Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-08-20
THE BOTTOMLESS JUG.

saw IL hduSlAS dP IL euO hAlCAOh VI
thrifty, sturdy farmer in Oxford coun-
ty, Maine-a bottomless jug! TIE host
saw that the curious thing caught my
eye. and smiled.
"You are wondering what that jug is
hanging up there for with its bottom
knocked out. My wife, perhaps, cnn
tell you the story better than l can; but
she is bashful and amt, so I'll tell it.
"My father. as you are probably aware,
owned this farm before me. He lived
to good old age, worked hard all his
life, never squandered money, was a
cautious trader and good calculator;
and, as men were accounted in his day
and generation, he was temperate man.
l was the youngest boy, and when the
old gentleman was ready to go-and he
knew 1.-THE others agreed that since l
had stayed at home and taken care of
the old folks. the farm should be mine.
And to me it was wllled. 1 had been
married then three years.
"Well, father died-mother had gone
three years beforehand left the farm to
me with a mortgage on it for $4,000. I'd
never thought of it before. L said to
Mollie, my wife:
"Mollie. look here-father had this
farm in its first strength of soil, with all
it's magnificent timber, and his six boys,
as they grew up, equal to so many men
to help him; and he worked hard-work-
ed early and late-and yet, look at it! A
mortgage of two thousand dollars. What
can do?
"And l went to that jug-it had its
bottom in then-and took good stiff
drink of old Medford rum from it.
81 noticed the curious look on the face
of my wife just then, and 1 asked her
what she thought it, for supposed she
was thinking of what I'd been talking
about. And 80 she was, for she said:
"'Charles, I've thought of this great
deal, and I've thought of way in which
you can clear this mortgage off before
five years are ended
"Says l, 'Mollie, tell me how you'll do
it.
"She thonght for awhile, and then said,
with funny twinkle in her blue eyes
says she:
"'Charles, you must promise me this,
and promise me selemnly and sacredly,
promise me that you will never bring
home for the purpose of drinking for
beverage, at any time any more spirits
than you can bring in that old jug-the
Jug your father has used ever since l
knew him, and which you have used
since he has done with it.
"Well, l know father used it once in a
while, especially in haying time and In
winter when we were at work in the
woods, to get an old gallon jug filed; so
1 thought that she meant that should
never buy more than two quarts at a
time. l thought it over, and after lit
tie while told her would agree to it.
Now, mind said she, you are never,
never to bring home any more spirits
than you can bring in that identical Jug
And l gave her the promise.
"And before went to bed that night
1 took the last pull at that jug. As l
was turning it out for sort of night cap,
Mollie looked up and says she:
Charley, have you got drop leftT
"rhere was just about drop. We'd
have to get it filled Oh the morrow. Then
she said, if had no objections, she
would drink that last drop with me. l
shall never forget how she said it, that
last dropp However, tipped the old
Jug bottom up and got about a great
spoonful, and Mollie said that was
enough. She took the tumbler and pour
ed a few drops of hot water into it and
and bit of sugar. and then she linked
her glass against mine, just as she'd seen
US boys do when we'd been drinking to
good luck, and says she:
"'Here's to the old brown jugp
"Sakes alive! thought to myself that
poor Mollie had been drinking more of
the rum than was good for her, and l
tell you it kind of cut me to the heart
| forgot all about how many times she'd
seen me when nay tongue was thicker
than it ought to be and my legs not so
steady as legs should be; but said
nothing. 1 drank the sentiment, The
old brown Jug and let it go.
well, l went out after that and did