The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-02
THE GOOD WIFE KNEW IT..
Tho Experience Of n Drunknrd who One
Day Broke the Habit that
Enslaved Him.

There is a retired cobbler living in
Angelica, N. Y, says q local c%orrcspon-
dent, who deserves the respect of his
"ountrymen for moral courage.
Ten years ago he was. and had been
for a long time, a confirmed incbrlate-
not Il periodical sprccr, but a genuine
soakcr, warranted not to draw u sober
breath from sun to sun. Occasionally
the fumes of the whiskcy with which he
piled himself would clear away from his
bcfogged brain, and ut such time his
mental equilibrium would wrestle with
the problem of total or even partial
abstinence, to be utterly wrecked Mt the
sight of his haunts or the first faint call
of his system for the stimulant which
long use had rendered pcremptory.
One day, however, q halt was called,
and this is the way he tells of it.
II was on my way to the barn when
l saw q small snake in my path. I
kicked it with my boot and it turned to
a bit of crooked twig, which l snapped
In my hAnd and threw away. l thought
nothing more ri the matter until /
reached the barn. when directly before
me Il second snake twisted across the
boards. With n quick spring 1 seized
it and it proved to be n whiplash. A
sudden horrible fear made me faint and
weak. l sat down on the lower rung of
the ladder leading to the loft and wiped
the cold sweat from my forehead.
"'Snukcs, by Jcricho,' I exclaimed:
that means business
"Then 1 stared straight ahead ut a
corn stalk that soon began slowly to
wrigglc and curve. With bursting eve
balls and all the strength of mind I Dos
sesscd forced that corn stalk back from
the animal TO the vegetable kingdom,
md then | staggered fcebly out into the
open air. l leaned against Il fence, and
for fear l should sec more of those hor-
rible twisting things l chung to II post
and closed my eyes.
Time is called, Jim,' I said to my
self; 'whiskcy and you part company
to-day And sobercr than l had been
for many months, though with no more
strength than Il baby, | managed to get
back to the house.
"Therc was a fight, though! I didn't
tell my wife, for ] had made n good
many promises that hadn't held water.
and l thought I'd go it alone fornwhi!c.
l got up i'll the morning after n terrible
night with the thirst of n chased fox
upon me. Water wouldn't Qucnch it,
and l tried milk. crcpt into the milk
room. slipped Il straw into the edge of
q crcam-covcrcd pan, and sucked out
he milk until only the cream was left,
lowered smooth and unbrokcn to the
bottom. Then I tackled another and
another, until the fierce craving was
somewhat dullcd. 1t was Il household
mystery what became Of the milk. No
cat could lap it, my wife said. and leave
the sides and cream untouched. and
where did it go2
81 let them talk, for the struggle was
too sore and fearful to be spoken of, and
l went on drinking the milk.
"Thc road from my house to nv shoD
lay by the groggery. When 1 left nv
gate in the morning I took the road,
and on n dead run, rs if pursued, I made
the distance. l ran hard NIL the way
home to dinner, and back after that
meal, never, in fact, trusting myself to
walk or even to take to the sidewalk for
months. The cure was slow. ! keep
all the brakes hard set yet. A single
glass of hard cider would undo the
work of all these years, but you can bet
that glass doesn't touch my lips while
hcm memory of those little crawling black
reptiles stays with me-"
"And did your wife finally learn what
became of the mike he was asked.
"Ics"-and his voice brokc-sI told
her on her dcuthbcd.
"'Jim. dear she said when I had
finished, with her hand clasped in mine
Jim, dear, l knew it all the time"