The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-08
SUCt EsSFEL PEkN.
How MaS ana Got Ned to sfgnthe rcm.
perance Pledge.

Win crying.
May and | didn't know what it all
meant. only We guessed that Brother Ned
had been doing something very, very
naughty; for he didn't come 10 breakfast
till We were most through; and then,
papa was SO angry with him. though
he didn't say much.
Ned just drank cup of coffee for his
breakfast, and as soon as be could get
away. he went off for ride
After awhile. Cousin Glare told MS to
put on Our things and We would take a
walk together. She wasn't bit like her
self that day for she walked along SO
quiet and solemn, and only said yves and
mo" TO what May and | said Pretty
soon Ned rode mp behind us, and he got
off his horse and walked along beside
Cousin Glare
May didn't pay much tention: she's
little thing-only six and a half: I'm eight.
and listened to what they were saying,
and tell you twas awful! heard Ned
say:
Il want TO know just how IT was; /
want to get at the bottom of this thing
She Just bit her lips as il she were try
ing to keep from crying, but she kept still
till he said:
Let me feel that / know the very
worst
Then she spoke mp real firm, though her
voice trembled:
Aunt and were sitting mp when we
heard a noise Of stumbling and shnifling;
and then the bell rang When The door
was opened. you were held up by two or
three men. all Of them tipsy; and when you
got inside, you fell down
Say it ont, said Ned real excited Il
was dead drunk. or beastly drunk-what-
ever You call it.
Glare kept still. though the biz tears
kept dropping 10 the ground.
-how-did-m mother take-it %
as if every word hurt him.
s,he Thought al first yon were mrt or
sick. but when she found it was-werse
she elasped her hands and looked as if she
wanted todie'
We'll, = he said, Il hadn't any idea that
was taking more than usual, but sup
pose ! did, and made fool Of myself
That's Just what he said, truly Ny
but did feel badly | told May when we
rot home, and we Just cried and cried
Then We went to Cousin Glare, and had a
long talk with her about il. She told us
then that the wrong was in taking il al all.
May and ! was surprised at that, for didn't
papa haze his glass ofsherry every day
after diuner9 But Glare said thar il no
one tasted it, no one would be slrunkari
We both said we'd never, never touch it,
and She wrote nut a pledge, and we pat our
names down. and SO did she like cousin
Glare; I'm going to be yoGng lady inst
like her when grow mp.
All at once May looked at me, and /
looked at her. We both thought the same
thing.
Why couldn't We try to get papa and
Ned to put their names down, too
We took the paper 10 mamma 5 room, and
she kissed MS, and said We might try But,
before we went she had ms kneel down
with her, and She prayed that God w onld
save her boy and help MS all to do right.
tell you we felt solemn We most
wanted TO give ui,--that is, | did. but May
said she was going to 20, anyhow, and !
felt shamed 81 have a little thing like that
beat me: 50 we waited till after dinner and
went to the dining-room when every one
was gone and papa was alone with his bot
tie and glass Of sherry. He locked 'ston-
ished when we walked in and laid The
paper and pen and ink before him, and
then we thought he was angry, he locked SO
for a minute: ! wanted 10 run, bnt ! sand
''It's to save brother Ned, papa.
Then lac put his head down on the table
and cried and said. So dreadful like. iast
as If his heart was brcaking-
"0h. my son, my son would to God !
had died for thee :
We would have gone away. but he hadn't
signed yet. May kept her arm over his
neck and stroked his hair and petted him
lo-s-she' the lovinsest little thing
BY and by when papa raised his head
and put his arm around as, said again.
Papa please. and then we can ask
Ned.
He took the paper and read it all over
again, and then he put MS down and walked
up and down the room for the longest time;
and there was the glass Of sherry he hadn't
tasted yet.
At last he went to the table. took up the
glas>--and we felt SO disappointed, for we
thought he was going TO drink; but he took
it--smash right into the CRATE, and the
bottle after it.
There. he said, 'I'll see il You'll
stand between me and saving my boy =
and he reached for the pen and wrote
Herbert Standish, in those great letters
of his
We didn't stay long, only hug and kiss
him, and then We skipped M stairs where
mamma and Clare We're sitting So white
and anxious They could hardly believe
it. but there il was-papa' name.
They consulted with us awhile, and then
they decided that, as We had had such
good success with papa, We might try alone
with Ned
We heard him practicing the violin in
I