The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-05
A Seven Year Olds Impression

If there is one thing I hate it is
whisky.
/ am only seven years of age, but /
have seen enough of whisky TO make
me hate it forever and forever.
| can't understand why people will
drink it when it is such an awful bad
thing and makes them look so wild and
terrible.
O, | can remember how pa used to
look when he drank whisky, and / can
remember how scared mother was when
he came home drunk.
! used to think we were as good as
other people, for we had nice house
and had enough to eat, and we all
seemed to get along frst-rate, except
when pa would go to the tavern and get
drunk, and then when he came home we
would have an awful time. He would
strike mother with anything he could
get hold of, and once when | told him
he was a bad man to act that way, he
took me by one foot and slammed me
clean across the room.
was hurt and scared too, and mother
she screamed awful, and then she picked
me up and ran out of the house.
1t was cold night-yes, awful cold +;
can mind that very well, for when
mother took me to Mr. Weston's house
they said was nearly frozen. My leg
hurt me awful bad, too, and | cried and
cried.
When Mr.. Weston brought the doctor,
he said my leg was broken, and he set
it, and it hurt pretty bad too, but tried
not to cry, tor knew it made mother
feel kind of distressed.
But couldn't stop the cry altogether.
1t would break out sometimes. / tell
you. it is pretty bad to have broken
leg. 1t is bad for lite boy, but
reckon it wouldn't be so bad for big
boy or man.
hated my pa after that. What did
he break my leg for? | asked myself
that question good many times,
Wasn't / his own boy? And hadn't be
been good to me before? Then why
should he rise right up and slam me
across the room and break my leg just
because ! told him he was bad man to
act so ugly and strike mother?
| talked to mother about it when
was lying with my broken leg, and ii
hurting pretty bad too, and she said il
was whisky that did it.
But | told her that If whisky and ps
hadn't got together it wouldn't have
been done Whisky in a bottle Wouldn't
have done it, but whisky in pa is what
caused the trouble.
told mother / wondered why peopl,
drank whisky when it made them 81
bad, and caused them to slam boy
around and break their legs. She sais
they couldn't help it. When they com
menced they were compelled to g
ahead. They might try to stop, bu
| they couldn't.
If whisky Is bad as that, ought n
people to be very careful? ! think the,
ought to shut their mouths and strik'
right and left when they come near t
it.
] never ASKED mother to explain al
about this, for she died soon after, and
didn't have an opportunity to talk +
her, but | suppose that she meant tha
whisky would chase a man and get int
his mouth and down his throat whethe
he wanted it or not.
If that's the case, whisky is terribl
monster.
Mr.. Weston is a preacher, and he say
| it bites like a serpent, and stings like a.
| adder, and he says that serpents an
| adders are snakes.
nave been thinking about it goo
deal. and | can't Just understand ho'
whisky can get into the shape OF snakes
but that must be the way of It, tor ho'
could whisky chase a man and get dow
/ his throat unless it did first get into th
shspe of a snake, and then run along tn
ground and climb up his legs and plum
| down his throat.
/ And / think this must be the way Z
i it, because l heard Sammy Weston te
about drunkard that had snakes in b
boots. | reckon the snakes couldn'
Il climb clear up to the mans mouth an
80 they got into his boots.
If / had TO have snakes at all, I'd q
awful sight rather they would get ini
q nv boots than 10 get into my mout
and down my throat.
Il And, speaking .of boots, I've got ~
first pair on now.
Il Nv pa never had money to buy n
boots, but he had money to buy snake
! Now, which is the worsts Snakes,
course.
Il / said my mother was dead. Yes, sl
j didn't live long after pa broke my leg az
, | drove us out Of the house.
81 Mr.. Weston says she died OF broke
heart.
Ill | reckon when people die Of brok'
81 hearts they cry good deal. That's Il
4 wy il was with mother, anyhow.
81 i asked Mr.. Weston if be didn't thin
D that when my poor mother died Of
Z | broken heart. somebody oughtn't to
over and make my pa die Of q brok'