The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-24

y CT nber after machinery for o plant. / lett
1 there on my return trip, on the night OF the
| twenty-third, by the North Missouri railroad.
| The weather was quite cold, and looked
out the window from my berth in the sleep.
ing car, next morning, upon four inches OF
snow. IL was yet more than two hours be-
fore breakfast, and / went from the sleeper
| to the second. class car for q smoke. l found
an unoccupisd seat, and was, for while,
the only person locking out upon the broad
eIpsnse OF snow-covered prairies, dazzling
| under the rays OF the rising sun. On tue
seat in front of mine a man was
stretched, his head TO the side OF the car,
| who slept longer than most of his fellow
| passengers. When he finally rose it was
with conVulsive bound, as If the seat had
thl own him upward. The glance which took
| in his surroundings had in it an expression
| Of alright. When reseated he shuddered
nervously, and noticed large beads OF per-
/ spiIation on his brow. Moving restlessly
/ on his seat he presently looked shyly in my
/ direction, whtn / cav that be was wretched-
j " bloated; he had evidently been drinking
| long and heavily. Rut beneath indications
| of besottedDess, there was that in his express
| sion or manner, or both, which bespoke kind
qualities of heart, q better life in by-gOne
/ time, and modification over his then de-
| gTsded condition. Once when my eyes met
| bis own, he turned his face quickly away.
| Once he lett his seat and walked unsteadIly
| TO the rear door OF the car, looking down as
| if ashamed to meet any human face. Re-
4 turning TO his seat he was quiet for minute,
but not stiiI-his hands keeping up = ner-
vous writhiDg. At length be turned, facing
me, and asked IL had anything to drink. /
4 told him 1 had not, but in so answering
CHANGED 10 look across the aisle to q
| man whom 1 had noticed drinking
| from a bottle soon after I entered the
| car. His eyes, following mine, had
| no sooner met with their craving look those
| of the man with the bottle, than the latter
| handed il to him. He clutched it, and rails
| ing it to his lips, drank as one parched with
| thirst would drink water-not stopping IN
| til he had emptied the bottle.
"Only when he had lowered 10 from his
| lips did he appear to realize the grossness Of
bis impoIiteness. The constrained manner
| in which he held the bottle, knowing the
owner to be awaiting it, and yet ashamed TO
return it empty, made ludicrous picture.
" hen, at length, he placed it in the hand
extended from across the aisle he heard
some uncomplimentary epithets from the
other man. But had certain death been the
assured consequence of his emDtying the
| bottle, do not believe he could have re-
moved it from his lips until the last drop
| had been swallowed. Red as was his face
| from dissipation, a deeper flush suffused it
when the man across the aisle spoke so
harshly to him, and turning to the window
| he sat for some time wringing his hands, as
he had done before. at length, however, he
faced me, and spoke:
"'Do you not drink, sirr he asked.
"'Not now / answered him.
/" Did you ever drink"
How did you quit itY he inquired in an
| imploring way.
"'Why, i only resolved that [ would not
| drink, and kept my resolution
"His head incliBed lower as he said in
forlOrn manner, more as If In soliloquy than
| as speaking to me:
al have resolved not to drink, too,
thousand times, but / could not-csn moi
Quit and il has brought ruin to ALL
81 leaned little nearer to him and asked
| il be had family.
| Yes he answered, q wife and two
| child en-. Buf left them two months ago
| without any means for their supn0rt. Five
years ago | WIS sober man pTu- )er9us in
! business and owning 3 comfortable home. /
drank the roof from over the heads OF my chill
dIeD, drank my old father into poverty, and
| he now has my family as well as his own to
| toll for He was under painful agitation.
Did you notice that / was frightened
| from sleep Just nowY" he asked. / told
| him had observed that.
" i had a shocking dream. hope it was
only Dream he continued; L saw my
wife begging and heard my two children
crying for bread. That was what startled
| me; my children's cries, and oh, sir, one Of
them is blind. / heard my little Annie
my blind darling-crying for bread"
''You see, koys, l was right; that besotted
ss be was, the man was not bad at heart,
and seeing this 1, just as either of you would
have done, sympathized with him more
deeply than before, and raid to myself: /
will stIaighten this man up; will do this
for the sake of his blind child"
Lille, who was sitting little reno we'd from
the table, here rose and set his cup upon it.
Joe Hutchinson's red face appeared as il es-
saying a contortiOn act, which he sought to
hide from observation by turning it from
the fire and blinking his eyes at the wall.
Lille resumed his seat, and Brooks con-
tiDued.
81 will pass over the further incidents OF
the days travel aud take you to the Wyo-
ming hotel, Omaha, to which place John
Lindsay had an emlgrant ticket, and where
/ was to stop for two weeks. He having no
money, 1 engaged large room and had him
share 1T with me, that / might keep him I'M
der observation. By encouraging talk,
had persuaded him to make one effort more,
to shake Oft the habit which had cost him so
dearly. He had been wretched during the
day from craving for drink, but at night he
talked to me of his wife and children, whom
he loved fondly, however much his neglect
OF them might indicate the contrary. After
he was asleep wrote to his wite-y0u know
his home is in Virginia-telling OF his reso-
luton 10 straighten mp and sugge ting that
she siren CITIZEN his resolve by letter - him
in my care.
"The next morning he was up quite early,
and when i awoke was dressed and standing
at = window overlooking Farnhsm street,
which was already noisy from merrymaking
of Christmas morning SnoWballs were fly
ing, horns blowing, and fireworks popping
an accompaniment to the gleeful shouts of
boys NJ play. A sleigh drawn by a pair of
pTancing ponies, whose quick step kept the
bells in a perpetual jangle, came down the
street. driven by father whose two little
daughters wrapped in warm furs-one on
each side of him-were clepping their wee
gloved hands in their delight at the merry
ride. Poor Lindsay looked on this scene,
ana as he oontIRsted 1t with the picture of
his own children on that morning ofChrists
natal day, with no presents and their father
not at home TO make glad their hearts, his
lips quivered and tears followed each other
in rapid succession down his face. He turned
to see il / was awake, and believing that /
was not, he knelt before the window and in
whispered utteran ces--but overheard them
prayed Heaven for strength to keep the reso-
luton he had formed, and fer its blessings
on his loved ones"
Tom. didn't you give the poor devil
hftP" asked grizzly Dan Roe, with tear bal
apced On the hridOo Of his rOca