The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-21
Temperance Reading.
THE BOTTOMLESS JUG.


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 it's bottom
knocked out?' he said. "My wife, per-
haps, could tell you the story better
than can; but she is bashful and l
amt, SO I'll tell it,
'My father, as you are probably
aware, owned this farm before me. He
lived to good old age, worked hard
all his life, never squandered money,
was shrewd, careful trader, and
good calculator; and, as men were ac-
counted in his day and generation, he
was a temperate man. | was the
youngest boy; and when the old man
was ready to go-and he knew 1.-THE
other boys agreed that, since I had
stayed at home and taken care of the
old folks, the farm should be mine.
And to me it was willed. | had been
married then three years.
''Well, father died-mother had
gone three years beforehand left the
farm to me, with mortgage on it of
$4,000! I'd never thought so much
OF it before; but 1 thought of it
Molly says 1, look herei Here's
father had this farm in its first strength
OF soil, with all its magnificent timber;
and 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 l doP' And L
went to that old jug-it had its bottom
in then-and took good stiff drink of
old Medford rum from it.
81 noticed curious look on the face
of my wife just then, and 1 asked her
what she thought of it; for supposed,
of course, she was thinking of what I'd
been talking about. And so she was.
Says she:
Charles, I've thought of this a
good deal; and l have thought of a
way in. which [ believe we can clear
that mortgage off before five more
years are ended
"Says L: Molly, tell me how you'll
do it.
"She thought for a little while, and
then she said, with funny twinkling
in her blue eyes-says she: Charles,
you must promise me this, and promise
me sOlemnly, and sacredly. Promise
me that you will never again bring
home for the purpose of drinking for
beverage at any one time more spirit 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
haU I,co1 c,,,no lo loyoo !
"Well, knew that father used once
in 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 thought she meant that
[ should never buy more than two
quarts at time. l thought it over,
and after little while told her l would
agree to it. Now mind, said she;
you are never-neUer-to bring home
for common beverage more spirit than
you can bring in that identical Jug
And G before fore Went i've Rfo 70 bed that night
took the last pull at that jug. AS 1
was turning it out for sort of night
cap Molly looked up, and says she:
Charley, have you got drop leftp
| told her there was Just about drop.
We'd have to get it filed on the NOR
row. And then she said, if had no
objection, she would drink that last
drop with me. Inever shall forget how
she brought it out That LAST DROPn
However, tipped the old jug bottom
up, and got about a great spoonful, and
Molly said that was enough. She took
the tumbler and poured few drops of
hot water into it, and a bit of sugar,
and then she tinkled her glass against
mine, just as she'd seen us boys do when
we'd been drinking good luck, and says
she: Here's to the old brown jugr
"Sakes alive! l thought to myself
that poor Molly had been drinking more
of the rum than was good for her; and
tell you, it kind O. cut me to the heart.
forgot all about how many times she'd
seen me when my tongue was thicker
than it ought to be, and my legs not
quite so steady as good legs should be;
but 1 said nothing. drank the senti-
ment-'To the old brown jugr-and
let it 60.
"Well, went out after that and did
my chores, and then went to bed; and
the last thing l said before leaving the
kitchen-this very room where we
now sit in-'We'll have the old brown
Jug filled tomorrow And then went
off to bed. And l have remembered
ever since that went to bed that night,
as L had done hundreds of times before,
with buzzing in my head that a
healthy man ought not to have. 1
didn't think of it then, nor had ever
thought of it before; but I've thought
of it a good many times since, and have
thought of it with wonder and with awe.
"Well, got up the next morning
and did up my work at the barn, then
came in and eat breakfast, but not with
such an appetite as a farmer ought to
have, and / could think even then that
my appetite had began to fail me.
However, l eat breakfast, and then
went out and hitched up the old mare;
for, to tell the plain truth, I was feeling
the need of glass of spirits, and 1
hadn't drop in the house. 1 was in
a hurry to get to the village. got
hitched up, and then came in for the
Jug. / went for it in the old cup
board, and took it out, and
"Did you ever break through the thin
ice, on nipping cold day, and find
yourself, in an instant, over your