The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-02-26
But MARY KNEW jim.

There is a retired cobbler living in An
gelica, n. Y, says local correspondent,
who deserves the respect of his country.
men for moral courage.
Ten years ago he was. and had been fol
a long time, a confirmed inebriate-not a
periodical spreer. but a genuine soaker,
warranted not to draw a sober breath
from sun to sun. Occasionally the fumes
of the whisky it'll which he piled himself
would clear away from his befogged brain,
and at such time his mental equilibrium
would wrestle with the problem of partial
| or total abstinence, to be utterly wrecked
at the sight of his haunts or the first faint
call of his system for the stimulant which
long use had rendered peremptory.
One day, however, halt was called, and
this is the way he tells of it.
Il was on my way to the. barn when |
saw small snake in my path. I kicked
at it with my boot and it turned to be bit
of crooked twig, which | snapped in my
hand and threw away thought no more
of the matter until I reached the barn.
when directly before me a second snake
twisted itself across the boards With a
quick spring seized it and it proved to be
a wIiiplash. a Sudden horrible fear made
me faint and weak | sat down on the
lower rung Of the ladder leading to the
loft and wiped the cold sweat from my
forehead
Snakes, by Jericho, exclaimed;
that means business
Then ! stared straight ahead at a corn
stalk that soon began slowly to wringle
and curve. With bursting eyebals and all
the strength of mind possessed forced
that corn stalk back from the animal to
the vegetable kingdom, and then | stag
gered feebly ont into the open air.
leaned against fence, and for fearI should
see more of these horrible twisting things
| chung to post and closed my eyes
Time is called, Jim, | said to myself;
whisky and you part company to-day
And sobcrer than l had been for many
months, though with no more strength
than baby, managed to get back to the
house.
There was fight. though | didn't
tell my wife, for had made good many
promises that hadn't held water, and
thought I'd go it alone for a while. l got
up in the morning alter terrible night
with the thirst OF a chased fox upon me.
Water wouldn't quench it, and | tried
milk. crept into the milk room, slipped
straw into the edge of cream covered
pan, and sucked out the milk until only
the cream was left, lowered smooth and
unbroken to the bottom Then tackled
another and another, until the fierce crav-
ing was somewhat dulled 1t was house
hold 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 go9
q let them talk, for the struggle was
too sore and fearful to be spoken Of, and
went ON drinking the milk.
''The road from my house to the shop
lay by the groggery. When left my gate
in the morning took the road, and ON a
dead run, as if pursued, made the dis
lance ran hard all the way home to din
ner, and back again after that meal, never,
in fact, trusting myself to walk or even to
take 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 nay lips
while the memory of those little crawling
black reptiles stays with me- =
"And did your wife finally learn what
became of the milk p he was asked.
Eyes. and his voice broke-'I told
her on her deathbed
Jim, dear, she said when had fin
ished, with her hand elasped in Jim,
dear, knew it all the time ~ Y. Sun