grief came when Blanche. the
eldest daughter. died. Looking on her
face, the father forgot money, business
everything. but the tact that she had gone
from him forever. 1t was easier after this
10 crafty the boys in every wish, and the
years made them willful and indolent.
Solomon may have put too much stress on
corporal punishment. but the reverse is
equally true-''too much love does not
make the best children" or. to put it bet
ter, love unwisely shown in over-indul-
gence rarely fails to ruin them.
Al the ages of sixteen and twelve, the
Warner boys were spoken of as good jolly