St. Paul daily globe., 1885-07-18
THE BOTTOMLESS JUG.
How a Thrifty Farmer Paid the
Mortgage Or His Farm.


''You are wondering what that jug is
hanging up there for, with its bottom
knocked out, he said. ''My wife, perhaps,
can tell you the story better than L can;
but she is bashful, and l amt, so I'll
tell it.
''My father, as you are probably aware,
owned this farm before me. he lived to a
good old age, worked hard all his life, never
sQuandered money, was cautious trader
and a good calculator; and, as men were
accounted in his day and generation, he
was a 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 willed.
[ had been married then three years.
s'Well. father died-mOther had gone
three years beforehand left the farm TO
me. with a mortgage on it for 81, 600. I'd
never thought of it before. l said to Mol
lie, my wife:
50 'Mollie. look here. Here fathers had
this farm in it's first strength of soil, with
all its magnificent timber, and his six boys,
as they grew up, equal to so many men to
help him; and he worked hard
worked early and late-and yet look
at it! A mortgage of two thousand dollarsl
What can do?"
''And 1 went to that jug-it had its bot
tom 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 asked her what
she thought of it, for L suppose she was
thinking of what I'd been talking about.
And so she was, for she said;
|" Charles, I've thought of this a great
deal, and I've thought of a way in which l
believe you can clear this mortgage off be-
fore five years are ended
'Says L: 'Mollie, tell me how you'll
do it,
She thought for while, and then said,
with funny twinkle in her blue eyes
says she:
'' Charles, you must promise me this, and
pr omise me sOlemnly and Sacredly; prom
Use 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 iug-the jug your father
has used ever since l knew him, and which
you have used since he has done with it.
''Well, knew father used once in
while, especially in haying time and in Win
ter when we were at work in the woods, to
get an old gallon jug filled; so thought
that she meant that / should never buy
more than two quarts at time. l thought
Ii over, and after a little while told her l
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 gave her the promise.
''And before 1 went to bed that night /
took the last pull at that jug. AS l was
turning it out for sort of night cap,
Mollie looked up and says she:
g Charley, have you got drople ftp"
.''There was just about a drop. We'd
have to get it on the morrow. Then she
said, she would drink that last drop with
me, i shall never forget how she said it,
''that last drop!'' However. l tipped the
old jug bottom up and got about a great
spoonful, and MOllie said that was enough.
She took the tumbler and poured few
drops of hot water into it and bit of su gar,
and then she tinkled her glass against mine
just as she'd seen us boys do when we'd
been drinking to good luck, and says she:
g Here's to the old brown jugr
''SakeS alive. L thought to myself that
poor Mollie had been drinking more of the
rum than was good for her, and tell you,
it kind of cut me to the heart. l forgot all
about how many times she'd seen me when
my tongue was thicker than it ought to be
andmy legs not so steady as good legs
should be; but l said nothing. l drank the
sentiment, The old brown Jug and let
it go.
''Well, I went out after that and did nv
chores and then went to bed, and the last
thing said before leaving the kitchen
this very room where we now sit
was:
Wen have the old brown jug filled to-
morrow
''And then 1 went off to bed And /
have remembered ever since that l went to
bed that night as l had done hundreds of
times before, with buZZing in my head
that healthy man ought not to have
didn't think of it then, nor had / ever
thought of it before, but 1 have
thought of it good many times since, and
have thought of it with wonder and awe
''Well, l gotup the next morning and
did my work at the barn and then came in
and atemy breakfast, but not with such an
appetite as a farmer ought to have. and [
could not think then that my appetite had
begun to fail me- However, | ate nv
breakfast and then went out and hitched
up the old mare, for to tell the plain truth
j was feeling in need of glass of spirits.
and l hadn't a drop in the house! | was
in hurry to get to the village. l hitched
up and came in for the jug. | went for it
in the old cupboard and took it out. and
''Did you ever break through thin ice ON
a swapping cold day, and find yourself in
an instant overhead in freezing water? Be-
cause that is the very way l felt at that mo-
ment. The jug was there, but the bottom
was gone. MOllie had taken sharp chisel
and hammer, and. with skill that might
have done credit to a master workman. She
had alin,aa1 flo
without even cracking the edges of the
sides. l looked at the jug and then she
burst out. She spoke-oh, have never
heard anything like it before! No,nor have
heard anything like ii since. She said:
Charles, that's where the mortgage on
this farm came from! II was brought home
within that jug-two quarts at a time! And
that's where your white, clear skin and
your clear, pretty eyes are goingl And
In that jug, my husband, your appetite is
going also! Oh, let the bottom STAY out
forever! Let it be as it is, dear heart. And
remember your promise to me-
''And then she threw her arms around
my neck and burst into tears. She could
speak no more.
''And there was no need. Ny eyes were
opened as though by magic. In a single
moment the whole scene passed before me
L saw all the mortgages on all the farms i'm
the neighborhood: and / thought where
the money had gone. The very last mort
gage father had ever made was to nav a
bill held against him by the men who had
filled his jug for years. Yes, 1 saw it as it
passed before me-a glittering picture of
ruml ruml ruml-debtl debt! debt!-and
in the end, death! And 1 returned NV
Mollie's KISS and said L:
g 'Mollie, my own, I'll keep the prom
Use! 1 will, so help me heavenr
Ard I l,n,rc rc,,fif L., l1,n. ..