The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-10-30

MRS. 8. i. HUTCHINSON.
mo John, | can give no other answer.
| could not if / wished to do so. We girls
signed a pledge promising to marry no
man who used tobacco or liquor in any
form"
''Then why have you allowed me to
come so long,"
Il thought you free from any such
habit
And so ! am. it is not a habit. | do
not smoke more than once a month, and
wine | never touch, except on such an oc-
casion as last evening. 1t will never be-
come u habit with me; my father used it
about as | do, SO You have no ground for
fear"
"Indeed | have, no one is safe who will
taste it. The habit of tasting often, nearly
always, grows until the person has no con-
troll over it. The only way to drive the curse
from our land is to abstain entirely. But
if / could be absolutely sure that you
would never take more than at present,
| could not, nay, | @ould not act otherwise
for the man who can drink thus, is more to
be feared than a common ~drunkard; boys
and young men would shun drunkenness.
chooses and not more, they are led to
think they can do the same. Thinking
thus, we have bound ourselves by a solemn
pledge, hoping thus to do something for
the cause
"Pshaw, your pledge is nothing but a
promise to some crazy girls. They will
every one break it the first good offer they
have, unless the man happens to be a tenn
perance man.
MY pledge was not merely a promise to
them, but to God, for the good of man
kind. | hate the run traffic. because of
the suffering it causes, and we hope in this
way to help crush it. If every one of
them should break it, | am still bound by
my promise"
''Oh pshaw Nellie, don't be such a
fanatic. I'll tell you what | will do, one
month after our wedding | will sign the
pledge for You"
[John had boastingly said to some of his
friends, that no girl should force him to
change his habits, and he was afraid of
being laughed at. Not a safe man for a
husband.
No John, that will not do. | should be
compelled to break my pledge in hat case.
Besides have changed my mind. if you
should now sign the pledge, | should still
refuse your offer
"Why, Nellie, You are very changeable
it seems to me.
do you recall your remark that my
pledge was merely q promise to some
crazy girls? your promise would only be
to me, whom you consider a crazy girl,
and not at all binding. | thought you
were a christian, and should nave felt
secure if you had signed, but you think so
lightly Of a promise, that | could have no
confidence in yours. nor could you in mine,
We're | to become your wife"
Il should have confidence in your love,
now | do not believe you love me at all, or
you would not so easily give me up"
...John, it has not been an easy thing to
do. But it is easier now. | must respect
the man | love, as an honorable man, the
very soul of truth, and he must have res
peet for women, otherwise, he can make
no woman happy as his wife"
''You are a stubborn fanatic. am glad
you have said mo | will prove to you
that your young lady friends are what
suppose. | will be the promised hus-
band of one of them in three months,
and they shall know of my terrible habit,
too" After waiting a moment for some
reply from Nellie, John left the room and
the house.
We need say nothing Of Nellie's feel
ings, you can imagine them. But look
after John. 1t was two or three weeks
before he could control his love for Nellie,
for she was a lovely girl, and his first love,
but being determined to secure the prom
Use of one of the girls, he began going
among them as before. Eighteen months
have passed, dear reader, John has visited
five of that society of young girls, and
learned that a pledge is binding, the first
cigar, or the knowledge that he takes wine.
is sure to send him after someone else, and
he has not yet proposed to one of them.
He thinks girls car keep a pledge, and
would be glad to sign one himself, if he
could thus secure Nellie. Let us lope
that he will vet do so for his own sake.