, 1884-03-18
A CHANGED MAN.
Stock Story for the Use of Country
Temperance Lecturers

IEugene Field in Puck
The first tinlsI saw William Perkins he
was a smilingsfhd of IS. He was strong,
erect, handsome. Upon his cheek there was
the flush of health-in his eye the Gre Of a
hearty ambition.
"Tell me, said l six years later, to an &C
quaintance: @who is that pale, scrofulous.
demonstrating man standing in front of
yonder restaurantr
at is William Perkins" was the reply.
"You must be mistaken" 1 said, Sfor tho
last time l saw him he was the incarnation
of vigorous manhood. This man Is a piteous
wreck"
"Ah," exclaimed my friend; you have
not heard, then, the sad story Of his down
fallf'
"Downfallf No, 1 have not" 1 said; ais 1t
possible that this paragon has stopped 30 low
has so far forgotten himself as to-
at is even so" interrupted my friend;
@William Perkins is confirmed in the hideous
vice OF buckwheat cakes"
And then my friend told me the story-the
old, old story, replete with sadness, reeking
with misery-while II shuddered and
listened.
You all know 1t; why repeat it nowi
At a social party, under bright lights, with
smiling faces around him, William Perkins,
yielding to the Intoxicating influences of the
hour. had tasted his first buckwh cake. It
seemed to invigorate him-to stimulate him.
Alas, that the serpent did not turn and sting
when first caught in the embrace of the heed
less novicei But, ali, tits never so.
The pathway of the buckwheat-cakeard
lies at first through gardens of roses, by the
side OF purling streams; 1t Is over fowery
meads that it gradually opens upon the black,
bleak moor of mental anguish and physical
torture. Perkins took another cake and
then another. The next morning he aross
pale and trembling. He sought n remedy for
his weak condition in more cakes, and before
ho had retired that night sixteen buckwheat
cakes combined to bind him in the fettors of
the remorseless tyrant His taste for cakes
grew, till at last every penny he could scrape
up wns squandered on this appalling habit
He lost his situation. People feared to en-
ploy a man abandoned to such a vice. His
family suffered for the necessaries of life. He
pawned his wife's jewelry, his young chill
dren's clothing and the household furniture
TO secure means with which to buy buck
wheat cakes
Honor, duty. home, family. friends-all
seemed to DO forgotten in his wild, i~nsatiate
craving for cakes. cakes, cakesi
Il will try to save this man." / said and
stepped across the street to where Perkins
was scratching his back against the res
taurant door. spoke kindly to him as he
raised his pimply face to mine. 1 argued
with him demonstrated.
IT'S vain,n he moaned: II am broken out
all over-'tis useless to attempt to save a man
who has once become a victim to the buck
wheat cake habit"
/ took him home with me and locked him
up in a room. That night he had a fierce
delirium. His insane fancy painted buck
wheat cakes crawling over the hoo-, twining
themselves about his limbs, hiss lg at him
and threatening him with their poisonous
fangs. He plucked imaginary buckwheat
cakes from about his neck, tore them from
his garments, swept them from the table,
saw them everywhere, lowering, threatening,
appalling. oh, my friends, could you have
but seen him ~writhing there and heard him
m~ingling his piteous shrieks with prayers
and curses, not one Of you to-day would have
the utterly reckless hardihood to say:
~'Ts q harmless thing-the indulgence In
cakes"
How we saved him / know not; but this /
know, that after days and weeks of confine-
ment and watching and encouragement and
kindly advice, we led William Perkins from
that room a reformed man.
MY dear sir" said he: show can l ever
thank your
"By promising me never to touch buck.
wheats again" said I.
IL swear 1t to your said he, fervently.
And he kept his word. Isaw William Per.
kins to-day. He is a changed man. He is
cashier in one of your banks-rich,p prosper.
Gus, happy. His step is elastic, his cheek
rosy, his form erect, his voice manly and hi
eye clear and steady.
II feel like myself once more" said he a
have not tasted buckwheat cakes in two
years"