The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-06-14
The Bottomless jug.

! ] saw 1T hanging up in the kltch-
en- of a thrifty, healthful, sturdy
farmer in Oxford county, Maine--a
bottomless jug! The host saw that
the curious thing had caught my
eye, and he smiled.
You are wondering what that
Jug is hanging up there for, with its
bottom knocked outY' he said. "My
wife perhaps could tell you the sto-
ry better than | can; but she is
bashful and 1 amt, so I'll tell it,"
'My father, as you are probably
aware, owned this farm before me.
He lived to a good old age, worked
hard all his life, never squandere d
money, was a shrewd, careful trader
and a good calculator; and, as men
were accounted in his day and gen
Grafton, he was temperate man.
l was the youngest boy; and when
the old man was ready TO go-and
he knew 1.-THE other boys agreed
that, as 1 had staid at home and
taken care of the old folks, the
farm should be mine. And to me
it was willed. l had been married
three years.
"Well, father died-mother had
gone three years beforehand left
the farm to me. with a mortgage on
it of $4,000! I'd never thought so
much of it before; but thought of
it now. 1 said to Molly-my wife
Molly says /, look here! Here's
father had this in its first strength
of soil, with all its magnificent tim
Der land his six boys, as they grew
up, equal to so many men, to help
him; and he has worked hard
worked early and late-and yet
look at it! A mortgage of $4,000!
What can't do?' And L went to that
old jug--it had its bottom in then
and took a good stiff drink of old |
Medfork rum from it.
81 noticed a curious look on the
face of my wife just then, and l ask |
ed her what she thought of it; for 1 |
supposed, of course, she was think !
ing of what I'd been talking about.
And so she was. Says she.
'ICharles, I've thought of this
a good deal; and | have thought of |
q way in which l belieye-We can
clear that mortgage off before five
more years are ended
"Says I: Molly, tell me how
yon'll do it.
"She thought for a little while,
and then she said with funny
in her blue eyes. Says
she: Charles, you must promise me
this, and promise me solemnly and
sacredly. Promise that you will
never again bring home for the pur-
pose of drinking as a beverage at
any one time more spirits of any
kind than you can bring in that
Old jug-the jug that your father
has used ever since knew him, and
which you have used since he was
done with it.
"Well l knew that father had
used once in a while, especially in
haying time, and in the winter when
we were at work in the woods. to
get an old gallon jug filled, so 1
thought she meant that l should
never buy more than two quarts at
a time. l thought it over and af-
ter little while told her 1 would
agree to it. Now mind said
she; you are never-never-tol
bring home as a common beverage
more spirits, than you can bring in
that identical jug. And l gave the
promise.
"And before 1 went to bed that
night took the last pull at that
Jug. AS 1 was turning it out for a
sort of nightcap Molly looked up,
and says she: Charley, have you
got drop left? 1 told her there
was jest about a drop. We'd have
10 get it filed on the morrow. And \
hen she said, if had no objection, 4
,he would drink that last drop with
ne. 1 never shall forget how she !
it out-That last drop! f