The Dillon tribune., 1884-12-27
vet U. DEPARTMENT.
SUSAN r. PERRY.

fine afternoon, !; few weeks since, while
,,assing through one OF the principal bust
macs streets Of large city, NC came upon
you'd Of schoo, boys standing in front Of
. saloon. The boys had come out OF the
school house on'y a few moments before
and had their books, states, etc. in Their
arms. They were company OF BRIGHT
intelligent, happy looking hovs' but they
-, se.,,,ed t)erpl, interestetii il something
that was going on inside of that Saloon.
As they opened their ranks to make way
6or us to pass wc stopped and asked Ahat
;. w,s that had attracted sucl. !. large
crowd Of boys.
"paul rhompson's been in II fight in '!e
x,,oon there, and policeman has .>t lone
:, :, arrest him." said one of the boys.
While he was speaking large, biz" coat
ed brass button,d officer came ol.t ;t.',rg
man, or rather jerking him by ,..v coat
collar. The man in custody was young,
with slight form and delicate /, ";l,. . .nd
=, we looked into his face we saw traces of
intelligence and cultivation.
ale is drunk" said another boy, "ard
when he's drunk he is always ;1,..s and
wants to fight. This isn't the iiro, :;,s' he
has been taken, either"
The crowd OF boys followed the police
man and his pri>oner,and we soon lost sight
Of them AS wc passed on We noticed the
public school building vas only short
distance from that saloon, and man, OF the
scholars had to pass by it every day. The
same proprietor had been in possession Of
of the building for ten years past. Only
six years before Paul Thompson had grad.
uatvd from the High School. lie vas
scholar of high standing, too but he had
been in the habit OF passing this dangerous
corner for years before he graduated. lie
had beer attracted to it in his boyhood,
as the boys just spoken Of had been, by
some similar occurrence. He hogan by
looking in 10 sec what was going ON be-
hind the green screen doors. Then he
stepped inside to hear what the men were
talking about. The saloon.keeper noticed
him. for he had a manly bearing, and be.
ionged to family in high standing.
He encouraged the boys coming with
aattcring, pleasant words, and one day he
gave him glass Of beer to drink. Paul
thought it was manly to take the offered
glass, but he could only drink part Of it
he did not like the taste; it was bitter, but
the saloon man patted him ON the shout
der, and told him to drink as much as he
could, and it would make man of him.
Paul knew it was wrong, and when he
went home he telt ashamed to stay in the
presence Of his good, sweet mother. lie
could not look her in the face. Every
smile she gave him and every kind word
made him feel more and more guilty. lie
resolved never to pass by the saloon again,
but to go home another way, although it
was much farther. But somehow he did
not go the other way but iew times.
There seemed to be fascination about the
saloon, and he would linger about ii. That
was the beginning Now We see Paul
Thompson a constant trequcntcr OF this
same saloon. He has been going down
down, from bad 70 worse, for six years Or
more-tie very years, too, Of his life which
were the most important to hi,n-thc time
when he ought to have been acquiring a
true, honorable, manly character. Ills
mother used to love to hear his stepon the
walk, and his cheerful, boyish whistle when
he Came bounding home from school, !,
happy and light-h"arted youth. But now
that dear mother listened night after night
inr his step with an anxious heart. She has
PLEADED with PRAYERS and tears for his re-
torn, but the habit begun in cobwcbs has
ended in iron cihin>. lie is slave to
liquor. We trust MS good mothers pray
ers will be heard, and that throug h the
mercy and strength Of the Lord Jesus
Chris, he may break those iron chains.
But STE where he is to-day. Now, boys,
this case "f parl Thompson is Il great
warming to YOU all. Don't stop Il, saloons,
cVeh to look in. Cross over on the other
s'oe' and >hun these terrible places, where
80 many have lost their manhood and their
Soul. Remember that every poor tnisera.
Die dr"nkard began his downward career
When he took his frs, glass.
~~~~~-~~~>~->>~~~>-<,...-~-.
me temperance reform is making rapid
"s'"a' in this country. 1t is cnlisting
VIC earnest CO operation Of the most intlu.