Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-10-10

IO. DTlnk mao maze MIN picture Tor
men to loathc or laugh at, according
to their way of thinking. and manly
pride was not quite dead within him,
any more than 1t is in you, Tom"
almost, SIR" said Tom, hanging
his head.
mo, no." replied Mr.. Browning;
"nor is it ever really dead in an honest
man while he is living. Well, this
man having got clear of the people
who were laughing at him. went home,
thinking all the way, and when he got
there he told his wife, then poor, sick
and suffering woman, with babe at
the breast, that he meant, with Gods
help, never to touch drop again.
Now, Tom, looking at that picture of
this man, do YOU think he could keep
sober?"
81 don't think he could, sir, replied
Tom.
"But there you are wrong, my lad.
He kept sober, and is sober to this day,
and the first thing he did when he had
signed the pledge was to 60 and thank
the photographer for what he had done.
He was naturally taken aback, for he
could not believe that he had photo
graphed this man. but afterward he
was very pleased, and came to photo
graph the cottage. He took it before
the reformed man had time to make
any alteration in it, and when the pic
ture was done he brought them both
TO him. There, he said, when YOU
become happier and more prosper
Gus man, as | am sure you will, look
at these pictures won't do you any
harm, and may do somebody else
good And they have been kept until
this day"
"And you knew the man, sir?" said
Tom, doubtfully. "You can vouch for
the truth of the storyP'
Tom, Tom," said Mr.. Browning,
"are you blind? Can't you see that |
am trusting you with the secret of my
early life (and indeed it is really one,
because | can see no other way to
touch youP"
"And you and this man here"
Are one and the same, Tom. Now,
do you wonder when L tell you it is
never too late to turn from the poison
cup? Here is your money. Do you
wish to go to The Kings Head now?"
Il think not, SIR" replied Tom, in
a low tone; "but it will be a hard
struggle"
'Not so hard as you think after the
first pinch,' replied Mr.. Browning.
"Whatever is worth having costs
labor or struggle, and surely sobriety
is a priceless boon to wOrkingman.
Eighteen years ago was that drunk
ard there. What am l now? / do
not wish to boast, Tom; it is only that
you may benefit by my story that | tell
it to you. Take hold of sobriety, cling
to it, pray for strength to keep hold of
it, and ere long you will find that it
will lay hold of you and lead you out
of the slough of drunkenness to the
pleasant pastures of decent life"
Toms time to be awakened had
come, and having signed the pledge at
the instigation of the steward, he wen
home, singing softly to himself, "Never
too late" On his way, he bought a
loaf of bread with the money that was
to have gone to 1.-The Kings Head"
and that sufficed him until the morrow,
when he went to work, and obtaining
from Mr. Browning, who had never
appeared in n happier mood, a small
sum on account, laid in a few neces-
saries.
II am going to live alone for a
month, sir" he said, at the close of the
first day, and then | shall simply write
to my wife and tell her that | want
her. She'll come straight away, and
the boys with her, too, if they think
that anything is wrong with me-"
He cleared his garden of weeds at
night, dug it, and planted it with
winter stuff, then looked to the house,
shaky doors and broken win