Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

seeing she did not know how hated the dew
lis that lived in me, but that were hard to
bear. But he fell down stairs with me in his
pocket, and broke his head, and didn't break
me. He hit me against things to their injury,
not mine. l must have a guardian devil,
lasted 80.
Gone day-it was such bitter day, ice and
snow and slect everywhere-just five years
from the Christmas I'd been made a present
to Jack, he stood, ragged and dirty, at bar
room stove, with me in his pocket-my neck
sticking out. Up came the proprietor.
Now, Jack Barker, he says, 'why don't
you go homer
Gle was ashamed to have him there, you
see, a ragged creature with his toes out, and a
black eye and broken nose. He used TO be
called Handsome Jack Barker before he took
TO filling me. Think of that
''Now he looked up with a miserable abject
whine.
eco home with an empty bottle on a
Christmas Eve2 p says he. you didn't use to
say go home, when came here with full
pockets, Mr.. Jones'
"'Well, no, didn't, said the man; and
IL would have been better If | had. I'll fill
your bottle for you, Jack Barker.
Gle filled it-goodness knows with what
and the poor wretch staggered home. Oh, the
wretched cellar-the miserable straw bed in
the corner; the wife lying sick upon it. ! re-
member them so well.
''She was very sick, and there was a little
baby beside her Just think Of another baby
there
"Happy Christmas said he, as he stag
gered in. Happy Christmas, old girl y
"'IIappy! said she oh, this dreadful
day That bottle came to us first on Christ
mas
at takes 80 little to put drunken man in
a rage. lie answered her with an oath
"Anybody would think / was drunk to
hear you talk, said he
And the poor woman answered:
ooh, good Heaven are you ever soberl
Oh, Jack, Jack'
"And then he flew at her He took me by
the neck, and beat her over the head with
me. The cork fell out and the liquor poured
over her breast, and over the face of the lit
tie baby lying upon it. 1t mingled with her
blood.
"At first she screamed. Then she lay still.
Her face grew white. knew | was II muir
derer.
"'Oh, let me break cried Let me be
broken into fragments'
"But her fair flesh was mashed to pulp, her
delicate bones broken, and | was sound as
ever, when Jack, led by Heaven knows what
mad fancy, left his victim and staggered into
the street again. The snow was falling.
The air was white with it. lie staggered
along, mutteringto himself. At last he came
to a wharf, and stumbled across it. believe
boat lay there on which he had been once
before, and where they had given him drink.
"'Sea-Bird, ahoyu he cried. 'Ilulol
hullol Sea-Bird, ahoy
Nobody answered him.
"T'm coming aboard, he muttered-1'n
coming aboard. | shan't stay at home to be
preached to. I'm my own master.
''Then he took one step more. Splash
crash He was through the thin ice under
| the water.
"'Thank Heaven, said |, my miserable
career is ended.
"Then l turned cold as ice myself, and
there was a roaring in my neck.
"Next thing knew it was broad daylight,
and was floating on the water.
There's a bottle, cried some one. II
was a bare-legged 10y. He stopped over the
side of boat, and caught me.
| "'There was man drowned here las
night, said he TO another boy at his side.
"'Did you see himi' said this one.
"Yes, said the first, 'IIe was drunk
and killed his wife They've got an inques
on her, down in the cellar over there. | say
I'm going to sell this bottle to Bill, the junl
man.
80 | was saved, and much against ny
will stood in the junk shop window for
week. The water had washed the blood of
of me. l had no smell of liquor left, anC
along comes your wife.
"'What a nice, flat bottle! says she-jus
what | want How much fer i'll
"And Billy charged her four cents, ant
home she brought me.
"'Aiy career of vice has begun again, sait
|. And l expected nothing else; but, bles
the dear soul, she put vinegar in me-nice
sour, innocent, respectable vinegar-and Pv
been good reformed bottle ever since. AM
now you-you-you-her husband, are goin
to put the devilsh spirits into me again. Flo
heavens sake, break me first | don't wan
to destroy another household"
''You shant, " said Tom Barnaby. "Her
you go back on your shelf. leave you
innocence and vinegar; and l think I'll max
a cup of strong coffee.
"Right," said the bottle.
And so the bottle still stands beside tn
cruet on Mrs. Barnaby's dresser; and Tor
Barnaby is still a sober man.