Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-09-22
Temperance.
PETER MBRIDE AND HIS TER
RIFLE RIDE

PETER NJ BRIDE AND HIS IER-
RIFLE RIDE.
Have you heard of the ride of old Peter Nc
OF that midsummer night full of horrors for
of the fright that he had-how he thought
that he died.
How they found him at morn bruised IN
bOly and limb?
will tell you the tale, for it shows what may
To a man when he foolishly NEEDLES with rum.
A merry old topper was Peter McBride:
He was fond OF his glass as Il schoo[boy OF
jam.
And tippling to him was matter of pride.
He rode every night for his regular dram
To the village ho:el. on his old chestnut mare
He loved the black bottle that greeted him
there.
But O. what a foe was that bottle to him!
1t shattered his nerves ana 1t redeemed his
His round cheeks grew hollow, his eyesight
HIS form became feeble: the tracks of the
Rcoan to annear on his temples; yet more
He added each night to the rumselcr's store.
What price do men pay for the pleasures of
In manhood, in usefulness, wisdom and
wealth
Rum conquers, it seldom is crushed in the
It ruins ambition, it disspates health
Yet thousands are wasting and losing their
And
One night to the tavern came Peter Mcbride;
He tied his thin steed to the siHn-post near
He entered the tap-room. he sat down beside
The rickcty bar with wcariSOne sign,
For he felt what slave he had weakly be-
In the merciIess, pitless bondage of rum.
So he called for drink and he guzzled it
To drown his dull care and to make him feel
He drank and he drank till the lamplight
Till the tavern turned round in ii mystical
He drank Till his stomach was tortured with
Till horrible phantoms distracted his brain.
But, see from a corner there cautiously
A little red serpent: how happened it there?
Its eyes glcam like diamonds, 1t wriGSleS, IL
II 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
and wall,
From the barrels and kegs, from the bottles
How the snakes, how the worms and the green
lizards crawl! -,
glasses AMI mugs;
how they creep Ger the counter and in at the
How they wrizgle and writhe. as they fall on
the floor!
They climb up his limbs and they twine on
his wrists; -
He drops his old bottle! He throws off his
They creep on his body! He wiggles, he
twists.
He struggles to tear their cold COILS from
his throat.
He stamps on the floor and he clutches the
Then rushcs in rage for his old chestnut
mare!
But the boys of the village, who longed for
row,
Ioosed his neighing old beast from the sign
In her place, with bed-cord. big brindle
All saddlcd all brdled and ready to ride.
When rushed from the tavern, with snakes in
Old Peter who pounced with yell on her
back.
The cord snapped in twain, and away in af-
With the stars overhead dimly lighting the
Passed Peter Mcbride in pitiful plight
In the tracks of his steed toward his distant
The dogs ticrccy barked and the cocks loud
ly crew.
The villagers lcapcd in alarm from their beds.
They threw up their windows, in wonder
And pccrci through the darkness, with on-
covered heads:
Such IL row in that region had never been
raised;
tide
In a terrible tempest rode Peter Mcbride!
He saw the strange horns of the beast that he
StrOdc:
The fonr clovcn hoofs of the fleet footed
With the horrible thought. twas the devil he
rode,
He saw its stiff tail, like snake on the wing!
The air all around had Il sulphurOus smell!
He lost his firm grip on the saddle and fell.
Friends found him and carried him over the
hills.
To his ,csolatc home, where they put him to
bed;
They blcd him. they fed him with camomile
pills;
They plnstcrcd his chest and thcs' poulticcd
his head.
And when he recovered he SOlcmnly swOre
To tippc and toy with the devil no more.
Are you wasting the years of your manhood
awayI
Is the demon of drunkenness dragging you
down.
Are You rushing and hasting to early decay,
The hyw, rd and sport of the boys of the
town.
Some dragon may carry you off in your pride,
With snakes at your heels like old Peter Nc
Bride.
-Etgcne j. HdH, in Chicago Inter Ocean.