The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-02-27
TEMPERANCE.
PAUL'S DOWNFALL,
How and Where He Began His Downwar
Career-A True Story.

How and Where He Began His Downward
Career-A True Story.
One afternoon, few weeks since,
while passing through one of the prin-
cipal business streets of large city,
we came upon crowd of school-boys
standing in front of a saloon. The
boys had come out of the school-house
only few moments before, and had
their books and states, etc., in their
hands. They were a company of
bright, intelligent, happy-looking lads,
but they all seemed deeply interested
in something that was going on inside
Of that saloon. As they opened their
ranks to make way for us to pass we
stopped and asked what it was that had
attracted such large crowd of boys
paul Thompson been in fight in
the saloon there, and policeman has
just gone to arrest him." said one OF
the boys.
While he was speaking large, blue
coated, brass-buttoned officer came out
leading a man, or rather jerking him,
| by the coat-collar. The man in Gus
todywas young, with slight form and
delicate features, and as we looked in
to his face we saw traces of intelligence
and cultivation.
He is drunk" said another boy,
land when he's drunk he is always
ugly and wants to fight. This isn't the
first time he has been taken, either
The crowd of boys followed the po-
liceman and his prisoner, and we soon
lost sight of them. As we passed on
we noticed the public school building
was only short distance from that sa-
loon; many of the scholars had to pass
by it every day. The same proprietor
had been in possession of the building
for ten years past. Only six years be-
fore Paul Thompson had graduated
from the high school. He was schol-
ar of high standing, too. But he had
been in the habit of passing this dan
gerous corner for years before he grad
uated. He had been attracted to it in
his boyhood as the boys just spoken of
had been, by some similar occurrence.
He began by looking in to see what
was going on behind the green screen
doors. Then he stepped inside to hear
what the men were talking about. The
saloon-keeper noticed him, for he had
|
family in high standing.
He encouraged the boys coming in
with pleasant tiattering words, and
one day he gave him a glass of beer to
drink. Paul thought it was manly to
take the offered glass, but he could only
drink part of it; he did not like
the taste; it was bitter; but the sa-
loon man patted him on the shoulder,
and told him to drink as much as he
could, and it would make a man of
him. Paul knew it was wrong, and
when he went home he felt ashamed
to stay in the presence of his good,
sweet mother. He could not look her
in the face; every smile she gave him
and every kind word made him feel
more and more guilty. He resolved
never to pass by the saloon again,
but to 90 home another way, although
it was much farther. But somehow
he did not go the other way but
few times. There seemed to be a
fascination about that saloon, and he
would linger around it. That was the
beginning. Now we see Paul Thomp-
son constant frequenter to this same
saloon. He had been going down,
uOW IL lIOlI Ddll u WOISes lOT SIN years
or more-the years, too, of his, life
which were the most important to him
the time when he ought to have been
acquiring a true, honorable, manly
character His mother used to love
to hear his step on the walk, and his
cheerful, boyish whistle when he came
bounding home from school, so happy
and light-hearted. But now that dear
mother listens and listens night after
night for his step with an anxious
heart. She has pleaded with prayers
and tears for his reform; but the ''habit
begun in cobwebs has ended in iron
chains" He is a slave to liquor. Now,
boys, this case of Paul Thompson is
great warning to all of you. Don't
stop at saloons, even to look in. Cross
over ON the other side, and shun those
terrible places where so many have lost
their manhood and their soul Remem-
Der that every poor, miserable drunk
ard began his downward career when
he took his first glass.-Susan T. Per-
ry, IN YOUTHS Temperance Banner.