The Washington critic., 1885-06-05
THE B0TTOMLESS JUG.

Comfy, Me.--a bottomless iug The host
saw that the curious thing caught my eye,
and smiled.
"You are wondering what that jug is
hanging up there for with its bottom
Knocked out" he said. "My wife, per-
haps, can tell you the story better than /
can; but she is bashful and amt, so I'll
tell it..
my father, as You are probably aware.
owned this farm before me. He lived to a
good old age, worked hard all his life,
never squandcred money, was q cautious
trader and good calculator; and, as men
were accounted in his day and generation,
he was temperate man. ! was the young
est hoy; and when the old man was ready
TO go-and he knew 1.-THE others agreed
that since had stayed at home and taken
care of the old folks, the farm should be
mlne And to me it was willed. ! had
been married then three years
"Well, father died--mother had gone
three years beforehand left the farm to
me with mortgage on it for two thousand
dollars. I'd never thought of it before. ]
said TO Mollie, my wife:
"'Mollie, look here. Here fathers had
this farm in its first strength of soil with
all its magnificent timber, and his six
boys, as they grew up, equal to so many
yet, look at i'll a mortgage of two thou
sand dollarsl What can dor
And went to that jug-it had its bot
tom in then-and took good still drink
of old Medford rum from it.
81 noticed the curious look on the face
of my wife Just then, aud | asked her what
she thought of it, for | supposed she was
thinking of what I'd been talking about.
And SO she was, for she said.
"'Charlos, Eve thought of this great
deal, and Eve thought of a way in which
believe yon can clear this mortgage off
before five years are ended
Says l. Mollie, tell me how you'll do
it,
she thought for while and then said
with a funny twinkling in her blue eyes
says she:
''Charles, you must promise me this,
and promise me solemnly and sacredly;
promise me that you will never bring
home for the purpose of drinking for a bev-
erage, at any time, any more spirits than
you can bring in that old jug--the Jug
your father has used ever since / knew
him, and which you have used since he
has done with it,
"Well, ! knew father used once in q
while, especially in haying time and in
winter when we were at work in the
woods to get an old gallon jug filed; so !
thought that she meant that ] should
never buy more than two quarts at
time. thought it over, and after little
while told her would agree to it,
Now, mind, said she, you are never,
never to bring home any more spirits than
you can bring in that identical Jug And
gave her the promise.
"And before ] went to bed that night
took the last pull mt that jug. As ] was
turning it out for a sort of night-cap, Mol
lie looked up and says she:
'',r Charlie, have you got . drop eft?,,
"Therc was Just about q drop. We'd
have to get IL on the morrow. Then she
said, if had no objections, she would
drink that last drop with me. | shall
never forget how she said it, that last
drop However, ] tipped the old jug
bottom up and got about great spoon
FIJI, and, Mollie said that, was enough.
She took the tumbler and poured few
drops of hot water into it and a bit of ST.
gar, and then she tinkled her glass against
mine, just as she'd seen us boys do when
we'd been drinking to good luck, and says
She:
Here's to the old brown Jug"
"Sakes alive thought to myself that
poor Mollie had been drinking more of the
rum than was good for her and tell you
il kind of cut me to the heart ] forgot
all about how many times she'd seen me
when my tongue was thicker than it ought
to be and my legs not so steady rs good
legs should be; but said nothing. ! drank
the sentiment The old brown Jug and
let it go.
"Wcll, went out after that and did
my chores, and then went to bed; and the
| last thing | said before leaving the kitchen
this very room where we now sit-was :;
oven have the old brown jug filled
| tomorrow
| "And then went Off to bed. And |
| have remembered ever since that | went
| to bed that night, rs | had done hundreds
| of times before, with Il buzzng in my
| head that healthy man ought not to
| have. didn't think Of it then, nor had
| ever thought of it before, but Ive
thought of it Il good many times since,
ana have thought of it with wonder and
| awe.
| well got up the next morning and
| did my work ut the barn, and then came
| i'm and ate my breakfast, but not with such
| an appetite as farmer ought To have,
| and could not think then that my ap-
| petite had begun to fail me. However, |
| ate my breakfast, and then went out and
| htchCd up the old mare; for to tell the
| plain truth, ! was feeling in need of II
| glass of spirits, and hadn't drop in the
| house. was in hurry to get TO the vii
| lage. hitchcd up and came in for the
| jug. ] went for il in the old cupboard
and took it out, and
did you ever break through thin ice
| on Swapping cold day, and find yourself
| in an instant overhead in freezing water?
| Because that is the very way | felt at that
| moment. The Jug was there but the bot
| tom was gone. MOlie had taken Il sharp
| chiScl and hammer, and, with skill
| that might have done credit to n master
| workman, She had clipped the bottom
| clean of the jug without even cracking
| the edges of the sides. ! looked at the Jug
| and then she burst out. She spoke-oh, |
| had never heard anything like i'll No,
| nor have ! heard anything like it since,
| She said:
Charles, that's where the mortgage
| on this farm came from 1t was brought
| home within that jug-two quarts ut Il
| time And that's where your white, clear
| skin and your clear, pretty eyes are going
| And in that Jug, my husband, your appe-
| lite is gong, also! Oh, let the bottom Stay
| out forever Let il be as 1t is, dear heart.
| And remember your promise to me-"
| "And then she threw her arms around
| my neck and burst into tears. She could
| speak no more
| Sand there was no need. My eyes were
| opened as though by magic. I'm Il single
| minute the whole scene passed before me.
| ] law all the mortgages ON all the farms
| i'm our nCighbOrhOOd and ! thought
| where the money had gone. The very
| last mortgage father had ever made was
| to pay n bill held against him by the man
| who had filed his jug for years Yes,
| saw il as il passed before mc-a llittcring
| picture of rum rum rum debt debt +!
| debt and i'm the end, death And / re-
| turned my Alolles kiss, and said /
| " 'Mollie, my own, I'll keep the prom
1 | "a st hpl y