The news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-30

first at baby and then at me. Sue
a look. Love, agony and bitterness
combined.
If thought he had inherited M
CURSE he said, he should not liv
another hour
II screamed in terror, but he onl
laid the child in my arms and wen
out without a word. That night h
was brought home incapable of com
ing of his own effort.
"The next ten years were SO full o
woe that each seemed an eternity.
then thought my cup of bitterness wa
full. All No heart may know it
capacity for suffering. Sorrow hat
but just begun to throw her dark man
tie over me.
"My fathers business did not pros
per well for the few years succeeding
my marriage, and soon / began Il
know that he was drinking heavily
Which was cause and which was effec
I do not know, but the two went to
gether and the down hill course wa
rapid. Finally the crash came-oul
old home, with all its wealth of adorn
ment was sold under the hammer. Ny
parents came to my home temporarily
but tfey pever had another. Fathei
drank to such excess that in a few
months he died of delerium tremens
my mother, heart broken. survived
him but short time.
"While my children were yet very
young l saw unmistakable evidence
that the thirst for drink was born in
them. From their birth l tried tt
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 fol
them the deadly draught. He was in
toxicated at the time or he never
would have done it. l had left the
dining room for a few moments and
came back just in time to see the
younger of my two little boys smack.
ing his lips over the sugar in the bot
tom of the tumbler. Like a mad
woman l sliced the bottle-for o.
course it was near--and hurried il
through the open window. Then ]
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 drunken laugh say.
ing
Seems to me you've changed youl
mind since you taught me to drink.
when my third baby was laid in
my arms, l prayed-for had learned
to pray then-that he might be spared
from the curse. AS held him to my
breast l thought of the poor slave
mother who gave laudanum to hel
child and let it sleep to death in hel
arms that it might not know the bond
age of slavery, and 1 understood. Fol
is not the victim of alcohol slave
What bondage so cruel, what fetters
SO CALLING? Far better that a body
should be loaded with chains anC
scourged with the lash than that &
soul should be fettered and SCARED
with sin. % God,' l prayed, remove
the curse if it be possible, but if not
oh, take him to thyselfn God heard
my prayers. Only day my baby
stayed, and then my arms were
empty"
Tears were streaming down the pale
face, but glow of solemn gladnesl
rested there.
90, friendsp she continued, "of my
three children. the one who never
knew mothers love has been my
greatest comfort. l know that he il
safe with God.
"My older boys tried with all my
power to keep from strong drink.
taught them of the ruin which would
surely follow its use. They had theil
fathers example to shun. They seem
ed to understand and want to do right
but the fire was in their natures-i
could not be kept down. Willie, ny
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 owl
life.
"And Frank, my Frank-can l tel
you? A brighter, fairer, sunnier-tem
pered boy never gladdened mother
heart. He fell as did bis father;
woman placed the wine cup to BIZ
| lips. Under the influence of wine h,
committed crime, and to-day he i
behind the prison bars at Sing Sing,
victim of wine.
"And can I sit idly by and hear yol
say that wine is good and harmless
You can see my whitened hair ant
haggard face Would that for on
moment you could see the agony 0
soul that has made me what am anc
learn lesson. All! he spake trul.
who said: Wine is a mocker, stronI
drink is raging, and whatsoever is de
ceived thereby is not wise'"
There were few dry eyes when tn
lady ceased speaking. But one of tn