Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-05-18
Temperance.
THE NURSES STORY.


and me; but / never want to undertake
no sech job again. He's held out now for
five years, and his wife looks as if she had
forgotten all about the trouble, but new
completely broke down as she was the
day she sent for me,to come and help
nurse him. She had been up, night and
day, for over a week, and she looked old
enough to be his grandmother When L
seen him didn't wonder at it, for be-
tween opium and brandy he was nothing
but wild beast, and q starved wild beast
at that, as he had got himself into sech a
fix that he could hardly keep any thing
down he swallowed. She han done all she
could to make him comfortable. He had
two large cool rooms up stairs; and
high bedstead that could be showed any
where he took fancy to have it; and an
invalids chair in which he could sit in all
positions. Then there was fresh fruit
brought in from the orchard every morn
ing, and the cook had orders to keep her
stove hot, so as to cook him anything he
might take sudden notion to eat, and he
took no end of notions, you may be sure
of that. Dr. Adger had called in to see
him once in a friendly way, but the only
advice he gave was for Mr.. Bailey to
take up his quarters for awhile in an Asy-
lum for Inebriates, and that made him
and her both so mad that they didn't
have him in again. There was no use in
his coming neither, as long as there was
brandy kept in the dressing-room, and
opium hid away somewhere! Mr.. Bailey
vowed and declared he never tasted OPT
UNI; and she tried her best to believe him
but his eyes had that stupid, CLASSY stare
that comes only from taking sech drugs,
so his denyin' 1t wasn't nothing to me, as
1 never seen an opium-eater yet that
didn't lie like the mischief. Well to make
long story short, had been there well
on to a month, and the poor starving
creter had sunk into sech state that l
had given him up completely, and l could
see his poor wife was only hoping against
hope. | said to her she had better send
for her brother, but she shook her head.
Il don't care for any of my family to see
him in this condition, says she. But you
will kill YOURSELF says l. No fear of
that! am to miserable to die, says she.
DR.. Adger called that evening, aud seeing
that Mrs. Bailey had gone off TO git lit
tie sleep took it upon myself to let him
come up and take look at our patient,
who was lying still, for a wonder. He
had been cavorting around all that day,
seeing women with cows heads, and
snakes with fiat tails, and droves of little
devils, and dear knows what else; and l
was completely worn down with pretend
ing to run at 'em and drive 'em out of the
room. Well, as L said, he was lying still
when DR.. Adger came in, and / thought
he was fast asleep. Doctor says as we
stood by the bedside, looking at him, 4
think my duties here are nearly over
&C Il quite agree with you there, Mrs.
Sparks says he. His poor wife, says
1: Ought to prepare her for it?' No:
let her alone, says he. 1T will be re-
lief to her when the end comes
and when will the end come, do you
think?' says I. WELL said he, Judging
from present appearance of things I
should say the devil will have his own in
less than forty-eight hours
'I'll bet you fifty dollars he DON'T says
Mr.. Bailey, starting up and looking wild
er awake than had seen him look for a
week past. l was that took aback 1
dropped into chair, but the doctor was
as cool as you please.
Done! says he. You will be dead
man before Sunday-and don't you for
get tp
Get out of here, you COMPOUNDED
quackp says Mr.. Bailey, jumping out of
bed, and picking up one of his boots as if
he were going to throw it. DR.. Adger
bolted out of the room as quick as a
flash, and that was the last we seen of
him for some time.
Mrs. Sparks says Mr.. Bailey, please
go down stairs, and bring me that little
bottle of morphine you will find on the
top shelf in the medicine closet
l says to myself, he may as we'll kill
himself with morphine as with opium
so done as he asked me. When come
back again he was standing by the win
dow, with the bottle of brandy in his
hand. Been drinking agaIn thinks 1,
but he says
That cat in the back yard kept me
awake all last night, and 1 am keeping
watch for him. There he goes new!'
And with that, away went the brandy
bottle out of the window.
Missed him by Jove,' says he Better
luck next time. 'And now Mrs. Sparks,
he went on. turning to me, Il am going
to make a solution Of morphine to taper
off on, and every time l take Il teaspoon
full of the stuff l want you to keep the
bottle full by putting in Il teaspOonfu oil
water. That will weaken it by degrees,
don't you see?'
My, what fight he had with himself
after that ! For Il day or two 1 thought
he would die, but his dander was up, and
1 knew he wouldn't give in. He was
as cross as sore-headed bear, but his
wife and me, we did't mind that. All we
wanted was to see him get better. Dr.
Adger called more than once, but Mrs
Bailey had heard what he said, and you
had better believe he didn't git into the
house. She amt quite forgiven him yet,
though he vows he knew all the time Mr.
Bailey was awake and said what he die
only to let him know what u fix he was
in. When Mr.. Bailey was well enough tC
take his first ride, and l was brushing his
coat before giving it to him to put on, s
chunk of opium as big as an egg fell out
of the pocket and you take nv word fol
it, it followed the brandy-bottle out O
the window. When L seen that 90,
knew my work was done, so without say
ing with your leave, or by your leave,
got my things together and went home.
Christian at Work.
THE TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.
Extracts from Dr. Daniel Dorchester
address: