The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-21
Mentpsranes.
That Little Toad.

Mr.. Brooks is a stalwart farmer, with
broad acres, rich and cleans kind, frugal
wife, pleasant home, and two bright,
happy, industrious children.
With dear little friend of mine some
seven years old went out to "the farm "
and passed week.
One evening Mr.. Brooks took George
on his knee, and said
al hope you are temperance boy. Are
you ?"
az am Band of Hope boy, SIR"
81 am very glad. If they had had
Bands OF Hope when was boy it would
have saved me the last fifty years of more
or less trouble with that foot"
And he pointed to his right foot, on
which was an embroidered slipper.
"That handsome slipper does not look
as if it covers boys sin and shame,
does it ?"
Georges eyes grew very large and ques-
tioning as they looRed first at the foot
and then in the face of the good man.
"No-o, sir Please tell me all about it.
Yes, my little fellow, will. When
was about your age-let me see--you are
how old 2"
Seven years old, SIR"
"Well, | wasn't but six years old. My
father was farmer and made great
deal of cider, and and when it was new
and sweet he let me drink as much as l
wanted to. But after it began to work 1
wasn't allowed to drink any. But every
fall he bottled up supply for summer.
One sunny autumn day | thought l would
make some mud pies, and went into the
| Thax
putting some raisins in bottles in which
cider was to be put and corked tight, so
that when they were ready to drink the
cider 1T would sparkle like champagne"
My papa has champagne-cider, and one
day some popped right into my face and
made me jump
&c hope none will ever pop into your
mouth. Well, my mamma filled my little
hand with raisins and let me take swal.
low of the cider, and it tasted 80 good l
begged for more, and mamma said I
might have one more swallow. And /
took big swallow, and then ran out to
play. But though the sun was shining
bright, and the mud was soft and warm
just right for pies, those raisins and that
delicious cider kept tempting me back
to the kitchen to ask for Just very few
little raisins and just one more sip before
it should be all bottled up. But no one
was In the kitchen at the moment, and
knew my kind mamma wouldn't refuse
me, 80 took just one raisin, and one little
sip, and then | took Just one more raisin
and just one more little sip, and how
many ones | took l don't know. But
mother came in and told me to go out
and play ran back to my pies, and in
a minute | saw toad stick up its BLACK
head right where l was playing. l tried
to scare it off, but it would come right
back and keep squirming. l could MOI
stand that intrusion in my bakery, and
caught up my Ratchet and brought it dowr
with vim, and then screamed "
"Did the toad jump right up and bite
your foot ?"
"No, my boy, worse than that. 1t was
no harmless little toad, but the serpent ir
the cider that bit my foot. l had drunk
80 much that I did not know my owl
muddy toe from toad, and it was not {
toad's head, but my own foot that took tn
blow. And when the doctor came m,
great toe had to be cut entirely off,"
"Oh didn't it hurt awfully 2"
"Yes, and it hurts me yet whenever
am tired. But that lost toe has been lif
lesson, perhaps a life blessing to me.
might have kept on, sip by sip, and DRUM
my character, my farm, my home, m,
happiness, the happiness of all who lovel
me, my own life, and, more than all these
heaven itself"
Georges intent face looked very sol
emn moment, then broke into the bright
est of smiles, and he exclaimed:
"Pretty high price to pay for cider"
"Yes, yesl" said Mr.. Brooks bu
many man has paid it. 1t is the frs
step."-YoutFs Temperance Banner.