The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-20
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drink soda, but the sug sestion, coming as
it did in his exhausted state, was over
towering. He drew near awkwardly, put
on his glasses, and examined the list of
syrups with great care. The young man,
being for the moment at leisure, surveyed
critically the gaunt figure, the faded ban
dana, the antique ciawhammer coat and
the battered stove-pipe hat, with gradu-
ally relaxing cOuntenance. He even called
the prescription clerks attention by a
cough and quick jerk of the thumb. The
prescription clerk smiled freely, and con-
tinued his assaults upon piece of blue
mass.
Il reckon" said the Elder, resting his
hands upon his knees and bending down to
the list, ''you may gimme sassprilla am
little strawberry. Sassprilla's good for
the blood this time er year, an straw
berry's good any time"
The spruce young man let the syrup
stream into the glass as he smiled affably.
Thinking, perhaps, TO draw out the odd
| character, he ventured upon a Jest HIM
self, repeating pun invented by the man
| who made the first soda fountain. With
| sweep OF his arm he cleared away the
/ swarm of insects as he remarked: "People
/ who like a fly in theirs are easily accom-
modated."
| II was from sheer good-nature only that
! Elder Brown replied, with his usual broad
social smile: "Well, a fly now an then
don't hurt nobody"
Now if there is anybody in the world
who prides himself on knowing a thing or
! two. it is the spruce young man who pre-
sides over a soda fountain. This particular
Young gentleman did not even deem a
reply necessary. He vanished an instant,
| and when he returned a close observer
| might have seen that the mixture in
! the glass he bore had slightly changed
| color and increased in quantity. But the
! i tha y cfr.a Of
water dart into its center, and the rosy
! foam rise and tremble on the glaSs's RIM
! The next instant he was holding his breath
and slipping the cooling drink.
As Elder Brown paid his small score he
was at peace with the world. l firmly be-
| lieve that when he had finished his trading,
and the little blue stringed packages had
been stored away, could the poor donkey
! have made his appearance at the door, and
! gaZed with his meek, fawn-like eyes into
! his masters, he would have obtained full
/ and free forgiveness.
Elder Brown paused at the door as he
was about to leave. A rosy-cheeked
school girl was just lifting a creamy mix
| ture to her lips before the fountain. 1t was
a pretty picture, and he turned back, re-
solved to indulge in one more glass of the
delightful beverage before beginning his
| long ride homeward.
Fix it uD again, sonny" he said, re-
newing his broad, confiding smile, as the
spruce young man poised a glass inquir-
! inglv. The living automatOn went through
the same motions as before, and again
Elder Brown quatfed the fatal mixture.
! What singular power is habit? Up to
| this time Elder Brown had been entirely
innocent of transgression, but with the old
! alcoholic fire in his veins, twenty years
| dropped from his shoulders, and a feeling
| came over him familiar to every man who
! has been sin his caps" As a matter of
| fact, the elder would have been a confirmed
drunkard twenty years before had his wife
| been less strong minded. She took the
reins into her own hands when she found
! that his business and strong drink did not
mix well, worked him into the church, and
sustained his resolutions by making it
difficult and dangerous for him to get to
| his toddy. She became the business head
of the family, and he the spiritual. ONLY
! at rare intervals did he ever "backslide"
during the twenty years of the new era,
and Mrs. Brown herself used to say that
the sugar in his'n turned to gall before
the backSlide ended" People who knew
her never doubted it.
But Elder Browns sin during the re-
mainder of the day contained an element
| OF Responsibility. As he moved majestically
down toward where Balaam slept in the
sunlight, he felt no fatigue. Thera was a
| glow upon his cheek bones, and q faint
| Ilnge upon MS pTOHliueuI hDhc' NE
| nodded Familiarity to people as be met
them, and saw not the look of amusement
| which succeeded aStonishment upon the
various faces. When he reached the neigh
borhood of BALKAN it suddenly occurred to
him that he might have forgotten some one
of his numerous commissions, and he
paused to think. Then brilliant idea rose
in his mind. He would forestall blame
and disarm anger with kindneSS-he
would purchase Hannah bonnet.
| What wOman's heart ever failed to soften
at sight of new bonnet:
/ As have stated, the elder was a man of
action. He entered n store near at hand.
Sc bod morning" said an aifable gen.
tleman with 4 Hebrew countenance, ap-
preaching.
Good -mornin', gDol- said the
! Elder, piling his bun.lles on the counter.
| Il hope YOU are well:" Elder Brown ex-
tended his hand fervidly.
''Quite well, thank you. What"
And the little wife?" said Elder Brown,
affectionately retaining the Jews hand.
"Quite well, SIR"
"Aud the little ones-quite well, hope,
too?'
Eyes, sir: all well, tAank you. Some
thing 1 can do for you:"
The affable merchant was trying to re-
| call his customers name.
| "Not now, not now, thankee. If you
|
| back"
'.Can't 1 show you something? Hat,
coat"
"Not now Be back bimeby."
| Was it chance or fate that brought Elder
| Brown in front of a bar? The glasses
shone bright upon the shelves as the swing
| ing door tapped back to let out cUatleSs
clerk, who passed him with a rush, chew
| ing upon a farewell mouthful of brown
| bread and bologna. Elder Brown beheld
| for an instant the familiar scene within.
The screws of his resolution had been IoOs-
ened. At sight of the glistening bar the
whole moral structure of twenty years
came tumbling down. Mechanically he
entered the saloon, and laid a silver quar-
ter upon the bar as he said
"a little whisky an Suger." The arms
of the bartender worked like a fakir's in
a side show as he set out the glass with its
little quota OF ''short sweetening" and 4
cut-glass decanter, and sent Matchmaker
of water spinning along from the upper
end of the bar with a dime in change.
WHISKY is higher'n used to be-" said
Elder Brown; but the bartender was
taking another order, and lid no: hear him.
Elder Brown stirred away the sugar, and
let g steady stream of red liquid flow into
the glass. He swallowed the drink as I'M
concernedly as though his morning tod had
never been suspended, and pocketed the
change. "But it ainN any better than it
was" he concluded, as he passed out. He
did not even seem TO realize that he had
done anything extraordinary.
There was millinery store up the street,
and thither with uncertain step he wendell
his way, feeling liStle more elste, and
altogether sociable. A pretty, black-eyed
girl. struggling to keep down her mirth,
came forward and faced him behind the
counter. Elder Brown lifted his faded hat
with the politeness, if not the grace, of a