Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-04-09

would have been 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 a 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 pan in liquor is not
In 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
rapidity 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 second, and so on to inebrety.
About SIX week. ago he was brought
home in state of insensibility at ten in
the morning. Mrs. Matphin, who was
strong and muscular woman, had him
conveyed to room on the second floor
of the house, back. Then depositing
him on the bed, she pondered and went
for 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
ideas"
While Mr.. Matphin was peacefully
sleeping there were extraordinary things
going on. A wicket which would just
admit tray was cut in the door, and
the door was nailed and boarded up, so
as to be beyond Mr.. Matphin's strength
to break it, Then bed was brought
up and placed in the hall across the
door, and Mrs. Matphn, with base
ball club convenient. sat III a rocking
chair and calmly pursued her mending.
At about four Mr.. Matphin awoke and
looked wildly around.
''Are you awake, my dear?" asked
his spouse.
Eyes, what time is itp'
"About four in the afternoon"
"Gracious heavens! must get up. ]
ought to have been down town to-day
instead of wasting my time here. q,
that awful drinkr'
civilian, you won't 60 down town
to-day at all, nor tomorrow, nor yet
the next day." said Mrs. Matphin,
drawing yarn through the heel of
stocking. 'You are going to stay right
in that ROOM"
"What!"
Fright in that room for an indefinite
period of time. That is what you are
going to do"
'Let me outr' he shrieked, rushing
with all his might against the door.
"William," said she, showing her
club, 'you can't break that door; and
if you did should fetch you with this
club. L am going to reform you.
Naturally you are very excellent man
and a first-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 suasion won't
do any good, and have not time to
wait for prohibitions for long before the
people come to that you will have gone
hence, where it is warmer. l have or
ganized myself into prohibition party
and have ratified the amendment You
are going to stay in that room till you
can eat beefsteak and swallow cup
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 delrum tremcns; if so, you
will have to suffer. Better death by
delirium than to live drunk, as you
have.
Leu Hc ouI! yelleu MI. MdtpnIH.
"Be quiet" was Mrs. Matphin's re-
Spouse, going on quietly with her knit
ting. "You don't get out of that room
till you are thoroughly reformed, unless
you break through two thicknesses of
oak plank, and even then yon will have
to overcome baseball club welded by
a woman who knows her rights, and
knowing dare maintain. Your best hold
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 did
Mrs. Matphin keep him there, sleeping
across the door nights for fear he would
by some means escape. The result was
marvellous. His face took on another