The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-02-13


and then at me. Such look Love,
agony and bitterness combined.
IF | thought he had inherited
my curse he said, he should not live
another hour
81 screamed in terror, but he only
laid the child in my arms and went out
without word. That night he was
brought home, incapable of coming Of
his own effort.
1.-The next ten years were 80 full of
woe that each seemed an eternity.
then thought my cup of bitterness was
full. All! no heart may know its ca
pacity for suffering. Sorrow had but
just begun to throw her dark mantle
! over me.
my fathers business did not pros
per well for the few years succeeding
my marriage, and soon began to know
| that he was drinking heavily. Which
was cause and which effect [ did not
know, but the two went together. and
the down-hill course was rapid. Final
ly the crash came-our old home with
! all its wealth of adornment was sold
under the hammer. My parents came
to my home temporarily, but they
never had another Father drank to
such excess that in few months he
died of delirium tremens; and mother,
heart-broken, survived him but a short
time.
"While my children were yet very
young | saw unmistakable evidence
that the thirst for drink was born in
them. From their birth l tried to
guard against every avenue of danger,
hoping to save them by preventing
their learning the taste of the poison.
But their fathers own hand mixed for
them the deadly draught. He was in
toXicated at the time or he never would
have done it, Ihad left the dining-room
for a few moments and came back lust
in season to see the younger of my two
little boys smacking his lips over the
sugar in the bottom of the tumbler.
Like mad woman / seized the bottle
for OF course it was near-and hurled
it through the open window Then I
half dragged my boys to my own room,
telling them they had taken poison,
and | treated them as heroically as
though it had been arsenic or strych-
nine. As passed out of the door my
husband laughed a drunken laugh. say
ing:
" Seems to me you've changed your
mind since you taught me to drink
"When my third baby was laid in
my arms, prayed-for had learned
to pray then-that he might be spared
from the curse. As | held him to my
breast I thought of the poor slave
mother who gave laudanum to her
child and let it sleep to death in her
arms that it might not know the bond
age of slavery, and [ understood. For
is not the victim of alcohol a slavep
What bondage so cruel, what letters so
gallingP Far better that body should
be loaded with chains and scourged
with the lash than that q soul should
be fettered and Scared with sin. %
God, L prayed, remove the curse if it
be possible, hut if not, oh, take him to
Thyself!' God heard my prayers. Only
a day my baby stayed, and then my
arms were empty"
Tears were streaming down the pale
face, but glow of solemn gladness
rested there.
"Oh, friendsr' she continued, "of
my three children, the one who never
knew his mothers love has been my
greatest comfort; 1 know he is safe
with God
my older boys tried with all my
power to keep from strong drink. 1
taught them of the ruin which would
surely follow its use. They had their
fathers example to shun. They
seemed to understand and want to do
right, but the fire was in their natures
it could not be kept down. Willie,
my first born, went to drunkard's
grave before he was twenty-five.
"My husband, in one of his seasons
of despair and remorse, took his own
life.
"And Frank, my Frank-can I tell
youP A brighter, fairer, SUMNER
tempered boy never gladdened
mothers heart. He fell as did his
father-a WOne0n placed the aOj9ae cup to
his lips. Under the influence of wine
he committed crime, and to-day he is
behind the prison bars at Sing Sing,
victim of mine. WINE.
"And can / sit idly by and hear you
say that wine is good and harmless?
You can see my whitened hair and
haggard face. Would that for one mo-
ment you could see the agony of soul
that has made me what am and learn
lesson. All! he spake truly who said:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise
There were few dry eyes when the
lady ceased speaking. But one of the
teachers drew from her reticule a copy
of the Murphy pledge and passed it
around 1t was an opportune move
ment, stroke while the iron was hot
The bit of paper was warmly well
coined, and at the head of a long list
was the name of the girl-artist who was
so positive that wine was harmless
Jennie HorOard Bro1on, IN Christian at
| Work.