Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-01-17

two boys and Butler in at once. Ar
thur and Joe were fine, manly looking
young fellows of seventeen and nine
teen, and their father was justly proud
of them. But as he looked at them
now, he remembered Reckless prophe-
cy, and was silent and gloomy through
out the meal.
There were others besides Mr.. Heck
les who disapproved of Lambert's pro-
ject, and he was urged and advised or
every side to give it up. But neither
argument nor persuasion had any effect
upon his determination, and the saloon
opened with fine array of bottles,
glasses and liquors. 1t was the first
venture of the kind in Coldbrook, and
consequently excited great deal of
curiosity and comment. The saloon
was crowded the first evening it open
ed. Men who did not take a glass of
liquor once year came to "see how
the place looked" and they found it so
cheerful, and met so many acquain-
tances, that they dropped in again
and again, and Butler was well satis>
fed with the contents of the moneys
drawer at the end of the first week.
As Mr.. Lambert had said, the bar
keeper understood his business thor.
oughly, and his fund Of wit and hu.
NOR, coarse as it often was, lured many
young man within the charmed cir
Gle about the bar.
Among these was Arthur Lambert,
who had been very much attracted to
Butler from the first, and who FREE
quented the saloon unknown to his
father, He was encouraged in this
course by Butler, who thought Mr..
Lambert too strict, and who saw no
harm in social glass. He always
met Arthur with a smile, and with a
friendly slap on the back would tell
him 1.-The old man would soon learn
that his boy was out of long clothes.
Arthur was not the only son whose
father was unaware of his visits to the
saloon. There was very convenient
back door to the place, and an easy
little back parlor, and here from six to
ten young men, none of them over
twenty years of age, met nearly every
evening to play cards. And, as a mat.
ter Of course, liquor was freely passed
around. At the end of the year it
was no unusual thing for the village to
be disturbed by street brawl, and the
sight of man under the influence of
liquor was so frequent as not to excite
comment. But Mr.. Lambert refused
to listen to the voice of conscience.
He had paid off all his small debts, and
expected to be able very soon to lift
the mortgage on his farm. The idea
of giving up the saloon was clearly out
of the question. During the second
year of the existence of the saloon, a
paper,mill was started in the village,
and this brought many new residents
to the place. The business at Lam
bert's increased perceptiblv, and in a
short time he had not only paid off the
mortgage on his farm, but began the
erection of a house in the village,
which was to be handsomer than any.
thing of the kind ever attempted there.
There's where your wages have
gone" said Mr.. Heckles to a poor la
borer, who was standing before the
new edi6ce one evening just prior tc
its completion. "You deprive your
self of every comfort, and keep your
wife and children in AFFECT poverty, in
order that this man may build fine
house and live at his ease" The la
borer stared at him, but made no re
ply. The argument was too deep fol
his dull comprehension, The indul
gence Of his appetite for strong drink
was of more consequence to him thar
wife, children, and home all put to
gether. One evening, as Mr.. Heckle
rode past the new house, he saw Mr.
Lambert at the gate, and stopped tt
speak to him. While they were talk
ing, man staggered by, half supper
] ted by a shabbily dressed woman
! down whose pale, sorrow-stricken fac,
: the tears were streaming.