The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-02-17

he Aoor. After . isw. moments he
stopped and looked first At the baby
and then at NE. Such 4 look. Love,
agony and bitterness combined.
"'If l thought be had inherited
my curse, he said, he should not live
another hour
II screamed In terror, but be only
laid the child in my arms and went out
without word. That night he VA
brought home, incapable Of coming ~
his own effort.
1.-THE next ten years were so full OF
woe that each seemed an eternity. !
then thought my cup Of bitterness WAS
full. All! no heart may know i6 ca.
pacity for suffering. Sorrow had but
just begun to throw her dark mantle
over me.
my fathers business did not pros
per well for the few years succeeding
my marriage, and soon began to know
that he was drinking heavily. Which
was cause and which effect III did not
know, but the two went together. and
the down-hill course was rapid. Final
b the crash came-our oil hone with
all its wealth of adornment was sold
under the hammer. My parents came
to my homss temporarily, but they
never had another. Father drank TO
such excess that in a few months he
died of delirium tremens; and mother
heartbroken, survived him but short
time.
"While my children were yet very
young ! saw unmistakable evidence
that the thirst for drink was born in
them. From their birth l tried to
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 for
them the deadly draught. He was in.
toxicated at the time or he never would
have done it. Ihad left the dining-room
for a few moments and came back just
in season to see the younger of my two
little boys smacking his lips over the
sugar in the bottom of the tumbler
Like mad woman seized the bottle
for Of course it was near-and hurled
it through the open window. Then /
half dragged my boys to my own room,
telling them they had taken poison,
and I treated them as heroically MS
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 your
mind since you taught me to drink
"When my third baby was laid in
my arms, prayed--for I had learned
TO pray then-that he might be spared
from the curse! As l held him to my
breast I thought Of the poor slave
mother who gave laudsnum to her
child and let it sleep to death In her
arms that it might not know the bond
age Of slavery, and understood. For
| is not the victim of alcohol . slavef
What bondage 30 cruel, what letters 80
gallingp Far better that a body should
be loaded with chains and scourged
with the lash than that soul should
be fettered and SCARED with sin. q
Cod prayed, remove the curse II II
be possible, but il not, OH. take him ia
Thyself! God heard my prayers. Only
day my baby stayed, and then my
arms were empty"
Tears were streaming down the pale
face, but q glow Of solemn gladness
rested there.
"Oh, ffiends" she continued, "oi
my three children, the one who never
knew his mothers love has been my
greatest comfort; I know he Is 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 thci1
fathers example to shun. They
seemed to understand and want to de-
right, but the fire was in their natures
it could not be kept down. Willie
my first born, went to o drunkard',
grave before he was twenty-five.
my husband, in one Of, his seasons
of despair and remorse, took his owr
life. D.
| "And Frank. my Frsnk--can tel
you? A brighter, fairer, SUMMER
tempered boy never gladdened ,
mothers heart. He fell AZ did hi
father--a Woma,, placed Tie aoine cup {,
his lips. Under the influence Of win,
he committed q crime, and to-day he i
behind the prison bars at Sing Sing
victim Of sSsne, WINE.
"And can1 sit idly by and hear 20,
say that wine is good and harmless
You can see my whitehead hair an,
haggard face. Would that for one mo
ment you could see the agony of sou
that has made me what am and lear
q lesson. All! he spake truly who said
Wine is q mocker, strong drink
raging and whosoever y deceive,
thereby is not wise.'
There were few dry eyes when Oh
lady ceased speaking. But one 81 u
teachers drew from her reticule . cop
Of the Murphy pledge and passed
around. 1t was an OppOrtune move
ment, a stroke while the iron was hol
The bit of paper was warmly vel
coined, and at the head Of long III
was the name of the girl-artist who wa
. SO positive that wine was harmless
, Jennie Howard Broom, ~ Christian q
WV" fer