The Red Cloud chief., 1885-10-16

KEEP HE home PURE.
l sons Disgrace aud a Mother, E"unpr-r
Pint for the Wine ga lnuT Table l
should Never Have E~ra ii-r-'"

~-.!:ut for the Wine "u lnar Table l
should Never Have Ieca I---'"
] was 4 gu.s, once 81 4 b,aUt:u.
home in one Of The Eastern State.
! Nothing that wealth and 'a,;c could
I .royidc was wanting - bcautity and
.doTn il. The father waS = mar %:
W. ness. an immersed ~ IL cars,
( the mother va = refined and cultured
aIv. who moved IN the iir-; ~circies o:
-.cety. They had two children. one a
young Girl Of ,omc fifteen ears OF a-c.
aud The other . yoUn- man II more
han eighteen wears. VAo va at'en ling
the 60 .cge n the town. and whom Ia,
fond par Ms q signed for the pro.e>-
sion 81 the law.
The home was q hospitablc one. and
>. hospitality had h,cn conducted
on he O.i-ia,hion-t lines IF what was
ca.lcd polite 80 city. No cu'crtt n
men were more elegant. no table
uot. Ia n,!ly supplied. and non had
. .O,.i.cr wine, than we're 10 hc found II
this home Oi a Tor most business man.
The lattcrwcrc used - no excess u the
private III" OF the family, and were d.
pcu-cd with refined hospitality 10 the
.gmily gur-t-. Father and mother,
daughter aai o y drank Of them with
tacr gIr-t,. and - far - could b.
-ccn. drank Of them >plr!ngly An! pcu-
,.cntiv. Once or ~ .cc the Young man
had been noticed u till hi g!a-- more
than once. but neither father mr.
mother drcamc that excess would eve
mark hi~ conduct. !lc VA, brough: up
20 Use wine q, a gentleman. and would
never - far fUr-ct himself - 10 allow
/ t. master h. >c!:-contro.. - thought
+ father and mother. If ever the matter
e.. me Il subject If thought.
But who e answer tor the conSe-
IUcucr> when once the subtle spirit of
d..mk and the warm blood o: youth are
mingled The facts unseen ~ all Were
that the winc-cup had already fatal
I charms for the youth. Often, when no
eye saw HIM. did he qua!i the extra
a., or take tn" half empty bottle 10
his chamber. And often. when father
aud mother thought him with hi stu
( dent companions busy al work. VA, he
10 bc found with companions. not At
work. but .laying the exciting zane
and drinking tie still more exciting
driught.
| had rS"n early. AMI was reading
in the plca>an. little library. when an
"n\iou>. hurried step VA, heard N the
Il ninE room. aud through tn. half-op"n
door | caugh, the quick tones OF i
woman VOICE. saying:
w here's Tom? His bed was not
touched last night. " here a H. be-
Il was Mrs. A. voice. To il replied
the slower, more circlcss words of the
husband
'.no not be ANXIOUS. dear; Toms al
right; he has likely gone home with
one of hi, friends. ii. viii turn up
presently.
We sat down To breakfast. bnt the
whole atmosphere WAS q Squic,"d. |
could no.: cc the listening ear ana the
glancing eye of that stately mother Is
each step sounded near. or Il form
passed the window. But no Tom came.
Breakfast had Just ended whc. tie
servant brought in a noe and handed
it To Mr.. \. lie quickly orenel IL.
turned a. quickly pale. and then. with a
hurried. anXious look nj his wife. left
the room followed by the frightened
mother.
\ half hour later l learned it all.
Tom had been arrested the night before
and taken 10 the lookup. and the note
was from the kindly keeper, who wished
10 spare the respected fam ~ the dis
grace of a public trial. | shall never
forget the face of that mother. Pride.
shame and love chased each other over
it in varying light and shade. but love
conquered and lighted it MP with a sad.
pi,yinv. mcrciful glow. Il was settled
tina, >hc should 20 to the lookup and
that ! Shoild accompany her.
We alightcd ut the f~orbidding door.
we entered the still more ~forbidding
pa>sagc-wav. and Were conducted /"
Toms cell. With a cry # unuttcrahlc
love and mingled bitterness the mother
flung her arms abou, tie neck vi the
boy whom she had nurturcd 50 deli
c%atciy. and wept hot tear, of shame and
pity.
..Oh Tom. my son. my son. how
could YOU disgrace me SOP she uttered
between her >obS. The answer came.
slowly. bitterly. almost dciiantly, cut
ting INTO the conscience Of that mother
with the sharp. rcmor-elc>s edge Of
retribui on,
Mother. oh my mother. why did you
teach me- To drink? But for the wine
on your own table. curse i ! should
never have b en- here. II Crppt into
nv blood. fastened upon NV " II and
I chained me fast What I did last night
I know not. was MAD drunk. Oh.
Il Won had kept IL from III" wears ago. -
That mothers face i before me now
Pale - death. aConiJei beyond posi-
h litv If description. every line of re-
proach for the wayward boy turned into
4 deepening fUrrow Of salf-r"prUach.
She spoke but once Forgive me. NV
boy-l see it AL now. and MAY God for
give me.
Tom was taken home. The disgrace
was not suffered To- l-come an open
one. That night = lengthy and solemn
conference took place between TIM
proud mother aud the wealthy father
And the next day no veStige IL >tron.
drink wa- 20 Tee found in the princely
! home. The evil spirit was at out.
but. alas. a before it had well nigh
possessed The only son If those who
had so thoughrles-ly barbored il I
have visited tina: home since. Wealth
and refinement mark all is appoint
men;s. as Of old. hospitality reigu> =,
ROYALTY. but the lesson II chs-tsnins i
= he read in The absence of ali that
can In,oNicate. and in the tender cars
and constant PRAYER tina; the Heavenly
Parent may repair the error we'll nigh
irrevocab!v wreu-h: by the Town.
earthly parents les. dear ra..r.
keep j; ont OF the hOr>e. Have M de-
&C tful a.lv within. working h,nd n
hand with ise o-az-E confederate with
Il keep i; out Of your kitchen. away
from your table, make the family circle
~.rr,-e