The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-09-13
A SISTERS KISS.
THE VALUE A BROTHER PLACED
UPON 1T.
why n Young Man Refused Il Friends
invitation to Drink-IIc Stntcs His Rem.
sons and Wins His Friend Over to the
Temperance Cause.

Tcmperunco Cause.
"Now, Tom, what will you havo to
drink ?" W
"Nothing moro than I have, Roland. "
and the speaker raised glass of water
to his lips as he looked toward the COM
panion with whom he was dining at q
tirst-clnss hotel.
Nonsense, Tom; surely you will not
refuse to take friendly glass with me p
"Of anything stronger than this, yes. "
'But, Tom, you do not mean mo 10
understand that you never touch it; that
YOU have not sufficient self-respcct to
touch it as only n gentleman should ?"
ROLAND, l have known stronger mel
than |, with just as much self-rcspcct,
who have yielded to tho tcmptcr aud
gone beyond the limits of tho social
glass, but even the knowledge of that
might not have kept me from indulg.
ing.
"What was it. then? ?"
"a sisters kiss"
bah sentimental nonsense Did
she bribo you with kiss?"
mo; but listen. 1 have sister lust
coming into womanhood - one of the
purcst, lovliest women I think God ever
made. L have always had, whether |
deserve it or not, n large share of her
warm, young heart, and every evening
when | enter the house she puts her
arms about my neck and kisses me, with
glad look of welcome in her ewes.
Roland, thore aro many things I prize
in this life, but l would give them nil up
rather than that evening kiss. I
thought, as you did once, that [ could
take friendly glass and let it go SO far
and no farther, and even had the glass
IN my hand to carry it to my lips for the
first time, when the thought of the kiss
would have that evening came into my
mind. Could I talkc it if L drank the
wine? Would not the odor of it still
cling to my breath and poison the kiss
knew then that L must give up one or
tho ether, and tho glass was put back,
for could not give up the other, and
thcn registered II solemn VOW that, if I
could help it. no stain of that kind
should ever soil my sisters lips. A few
evenings after that we were out together
where the social glass was handed
round. Now, there was no one there
who did not consider himself q gentle
man, and who would not. under any
circumstances, have kept within bounds
before ladies, and yet L saw my sister
shrink from any she had seen touch tho
wine, and when we went home she spoke
If it, and, laying her head Oh my shoul-
der, said, sadly
"It makes me feel 50 sorry for their
sisters, Tom
"Thcn [ made another vow-that I
would never take to the house ono who
took even social glass. Perhaps I was
wrong to go SO far, but did not think
of its being SO hard. You SEQ you are
ono of my Oldest friends, one of the
noblcst and truest fellows / know, and
ono am proud of knowing, and when I
heard you were coming here to live 7
made up my mind that our house should
be like home to you"
"Tom," said his companion, sobcrly,
'yOu have not gone too far-no, not
even in excluding me from your home.
| think [ will like you all the better for
it. [ am glad you have ;old me what
you have. If had had a sister"
"Would you have done the same?
Then do it now. Stop for the sake of
some other fellows sister. Surely, the
time will como when you will want
anothcr's sister for your own."
81 don't know, Tom" was the hcsitat-
ing reply. eff did stop for the sake
of any other fellows sister, you would
be that other fellow. What You have
said makes me little cnyious. Suppose
L were to stop and then grow so very
envous-"
"Roland," said his companion, look
ing up, "I must give her up to some
one, L know, and there is no one to
whom [ would SO willingly give her as
to YOU"
"Then, Tom, you Lave my word for
it that I will not touch wine again SO
long aa L live. Your sisters kiss has
saved me MS we'll as you-from what?
God knows"
Young mon, there arc other sisters in
this world like the one / have told You
of, and such sisters make wives such
MS a man may be proud of having won
For the sake Of the ono you may meet
who would make your home so bright
and cheerful you would be glad TO go
to it, sure of a wclcomc-for her sake, I
say, stop ere it be too late; bring no
shadow of that kind into her life, but b5
strong to resist, that the time NAV co,le
when she will put hcr hand in yours and
tell you you have made her fife a very
happy one.-Irthur'S Home Ila1a.inc, |