The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-03-10

q month before, he was restrained from
resorting to the bottle in his moments
of despair by nothing but a recollection
of the pledge he had signed. Farmer
Johnson's minister was in favor of
pledges, and had often told him that
ailliction might weaken his judgment
and his moral sense, and that the pledge
might save him at last, as plank saves
the life of a mariner who is tossed upon
the waves. Our good clergyman was,
unfortunately, of different opinion;
he had often disapproved of pledges.
The deacon was of the same opinion;
he thought very lily of pledges.
Month after month passed away, and
our happiness was utterly destroyed.
My husband neglected his business, and
poverty began to stare us in the face.
Notwithstanding my best eXertions, it
was hard work to keep my little ones de-
Gently clothed and sufficiently fed If
my husband earned a shilling, the dram
seller was as sure of it as if it was al
ready in his till. l sometimes thought
had lost all my affection for one who had
proved so entirely regardless of those
whom it was his duty to protect and sus-
tain; but when looked in the faces of
our little children, the recollection of
our early marriage days and all his kind
words and deeds soon taught me the
strength of the principle that had
brought us together. l shall never
cease to remember the anguish l felt
when the constable took him to jail
upon the dram-seller's execution. Till
that moment | did not believe that my
affection could have survived under the
pressure of that misery which he had
brought upon us all. | put up such
things of the little that remained to us
as thought might be of use, and turned
my back upon spot where | had been
very happy and very wretched. Our
five little children followed, weeping
bitterly. The Jail was situated in the
next town. sob, George!' said |, elf
you had only signed the pledge it would
not have come to this"
He sighed and said nothing, and we
walked nearly mile in perfect silence.
AS we were leaving the village we
encountered our clergyman going forth
upon his morning ride. When l re-
flected that a few words from him would
have induced my poor husband to sign
the pledge, and that, if he had done so,
he might have been the kind father and
the affectionate husband that he once
was, own it cost me considerable effort
to suppress my emotions. Whittier
are YOU all going?" said the holy man
Ny husband, who had always appeared
extremely humble in presence of the
minister, and replied to all his inquiries
in a subdued tone of voice, answered
with unusual firmness: GO To jail, rever.
end sir" "To jail" said he. " All
| see how it is; you have wasted youl
substance in riotous living, and are
going to pay for your improvidence and
folly. You have had the advantage OF
my precept and example, and you have
turned a deaf ear to the one and neg
lected the other" Reverend SIR
my husband replied, CALLED by this re-
proof, which appeared to him at that
particular moment an unnecessary ag
gravation of his misery, reverend sir
your precept and your example have
been my ruin; / have followed then
both. You, who had no experience Of
the temptations to which your weaker
brethren are liable, who are already adj
dicted to the temperate and daily use OF
ardent spirits, advised me never to sigr
pledge. have followed your advice
to the letter. You admitted that eX
traordinary occasions might justify thu
use of ardent spirits, and that on sucl
occasions you might use it yourself.
followed your example; but it has beer
my misfortune never to drink spirituou'
liquors without finding that my occa
sions were more extraordinary thai
ever. Had followed the example ant
precept of my neighbor, johnson,
should not have made good wife mis-
cradle nor my children beggars."
While he uttered these last words m
poor husband looked upon his little one
,. and burst into tears, and the ministe
rode slowly away without uttering
word. / reioiced, even in the midst o
our misery, to see that the heart of m
poor George was tenderly affected; for
is not more needful that the hardness o
wax should be subdued by fire than tina
the heart of man should be softened b.
afllicton before a deep and lasting i'm
preston can be made. ''Dear husband,
; said |, "we are young; it is not too late
,, let us trust in God, and all may yet b
+ we'll" He made no reply, but contin
,, ued to walk on and weep in silence.
, Shortly after the deacon appeared a
some distance coming towards us on tn
road, but as soon as he discovered VIII
we were he turned away into privat
p path. Even the constable seemed some
what touched with compassion at on
situation, and urged us to keep up
good heart, for he thought some on
| might help us when we least eXpecte
/ it. My husband, whose vein of hume
would often display itself even in hour
r of sadness, instantly replied that tn
r good Samaritan could not be far off, fC
v the priest and the Levite had alread
r passed by on the other side.
4 But he little thought-poor man-thi
G even the conclusion of this beautifl
|. parable was so likely to be verified,
d one-horse wagon at this moment al
s peared to be coming down the hill benin
r us at an unusually rapid rate, and til
e constable advised us, as the road W;
/. narrow, to stand aside and let ii pas
t 1t was soon up with us, and when I'll
O dust had cleared away it turned out, {
r little Robert had said when it first al
d peared on the top of the hill, to
If Farmer Johnson's gray mare and We
.. low wagon. The kind-hearted farm,
o was out in an instant, and, without sa
/ ing word, was putting the childre
e into it,, one after another. A wol
, from Farmer Johnson was enOuoh {,