The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-03-10
Seletteo Storp.
NV Mothers Gold Ring.

TThe following is one of series of
importance tales written by Lucius M.
rgent and issued in the years 1S30-31
hch have never been surpassed in
= at line of temperance writing. AL
ough the story had a wide circula-
pm half century or more ago, it is
ell worth rcprinting.
l have one of the kindest husbands:
is carpenter by trade, and our
bck of little children has one of the
ndest fathers in the county.
| was thought the luckiest girl in the
irish when George T made me
s wife. / thought so myself. Our
edding-day-and it was happy one
as but an Indifferent sample of those
ays of rational happiness and unin-
rrupted harmony which we were per-
tilted to enjoy together for the space
six years. And although for the
st three years of our lives we have
cen as happy as we were at the be-
inning, it makes my heart sick TO
hink of those long, dark days and sad
lights that came between: for two
ears of our union were years of misery.
| well recollect the first glass of ar
ent spirit that my husband ever drank.
lie had been at the grocery to purchase
little tea and sugar for the family.
here were three cents coming to him
b change; and, unluckily, the deacon
Who keeps the shop had nothing but
liver in the till, and, as it was sharp
rosty morning, he persuaded my good
nan to take his moneys worth of rum,
or it was Just the price of glass. He
anne home in wonderful spirits, told
ne he meant to have me and the chill
lren better dressed, and as neighbor
Barton talked of selling his horse and
,haise, he thought of buying them
both. And when said to him, " George,
we are dressed as well as we can afford
Ind | hope you will not think of a
horse and chaise till we have paid off
he 'squire's mortgage" he gave me a
harsh look and bitter word
| never shall forget that day, for they
were the first he ever gave me in his
ife. When he saw me shedding tears,
and holding my apron to my face, he
said he was sorry, and came to kiss me,
and l discovered that he had been
drinking, and it grieved me to the heart.
In short time after, while l was
washing up the breakfast things, l
heard our little Robert, who was only
five years old, crying bitterly; and, 60
ing to learn the cause, / met him
running towards me with his face COW
cred with blood. He said his father
had taken him on his knee, and was
playing with him, but had given him a
blow in the face, only because he had
said, when he kissed him, " Dear papa,
you smell like old Isaac, the drunken
fiddler" My husband was very cross
to us all through the whole of that day.
Iprayad constantly for my good man,
that God would be pleased to guide his
heart Alright; and, more than week
having gone by without any similar oc-
currence, l fattered myself that he
would never do so again. But, in a
very little time, either the deacon was
short of change, as before, or some
tempting occasion presented itself
which my husband could not resist,
and he returned home once more under
the influence of liquor. | never shall
forget the expression of his counte-
nance when he came in that night. We
had waited supper full hour for his
return; the teapot was standing at the
fire, the bannocks were untouched
upon the hearth, and the children were
beginning to murmur for supper.
There was an indescribable expires.
sion of defiance on his countenance, as
though he were conscious of having
done wrong and resolved to brave il
out. We sat down silently to supper
and he scarcely raised his eyes upor
any of us during this unhappy repast
He soon went to bed and fell asleep
GA I no 1o;I !,
rest, knelt at the foot of the bed or
which my poor misguided husband was
sleeping and poured out my very sou
to God, while my eyes were scalded witt
the bitterest tears | had ever shed. Fol
/ then foresaw that, unless some rem
edy could be employed, my best earthly
friend, the father of my little children
would become drunkard.
The next morning, after breakfast,
ventured to speak with him upon thu
subject in mild way; and though
could not restrain my tears, neither m,
words nor my weeping appeared Il
have any effect, and | saw that he wa
becoming hardened and careless of IL
all. How many winter nights have
waited, weeping alone, at my one,
happy freside, listening for the liftin!
of the latch, and wishing, yet dreading
to hear his steps at the door.
After this state of things had con
tinued, or rather grown worse, TO
nearly three months, put on my bon
net one morning, after my husband hat
gone to his work, and went to the dea
cons store; and, finding him alone,
stated my husbands case, and begge
him earnestly to sell him no more.
He told me it would do no good, 70
if he did not sell it to him, some othe
person would; and he doubted if m
husband took more than was good 70
him. He quoted Scripture to show tha
it was a wife's duty to keep at HON
and submit herself to her husband
and not NEEDLE with things which di
not belong to her province. AT thi
time two or three customers called fc
rum, and the deacon civilly advised m
to 90 home and look after my children
went out with a heavy heart.
seemed as if the tide of evil was settin
against me. AS l was passing Farmt
Johnson's, on my way home, they calle
me in | sat down and rested myse
for few minutes in their neat cottag
Farmer johnson was just returnin
from the field; and when | saw the ii
tie ones running to meet him at II
1 Al -. 4 l. |. a 4 /,