The Press., 1884-01-31


 scant clothing was sufficient incentive for her to do her part toward discovering the source of their misery, and e undertook to accom- plish that which her mother had failed to do.
 So the next night after the father had eaten his scant supper and lighted his pipe and gone out. the girl followed. It was bitter night, and she was well-nigh bare-footed. She had no bonnet and the thin shawl afforded but little protection for her head and shoulders Maine is bad state for drunkards' children The cold is severe, and the wind bites shrewd- -ly. It is as pitiless as the rumseller, and you can't say anything worse of the wind than that
 The faEher went down the street and stop ped awhile in this place, and awhile in anoth- r.sz1e did not see shivering figure in the shadow, waiting as patiently as fate, out,ide, muHied in a thin, ragged shawl, blowing up on her fingers to keep them from freezing. He did not know that there was detective on his track more shrewd than any paid for the service, and that the ragged shawl covered more patience and determination than any fur upon an official shoulder.
 Finally, at about half-past nine, he walked leisurely do 8 side street, made signal at the door of a miserable house which was as dark as Erebus, and entered
 The wait for the little thing was long and tedious. The intense cold grew colder, the wind whistled more terribly than ever, her hands and feet were well-nigh frozen; but she stayed. She wanted to make sure that that place was where her father got his liquor. She made her point. After waiting till nearly 12 o'clock the wretched man emerged drunk-very drunk. She had no trouble in evading him. Darting out into the darkness she took the shortest way home, and as she was sober and her father drunk, she had much less territory to cover. She was at home, had
 1T | | T. was shivering in bed long before he arrived.
 The result was very satisfactory. The next day an anonymous note denounced the place, immediately sheriff's officer was despatched to the spot, seizure followed, and the place was closed
 The offender was an Irish woman who had carried on her business unsuspected for long time, and would have continued longer but for the courage and endurance of the little 13 year-old girl
 It is rather comfortable to know that the supplies cut off, the drunken father got pos session of himself, partially, and when it was made known to him by what agency he had been saved from himself he reformed alto gether and became decent man.
 Wives and children are the best assistants the law has in killing out the nefarious traffic. They are the worst sufferers and they have the most interest in 1t.
 Wo to the dealer in rum when the wife of the drunkard gets on his track. They and the children are the chief sufferers from the internal trade, and they know no mercy or pity. They don't stop to split hairs about it. Rum means to them cold and hunger and no rum, plenty and comfort. It is astonishing how little they care for personal liberty, , and natural rights" and all that. They are not logical enough to see that man has the right to starve and freeze his wife and chil- dren. It is a bitter fact with them which ovsrrides all logic.
 TO BE CONTINUED.