The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-10-31
MIR. LAMBERT'S HARVEST.

Z SPOKEN
than those, Lambert and | am afraid you will
realize it If you persist in this project
" gu take too gloomy view of it, Heckles;
too gloomy, entirely"
bert. You surely don't pretend to think that
you are to make our little village better, or
the lives of its inhabitants brighter, by open
ing a saloon here?"
Lambert was silent a moment. Then he
said, slowly: " | don't suppose the village
viii be any the worse for it. Men who want
liquor will get it if they have to go fifty miles
getting it little easier
There's just where the harm lies Half the
people in this world are upright merely be-
cause they are not exposed to temptation. Sin
Isn't made easy to them. We haven't drunk
ard in this village, now, and a man even
slightly under the influence OF liquor is a rare
sight. A street brawl has never taken place
here. There are no disturbances of the peace
Open your saloon, and all this will be changed.
You have young sons, Lambert; you ought to
think of them"
AZ don t think they Wal be in any danger
Of course l shall not let them go near the
saloon"
but you will welcome gladly the sons of
other, men. Is that doing as you would be
Done by?"
Lambert moved uneasily.
ut is of no use to argue the matter Heck
les, he said. I've got to make money some
how. My farm doesn't begin to ray me for
the labor put on it, and it is heavily mort
gagged. And, besides, I've given my word to
Butler, and | can't go back on it."
"A bad promise is better broken than kept"
said Heckles. You'll rue the day you ever
saw that Butler. He's man that wouldn't
trust out of my sight"
He'll make good barkeeper He thor
Oughly understands his business" sail Lam
bert. ''He has assured me that can clear off
my debts in less than two years, and make
enough to live on, besides"
"A fine way to make it" said Heckles, iron
ically. you'll send fifty souls to ruin for
every debt
Come, come, Heckles; that's going too
far"
mot a bit of it. If anything it isn't going
far enough. But see it is of no use to argue
with you, so I'll be off. I've always wanted
sons, but I'm thankful now that have only
daughters. Your saloon won't trouble them,
unless they happen to marry men who call
upon Butler too often. And think there is
little likelihood of that. They have had hor-
For of intemperaDce inStilled into them from
Dabyhood. I'm sorry your farm pays you so
poorly; but | am sOrrier still that your new
business is one that can have neither the
blessing of God, nor the approval of any good
man."
He touched his old gray horse with his whip
and rode away. leaving Lambert with very
troubled look on his face.
He's an Old friend, and / suppose on that
account he felt that he could talk pretty
freely" he muttered, but he goes too far
he's almost foolish on the subject"
He walked up the neat bOx-hordered path
that led to the house. His little daughter, a
him.
"Supper's ready, papa," she said.
Lambert bent and kissed her tenderly. She
was his favorite child, and heepetted and
spoiled her to the last degree In the kitchen
his wife and eldest daughter were moving
'briskly about from the stove and pantry to
the table.
''Mr. Butler called while you were talking
to Mr.. Heckles, father" Susan said. HE is
down at the barn with the boys
What is he doing down there2" ex-
claimed Mr.. Lambert, irritably. Hes not the
man / care to have the boys intimate with
''You had better tell him not to come here
so often, them" said Mrs. Lambert, for Arthur
was saying only yesterday that Butler had
more fun in him than any other man he had
ever met And Joe follows him around like
shadow.
The fathers brow grew dark
HE won't have time to come around here
after Tomorrow he said ''ThereH be
enough to keep him busy at the saloon.
Blow the horn, Cora"
The little girl took the horn down from the
wall, where it hung by q cord, and blew a
shril blast which brought the two boys and
Butler in at once. Arthur and Joe were fine.
manly looking young fellows OF seventeen
and nineteen, and their father was justly
proud of them, but as he looked at them
nowhe remembered HeckieS prophecy, aud
was silent and gloomy throughout the meal.
There We're others besides Mr. Heckles who
dlsapproved of Bambert'S project, and he was
urged and advised on every side 10 give it up,
But neither argument nor persuasion had
any effect upon his determination, and the
saloon opened with q fine array of bottles
glasses and liquors.
1t was the first venture of the kind in Cold
brook, and consequently excited great deal
of curiosity and comment The saloon was
crowded the first evening it opened. Men
who did not take glass of liquor once year
came to "see how the place looked" and they
found it so cheerful, and met so many ac
quaintances, that they dropped in again and
again, and Butler was well satisfied with the
contents of the money-drawer at the end of
the first week.. AS Mr. Lambert had said, the
bar-keeper understood his business thorough
~, and his fund of wit and humor, coarse as
it often was, lured many young man within
the charmed circle about the bar.
Among these was Arthur Lambert, who had
been very much attracted to Butler from the
first. and who frequented the saloon unknown
to his father. He was encouraged in this
course by Butler who thought Mr.. Lambert
too strict, and who saw no harm in a social
glass He always met Arthur with a smile,
and with a friendly slap on the back would
tell him that the old man would learn after
awhile that his boy was out of long clothes"
Arthur was not the only son whose father
was unaware of his visits to the saloon. There
was very convenient back door to the place,
and an easy little back parlor and here from
six to ten young men, none of them over
twenty years of age, met nearly every even
ing to play cards. And, as a matter of course,
liquor was freely passed around. At the end
of year twas no unusual thing for the viii
lage to De disturbed by street brawl, and the
sight OF man under the influence OF liquor
was so frequent as not to excite comment.
But Mr. Lambert refused to listen to the
voice of conscience. He had paid of all his
small debts, and expected to be able Every
soon to lift the mortgage on his farm. The
idea of giving up the saloon was clearly out
of the question.
During the second year of the existence of
the saloon, a paper-nill was started IN the
village, and this brought many new residents
to the place. The business of Lamberts in
creased perceptibly. and in snort time ne
had not only paid off the mortgage, on his
farm, but began, the erection OF mouse IN
the village, which was to be handsomer than
anything of the kind ever attempted there.
There's where your wages have gone,
said Mr.. Heckles to poor laborer, who was
standing before the new edifice one evening
Just prior to its completion. lyon deprive
yourself of every comfort and keep your wife
and children in abject poverty, in order that
this man may build fine house and live at
his ease"
The laborer stared at him but made no
reply. The argument was too deep for his
dull comprehension. The Indulgence of his
appetite for strong drink was of more conse-
ouence to him than wife, children and all
put together.
One evening, as Mr.. Heckles rode past the
new house, he saw Mr.. Lambert at the gate
and stopped to speak to him. While they were
talking man staggered by, half supported
by a shabbily-dressed woman, down whose
pale and SOrrow-stricken face the tears were
streaming like rain.
u saw that woman go into your saloon halI
an hour ago." said Heekles. "She was look
ing for her husband, / suppose"
"Probably." said Lambert sharply the
fellow is always drunk on Saturday night
'Isuppose you are ready 10 admit now that
your saloon has done some harm?" said
Heckles.
IF didn't sell them liquor some other man
would SAID Lambert.
"Probably. But you ought not to be the
man. If every man made up his mind to that
there wouldn't be any liquor sold.
Pm not sorry l opened the saloon.
Heckes," said Lambert, impatiently. 1T
has paid me well. ] am now out of debt and
in fair way to become in very comfortable
circumstances. have been singulariy pros
porous"
Those who frequent your saloon haven't
prospered." said Heckles, with short laugh.
land believe you will be sorry yet that you
opened the place, Lambert"
Lambert smiled and changed the subject.
little dreaming that he was to begin the reap
ing Of his harvest that very night.