The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-29
MY BOY
eaqo News

Ia Norwich, Connecticut, many years
ago, spoke to large audience in rail-
road station. knew whom I had in my
audience, and said: Ladies and gentle
men, Mrs. Falkner, who lives a little way
out from here, gave me some interesting
incidents with regard to her son.
my boy, she said, was drunkard
He signed the pledge He said: Mother,
| will go away from home willnot stay
in the midst Of temptation, but will keep
this pledge .
He went away, but she continued to
hear good news from him. By-and-by,
after he had been gone a little over two
years, letter reached home to say
Mother, l am coming home TO spend
Thanksgiving with you.
My boy is coming home to Thanks
giving. Well, his poor mother will get a
dinner for him worthy of New England;
and. if there is but one guest. it shall be q
famous dinner.
And he came by stage into the town,
which stopped at the door If solomon Par
sons tavern. The stage passed on. It
was just before dark Some Young men
were in the bar.
'TIalloa, Fred How are you What
viii you have to drink p
Nothing.
"sNot on Thanksgiving Come, take
little.
NO. ia rather not. I've como home
to see my mother. She hardly expects me
tonight thought I'd wait till dark and
60 in and surprise the old lady.
'By-and-by Solomon Parsons, who was
leaning his elbow on his counter, looked
at him and said: Erred Falkner, if were
six feet tail, broad in proportion as you
arc, and yet afraid Of i paltry glass Of ale,
I'd go in the woods and hang myself. :"
But Tn not afraid
80. yes, you are-ha la hal | say,
boys, there's great, big fellow afraid of
a glass of liquor. I suppose he's afraid of
his mother.
This young man. with all the strength
of mind to keep the pledge, was weak
when they ieerod and jolcd him. They
handed him the liquor and dared him to
drink it
"'Well he said, I'm going to mother,
and may as well show yon that I'm not
afraid to drink it.
''IIe drank it. Then came another
glass! Aud they Piled him with more
Twelve O'Clock that night he went in to
the barn, and was there fonnd in the
morlIing--lead
They brought him TO his mother,
stretched on plank viii, buffalo robe
thrown over the body.
''she said to me: Parsons came, and
said to him, 'Yoa t'safAea my boy
We'll, didn' know that it was your
son
g You did. You called him by name.
You knew it was Frederick Falkner, the
only son of his poor, crippled mother
You knew it, and you have killed him.
" Mrs. Falkner, am not used to hav-
ing such language applied to me.
g God forgive me il have sinned, said
the poor woman; but I put my hand on
the face of my dead boy and lifted up
my finger and cursed him He went out
with face as white as chalk
Then I said: Ladies' and gentlemen.
Solomon Parsons, the man who tempted
Frederick Falkner to his rum-Solomon
Parsons, who staggered through life under
the weight of that poor woman's curse
solomon Parsons is III this hall, and he sits
right therei And this same solomon Par
sons keeps grog-shop on the bridge Of
your city, licensed by the State of Con-
ncetieut. Rout him out.'' And before
twenty-four hours had elapsed, bag and
baggage, bottles and dem1ohns of liquor,
furniture, licenses. and all, were carted
ont of the city.
They violated no law. They laid nc
hands upon him; but they made him e
out himself They helped him not TO pack
up single article OF his furniture, bui
they went to him in body and declared
that such man should not be tolerated in
the city, and he was Obliged to go--,Jo1,
b. GoagA