Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-03-02
A Narrow Escape.

The first time saw William Perkins
he was smiling lad of eighteen. He
was strong, erect and handsome. Upon
his cheek there was the flush OF health
in his eve the fire of a hearty ambi-
ton.
"Tell me-" said /, six years later, TO
scrofulous, nervous-looking man stand
ing in front of yonder restaurant?p
"It is William Perkins," was the
reply. ,o;a
"for the last tiple saw him lie was
the incarnation of vigorous manhood.
This man is q piteous wreck"
"Ah." exclaimed my friend: you
have not heard then the sad story Of
his downfall?n
"Downfall? No, have not,n | said:
as il possible that this paragon has
stopped so low-has so far forgotten
himself us to-
at is even So" interrupted my
friend: civilian Perkins is confirmed
in the hideous vice of buckwheat
! cakes"
And then my friend told me the sto-
ry-the old, old story, replete WIN
sadness, rreking with misery-while
! III shuddert d aud listened.
You all know it; why repeat u now.
At u social parry, under bright
/ liphts. with smiling faces aroL nd hlint
! William Perkins yielded TO the intoXl.
! eating influences of The hour, had
tasted his first uckwheat-cake. III
seem d to invigorate him-to stimulate
him. Alas, that the serpent did not
turn and sting when first caug u IN
the embrace of the needless novice!
But, ali, tits never so.
The pathway of the buckwheat-
cakeard lies at first through gardens OF
roses, by the side of purling streams !
tits over fiowery meads that 1t gradu-
ally opens upon the black, bleak moor
Of mental anguish and physical tor
ture. Perkins took another cake ana
then another. The next morning
he arose pale and trembling.
He sought remedy for his weak CON
dition in more cakes, and before ne
had retired that night sixteen buck
wheat cakes combined to bind him IN
the letters of the remorseless tyrant.
His taste for cakes grew, till at last
every penny he could scrape up was
sounndered on this appalling habit
He lost his situation. People feared
To employ man abandoned "a
such vice. His family
suffered for the neoessaries
of life. He pawned his wiie's pew
elry. his young children's clothing
and the household furniture 10 secu,s
means with which to buy buckwheal'
. cakes. .u,, f.,.nd.
r ALI seemed TO be forgotten ,m '
wild, insatiate craving Tor CAKES
: cakes. cakes! ~ !, I
II will try to save this man, !
said, and stepped across the street - !.
where Perkins was scratching III,
> hack against the restaurant door
!, snoke Kindly to him Us he raised M ~,
,innlv face TO mine. i argued WIZ
him. | demonstrated. ~, ~
..iTjs yain,u he moaned an
, broken out all over-'tis uselss 10 at
, ten,pt TO save "a man who has 'hce pe
: come n victim TO the buckwheat cah'
/. habit IN aand lacked
him 10 In a room. That night ne Ia,
a fierce delirum. His insane lanc,
tainted buck wheatcakes craWi,n'
!, nver the floor, twining theilseiNe
about his limbs, kissing NJ MN III.
1hre.tening him with their poisohou
f,nes. He plucked imaginary DUN
IL ahsat. cal. rs from about his meek, toI
, them from his garments, swept then
!. rom The table, saw them every wneoI,e
Ia lowering, threatening, appah,ns ssa'
my friends, could you Du1 nave s''