News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-04-15
and love, then placed 1t in an inner

That night light and gayety relgneu
in the Ellsworth mansion, and many
curious eyes were fastened upon the fair
face of their hostess, who stood beside
her father receiving her guests IN her
usual sweet, gracious way.
Norman Fitz James was among the
late comers, and she greeted him with
questioning quiver in her voice. The
large rooms were faultless in their
arrangements, and merry repartees flew
from laughing lips under the brilliantly
lighted chandeliers.
'sBe brave and true to your happiness,
my child, and all will be well, said
good Mr.. Ellsworth, when his daughter
had told him her fears and asked his
advice But now, even with his fond,
reassuring eyes upon her, and the firm
pressure of his arm as they led the way
to the supper-room, she could only
answer the enquiring glances of ker
friends with brave, trembling smile.
1t is not an easy task to be the first to
throw aside an established usage of
society. The sparkling decanters, filed
with the ruby liquor that clouds the
reason and benumbs the brain, were
banished from the side-boards, and in
their places stood great shining coffee
pots, whose fragrant steam filled the air,
and whose contents were speedily made
into nectar fit for the gods by the liberal
| addition of pure, rich cream.
"This isn't SO bad as it might be, J"
said Charlie Kelly, as he slowly slipped
it. Greatly our fair hostess will carry
the palm for coffee as she has always
done for wine"
80 brave and good of you, dear, |"
whispered young wife, as. she pressed
Dora's hand, while her eyes rested in
thankful iov upon her husband who had
already begun to make fashionable sup
pers an excuse for wine drinking.
"You set us older ones an example to
be proud Of" said q matron whose
opinion she had feared, but ne word or
announcement came from the one for
whose sake she was Drawing public
opinion.
When they again entered he parlors,
Dora advanced to the piano and took
her seat there. Her face was very pale,
but look of tender resolution shone
from her eyes, as she ran her fingers
lightly over the polished keys.
The guests stood In hushed expecta-
ton as the sweet, young voice swelled
in wistful cadence through the rooms.
None knew its hidden meaning SO well
as he who stood in the curtained alcove
apart from the rest. Never until Norman
Fitz James dies will he forget the en-
treaty of that simple song.
'You are coming to WOO me, but not as OF
When hastened to welcome your ring at the
door,
For trusted that he who stood waiting me
then,
Was the brightest, the truest, the noblest o.
| men.
Your lips, on my own when they printed
Had never been soiled by the beverage oi
HE'LL
But they come to me now with 8 baochana
And the lips that touch liquor must never
touch mine.
"ob, John how it crushed me, when first il
your face
The pen Of the Rum hend' had written dis
grace, ,
And turned me in silence and tears from thu
breath
All poisoned and foul from the chalice o
| It scattered the hopes had treasured 10 inst
1t darkened the future, and clouded the past
1t shattered my idol and ruined the shrine,
For the lips that touch liquor must neve
touch mine.
'I loved you-oh, dearer than language cal
| tell
And you saw it, you proved it, you know it to-
| well.
But the man of my love was far other than h
Who now from the tap comes reellng
me.
!, In manhood and honor SO noble and right
His heart was SO true and his genius e
bright
Though in silence, with bighted affections
| Yet the lips that touch liquor can never touo
| mine. .
"Tf one spark in your bosom Of virtue remain
Go fan it W tn prayer, till it kindles again;
Resolved, with God helping, in future to be
From wine and it's follies unshackled and free
And when you have conquered this foe OF you
! soul,
In manhood and honor beyond his control,
This heart will again beat responsive to thine
And the lips free from liquor be welcome
mine"
Fitz James saw, as one in dream
the guests crowd around her. Wive
l who had silently feared the power of tn
''Rum Fiend" pressed her hand, an
: mothers whose sons had begun to relis
' the fatal social glass thanked her wit
dim eyes and tremulous voice. ii
heard, as from distance, the eloquent
z manly words of Mr.. Ellsworth, and hal
g relented as he closed
"My friends, / have long favored tn
r rum cause; indirectly, it is true, bu
f still have been indifferently careless
S many respects. Secure in my ow
strength, thought not of the weakness
e of others. Now that see things with
r quickened vision, shudder when l re
member how many times l have set th
+ snare of the WINE cup before you 6
S social gatherings All, tis the socis
t glass, friends, that ruins, after all.
'No man will deliberately choose
s become a drunkard; at first they drin
occasionally because it is fashionable
4 the rest comes afterwards, as surely 6
the night follows the day. l am dete1
y mined that the future shall. in
measure, atone for the past. And now
/ have an earnest request to make. HeI
e is pledge. hope you will all be
"Resolved, with God helping, in future
be
e From wine and its follies unshackled an
g free"
4 "And l." said Dora, with one of h
, rare, sweet smiles, and she glanced t.
y wards the curtained alcove as she spok'
G sI want to see the names OF all m
e friends upon it.. We want you all in tt
f temperance army to battle for the righ
Tomorrow evening we shall meet
b the hall to organize a temperate
society. How many of you will t
e there2"
This was long speech for Dol
4 Ellsworth to make, and her earnes
blushing face touched the hearts of h,
o hearers more readily than words coul
s have done. Each one who knew hi
d knew the effort it had cost her to brea
through lifelong habit of society an
l.. brayely lead the way in new patl
f Each one, even Charlie Kelly, felt tt
t earnest purpose of the hour. MOI
d knew all this better than the silent ma
|, in the curtained alcove, and none su
G nected as he did, the motive that ha
G nroed her to act. Their engagemel
h had never been made public. Shan
e crimsoned his brow as he remembert
r how many times, during the last fe
k months, his nerves had been unstrun
e and his active brain clouded, by mt
l night carousal, "a good time with I'll
IS boysn and of late the deCanters hf
1 contained liquor stronger than win
|. Y. t, like many others, he reasoned tn
IS he knew just how far to go, that
l could drink or let it alone, as he please
n and would not heed the warning of Il
r depraved appetite, which was daily ca
(. ing oftener and for stronger drink.
r. Wounded pride and anger filed /
E. heart because his danger was d
, ---l nnI hnlr, lnNinn mn