The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-04-09
TEMPERANCE.
A Lifetime TOO LATE.

I
wen, stranger you ask for my story,
And want 10 know just how it come
mat am at work here in prison,
instead of a-workin' at home
lGdge, from glimpse of your necktie.
gu re one or them clerical chaps,
AND Will make it a text for sermon,
Ut lecture on Temp rance. perhaps.
You needn't apologize stranger.
I'm entirely willn' you should
Just tell EN- the whole of the story,
And may be twill do 'em some good:
For I've done full share of the evil
mat allowed for one nan here to 10,
And if can do any good now,
Twill be something entirely new.
Well, to go to the very beginning
You know was innocent then
Ny mother died when was young, sir,
And father, he married again.
And / tell from experience, stranger,
There's no earthly power that can save
fellow from more or less downfalls
Whose own mother lies in her grave.
Ny father was fond of good living,
And liked good glass of old wine;
And sometimes, when filing his glasSful,
lie d just color the water in mine.
In that way the appetite started,
And many time would go
And take sly slip without water
when ! thought the old man wouldn't
You see, in those days, total abstinence
wa I thought OF, except with smile;
Most men took their bitterS quite reg lar
And every one once in awhile
Wen, by and By. went to colleges;
a careless; wild, reckless young man,
Id nothing like principle in me-,
Aud that where my wild cats began.
| was sixteen that fall, and if ever
There time when a fellows between
Inc good and the bad, Lord and devil,
That time when he reaches sixteen;
his principles then are not founded
No matter how well he's brought up;
he thinks that he S almost Il man then,
And temptation presents pleasures cup.
In my room / kept all kinds of liquor
OF course twas forbidden. you know,
But when man bankers for whisky
Truth docsn stand much of show.
had plenty of friends always Smiling,
And many aud many time
I've seen them sit there at my table,
And drink to my health in my wine.
We all swore most eternal of friendship;
They were all wild young fellows like me,
And twas always in my room they gathered
When they wanted bit of spree.
But all the time trouble was brewing,
The faculty pulled" me at last:
The boys, to save themselves, ''squealed' on
And my days in college were past.
Twas about that time father went under;
He failed and lost all that he had,
And was alone in the world, sir
Do you wonder went to the bad?
couldn't 20 into Il village
But the first sign I'd see was "Saloon;"
always found there warm welcome,
And glass followed only too soon.
And many time have sat there,
Half drunk and I've wished that might
Just for once, have good, cordial welcome
In somebody's home there that night;
For you see, sir, a fellow gets lonesome,
With no home except hotel,
And that is just where the saloons are
The devils side doors into hell.
It is useless to tell all the struggles
The ups and the downs I've been through;
But when man falls. he falls farther
Than ever he thought he could go.
Sometimes Ed keep sober and steady
For months, but always would fall;
And now have got to the BOTTOM
I'm reckoned the lowest of all.
You see, Government licenses dealers
To sell us the liquor and then
They shut us up here in the prison.,
1t it makes us more demons than men.
They say they are going to prohibit
The keeping saloons in this State:
Well, there's thousands 10 come that it will
save,
But for me, it's lifetime too late.
&C. p b. tDeS MoineS, a., in Chicago In
terror.