Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-01-12
Temperance Reading.
THE DRINKING HOUSE OYER
THE WAY

With its rickety table, and one broken char.
Ana It's curtain!css window with hardly a
pane
To keep out the snow. the wind and the rain.
And somehow that seemed the saldcSt of IL 1.
In IL, the old rusty stove the fire was d.ai;
Thcre was Stow on the hoor at the foot of the
bed
You need not look twice, to see she was
Dying of want-of hunger and cold
Shall tell you her Story-the story she told:
mo maam, I'm no better, my cough is Sc
wearing me out. though, and that makes
me glai.
yor its wcar;some living when ones all
And Heaven they tell me is just like home.
Yes. ,n'a'ann, I've husband. hes some
where ahcu:;
I hoped he'd come in fore the fire went out;
But guess he has gone where he's likely to
mean to the clearinghouse over the way.
at was not SO always; hope you won't
Tco hard of him. lady. its oaiy the drink.
I know he's Kind hearted. Tor Oh, how hc
For our poor little baby the morning it died
You see he took sudden, and grew very
And we had no doctor-my poor little lad!
For his father had gonc-ncvcr meaning to
I am sure-to the drinkng-hou<c over the
way.
"And when he came back twas far in the
And Was so tired, ana sick with the fright
OF stayin" so long with my baDy alone.
And it cutting my heart with its pitiiul moan
a" He cross with the drink, poor fellow,
know
But he s,vorc Al the child, as painting it lay.
And went back to the dr,nkily-housc ovCI
the way.
81 heard the gate slam and my heart secmel
Like ice in my tosom. and there on my knees
BY tn" silc of the cradle, all siiivcr:ng,
stayed:
l wantcj my mother cried and prayed.
g. The clock it struck two fore my baby wa:
And my thoughts they went back to the homo
Whore my happy girhood had spent its short
day.
Far, far from that drinking-housc over til,
"Could be that girl? 7, the hcart-brolcr
There Watching alone, while that d ar littlt
Was going so fast, that had to bend low
To lear if he brc Ithcd, twas SO faint ant
50 Sow.
"Ycs, it was easy his dying, he ;u't grew
more white,
light
As his father came in. twas just break o
Came in from the driniing-housc over tho
way
Ics. ma am, he was sober, at least mostly,
thinH,
He often stayed that way to wear Off tho
And Know he was sorry for what he hat
done.
For he s,.t Il great store 10y our first little son
And straight did he come to the cradle lie,
our baby Iay lie I'd. 50 pretty and fair:
1 wondered that could have wished him tt
When there was Il drinking house over the
way
g He stood quiet awhile. did not understand
Yeu see, ma am, till he touched the little cold
hand;
Oh, then came the tears, and he shook like :;
leaf,
And sail: Twas the drinking >hai made al
the Z: ief.
"Thc nc-hbors were kind. and the m'niste,
And he tulkel of my seeing my baby again
And of the bright nnyrls--I wondered if th"y
Could see into that drinking ghousc over tho
waJ-
"And thought when my baby was put in the
ground,
Anl the man with the spade was shaping the
If som., o ly only would help me to save
My husband, who stood By my side at tho
grave.
"If only it were not so handy. the drink,
The men that make laws rna'am, sure didn't
think
OF the hearts they would break. of the soul:
they ui say,
When they licensed that drinkin rhouse OVcl
the way.
Eve been sick ever since, ii can not he long
| BE piIifui, lady, t. i:im when III gone;
lie wants TO do right. but you never woul,
think
How weak Il man grows when he's fond o
the drink.
"And its tempting him here, AMI it's tempt
ing him There:
| Four piiIc'.S We C0untel I in this y square
| Where il man can get WHISKY by night and b.
day.
| Not To reckon the drinking-bouse over tn,
way.
| "Thcrc's Il verse in the Bibc the ministn q
read:
| No ,irrInlnrd shall enter Heaven il said:
| And hc i my husband, ;tn ! !oi t'l him 50.
| And WhCTc | am going, | want he should go.
"Gur baby ANA | will both want him there;
| Don't you think the dear Jesus will hear Il
| my prayer?
And please. when I'm gone. ask some one t,
| pray
| For him, at the drinking hous" ovcrthc way.
| Hrs. -NIrt M in Union SiJ:t,tt.