The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-20
Temperance.
The Lamplighter's Story.

ffSt come 1t was mostly taken up with |
vacant lots; and them big elms yonder
was nothing but saplings. That brown
stone-front just back of 'em was the
first house built OH this side of the
block; and l remember, as if it was
yesterday, the first evening | seen it
lighted up. 1t was occupied by young
married couple, and they was sitting to-
gether on the balcony, looking as loving
as only young married couple can look
1t was good thing. for 'em they didn't
know what was coming" "And what
did Gomez" asked the idler, who had
found the old lamplighter resting after
his zig-zag walk, sitting on pile of lum-
Der in front of house that was un-
dergoing repairs. Something bad
enough" was the reply. But it
didn't come till three years afterwards.
AT first they seemed to live only for
one another and for their only child,
curly-headed little boy, just big enough
to wear breeches Mr.. Howard Chat
was the name on the door-plate) was
sober enough in them days, and come
home regular in the evenings; but the
next summer / used to see the mother
and child together, and the father
wasn't there. Then one morning, as
was putting out the lights, l saw the
outer door half open, and the glass of
the inner door smashed, besides which
there was a hat and half-burned cigar
on the top step, and then l knew the
poor fellow was on the downward road
A civil-spoken man he was, too. One
evening l picked up the little boys cap
that he left outside on the pavement,
and when l took it in who should an
swer the bell but Mr.. Howard himself,
looking wild about the eyes, and shaky
on his legs, but as pleasant-spoken as
if he had never touched a drop. Some
men never is made cross and contrary
by whiskey, and that makes it all the
harder on their folks to see 'em going
to the dogs. | never shall forget his
wife's screams the morning he was
like dog by fellow who had been
playing cards with him all night.
heard about it at the inquest, where
had to be as kind of witness, as | was
outing the lamp in front of the gate
just as the shot was fired; and seen the
fellow running down the steps, trying
to make his escape. He didn't, though,
as he was nabbed by a policeman be-
fore he reached the gate. He was
tried afterwards, and sentenced to
state prison for life. They was both
crazy drunk, il seems, but the cards
had run one way, and Howard had
cleaned the other fellow out completely.
Mrs. Howard lost her mind and was
shut up in an asylum, and the little boy
was taken away by some relations. l
read that part of the story in the
next days paper. The house was adj
vertised to let, and / thought l had
seen the last of the Towards, but l
hadn't; for about sixteen years after
wards that little boy turned up again.
The house was again unoccupied, and
what does he do, him youngster
hardly grown, but come and set up
what he called bachelors rancho. AS
l had known him as baby, you may
say, | used sometimes to stop minute
and speak to him in the evening, when
he would be sitting on the front steps,
smoking his cigar; and | asked him
what he meant by flying in the face OF
/ Scriptur, and living there all alone. He
: laughed and said he had come there to
learn to play the violin, which couldn't
: be done in a clearinghouse without
running the other boarders raving dis
, tracted. He was all alone in the world
) so he said, his mother being dead and
also the uncle who had brung him up
He was a pale-faced, quiet sort of g
! young man, and if folks had let him
alone he might have been living till
: this day. But other young fellows come
hocking in to keep him company
, have seen 'em fairly swarming on the
halnnnu- I thay I'm a1 thf
,, place into kind of free beer-garden
1t was hard lines on man with an in
herited taste for liquor. Things come
| to such pass there one evening thai
a policeman had to 90 in and stop the
, racket, and after that the house looked
deserted for a while 1t was about {
week afterwards that one evening, as
was going my rounds, found Charley
| Chat was what we called him when h,
| was little fellow leaning on the gate
4 and looking mighty SCHENECTADY ant
| used up. "lt's an early spring." sale
\ |, Jest for something to say. "Tht
\ elm flowers are coming down like rain
| and the leaves will be out before W,
! can turn around" Then he looked W
| in queer sort of a way, and said
\ THAT tree " (pointing it out with hi
I cigar) twill have fruit on II before thu
/ leaves come" 81 thought that wa
\ about as foolish remark as | eve
! heard made by man, who wasn't al
I idiot, and so | walked on without say
1 ing anything more. | wish now | hat
4 done different, but maybe it would hav
l been all the same in the end. The mex
I morning, as / come along there outinI
the lights, a big cat come tearing b,
me and scrambled up that identica
tree that had been pointed out. Nat
urally | looked up, and there | saw
hanging from one of the limbs, tn
poor fellow | had been talking to tn
evening before. The yell | gave bruins
two policemen "A running, and they ha
him down in no time, but when tn
doctor come he said the man had bee
dead for hours. AT the inquest it com
out that he was a church member, an
had been fighting like man agains
the love of strong drink, love he ha
come by as honestly as he had his hous
and money. At one time he had lief
the stuff alone for overa year, and the
it was the taste of communion win
that set him off again. After lon
spree he swore off and took a fires
start, and after that sometimes he ha
tho baSt nf il and patimac tho dow