The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-01-29
REFORMING a HUSBAND.
How a Toledo Woman Cur ed an appetite
for Drink.

HOW a Toledo Woman Cur ed an Appetite
for Drink.
William Matphin is mechanic re-
siding in the upper part of Toledo, who
would have been a most excellent hus-
band and father were it not that the
demon drink had full possession of him.
The very best of men are not good when
possessed of this devil, despite the in
genious reasoning of man with rubi-
cund nose who attempted to support
the habit by specious reasoning. His
process was like this: Man in his
natural state is deceitful and desper-
ately wicked: A man in liquor is not
in a natural state, and, therefore; there
must be an improvement in him.. How
ever plausible this may seem, it does
not work out properly. Mr.. Matphin,
when in liquor, was ugly and venomous,
and he kept in liquor with such steadi-
ness that his business was leaving him,
and he was going to the dogs with great
ra?idity and precision.
The poor man knew the danger that
enveloped him and tried desperately to
break the chains that bound him. But
all in vain. The desperate, constant
craving was too much, and it was i'm
possible for him to go out without coming
home in condition shocking to behold.
He vowed and vowed and vowed, but
he broke his VOWS just as regularly as
he made them. That terrible first drink
always overcame him and made way
for a second, and so on to inebriety.
About six weeks ago he was brought
home in q state of insensibility at ten in
the morning. Mrs. Matphin, who was
a strong and muscular woman, had him
of the house, back. Then depositing
him on the bed, she pondered and went
for a carpenter.
My DEAR" she murmured to herself,
..this has been going on long enough.
This house is from this time on an In
ebriate asylum, run on Mrs. Matphin's S
IDEAS.
While Mr.. Matphin was peacefully
sleeping there were extraordinary things
going on. A wicket which would i6s.
admit a tray was cut in the door, and
the door was nailed and boarded up, SO
as to be beyond Mr.. Matphin's S strength
to break it. Then bed was brought
up and placed in the hall across the
door, and Mrs. Matphin, with base
ball club convenient, sat in a rocking
chair and calmly pursued her mending
At about four Mr.. Matphin awoke and
looked wildly around.
care You awake, my dear?" asked
his spouse;
'.Yes, what time is it?'
'About four in the afternoon"
Gracious heavens! 1 must get up. l
ought to have been down town to-day
instead of wasting MY time here. o,
that awful drinks
'.William, you won't 90 down town
to-day at all, nor tomorrow, nor yet
the next day." said Mrs. Matphin,
drawing yarn through the heel of a
stocking. "You are going to stay right
in that room"
..Whatr'
Fright in that room for an indefinite
period of time. That is what you are
going to do
.'Let me OUT" he shrieked, rushing
with all his might against the door.
William" said she, showing hel
club, '.you can't break that door; and
if you did should fetch you with this
SIuo' oihi SoLiS " iCloiH yOu.
Naturally you are very excellent man
and tirst-class citizen. Until you got
the internal appetite for liquor there
was not better husband or father, but
since you transferred all there is in you
to the beer-shops there isn't more
worthless brute in existence. You are
not worth shucks to yourself or any.
body else. Your stomach is all gone;
you can't eat, you can't work and you
can't do anything. Moral suas!on won
do any good, and have not time tc
wait for prohibition; for long before the
people come to that you will have gone
hence, where it is warmer. l have or
ganized myself into a prohibition party
and have ratified the amendment. Yor
are going to stay in that room till yor
can eat beefsteak and swallow cur
of coffee without the preliminary cock,
tail. After what you have gone through
l don't think you are fool enough to re,
sumo after you have once got rid of the
appetite, and the appetite is what you
are going to get rid of. You will prob.
| badly have delirium tremens; if so, you
, will have to suffer. Better death by
| delirium than to live drunk, as yor
have.
Let me outr' yelled Mr.. Matphin.
'.Be quiet" was Mrs. Matphin's re-
sponse, going on quietly with her knit
ting. ':You don't get out of that room
till you are thoroughly reformed, unles:
You break through two thicknesses O
oak plank, and even then yon will have
| to overcome baseball club welded by
woman who knows her rights, and
| knowing dare maintain. Your best hole
is to keep quiet and submit to the inevi
| table,
Mr.. Matphin. seeing that resistance
was useless, succumbed. and was toler
ably quiet. For four long weeks die
Mrs. Matphin keep him there, sleeping
across the door nights for fear he woulf
by some means escape. The result wa:
marvellous. His face took on another
hue, and the appetite for Intoxicating
liquors disappeared entirely. He gained
| in flesh, and to amuse himself during
his confinement invented a valuable ma
chine, which he is now securing patent
for. He has been at liberty two weeks
| and shows no disposition to return tc
his Toledo Blade.