The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-22
THE GOOD WIFE KNEW TT.
Experience of a Drunlsard Who Ono Day
Broke the Enslnyinp Habit,

experience OIL Drunksrd who Ono Day
Broke the Enslnving Habit.
New York sun.
There is n retired cobler living in
Angelica who deserves the respect OF
his countlymen for moral courage.
Ten years ago he was, and had been
for a long time q confirmed inebriate
not a periodical spreer, but Il genu-
inc soaker, warranted not to draw a
sober breath from sun to sun. Occa-
~sionally the fumes of the whisky with
which he piled himself would clear
away from his befogged brain. and at
such times his mental equilibrium
would wrestle with the problem OF
total or even partial abstinence. to be
utterly wrecked at the sight of his
haunts or the first faint call of his sys-
TEN for the stimulant which long use
had rendered peremptory.
One day, however, n halt was called,
and this is the way he tells OF it:
II was on my way to the barn
when Isaw a small snake in my path.
| kicked it with my bootand it turned
to a bit OF crooked twig which l snap
ped in my hand and threw away. l
thought nothing more of the matter
until | reached the barn, when directly
before me a. second snake twisted
across the boards. With q quick
spring | seized it, aud it proved to be
a whiplash. A sudden horrible fear
made me faint and weak. l sat down
on the lower rung OF theladder leading
to the loft and wiped the cold sweat
from my forehead.
"'Snakes, by Jericho!' l exclaimed;
that means business
"rhen | stared straight ahead at a
cornstalk, that soon began slowly to
wrigele and curve. With bursting
eyeballs and all the strength of mind
l possessed | forced that corn-stalk
back from theanimal to the vegetable
kingdom, and then | staggered fee4ly
out into theopen air. Ileaned against
n fence, and, for fear / should see
more of those horrible twisting things,
| clung to a post and closed my eyes.
"'Time is called, JIM ! said to my
self, whisky and you part company
to-day; and soberer than I had been
for many months, though with no
more strength than a baby, l manag-
ed to get back to the house.
"There was atight, though! didn't
tell my wife, for had made good
many promises that hadn't held wa
ter. and thought I'd 60 it alone for
awhile. ! got up in the morning after
a terrible night, with the thirst of q.
chased fox upon me. Water wouldn't
quench it, and | tried milk. Icrept
into the milk room, slipped a straw
into the edge of Il cream-colored pan,
and sucked out hemilk until only the
cream was left, lowered smooth, and
unbroken to the bottom. Then l
tackled another and another, until
the fierce craving wassomewhat dulled.
It was q household mystery what be-
cameo of the milk. No cat couldlap it,
my wife said, and leave the sides and
cream untouched, and where did it
go?
81 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 my
shop lay by the GROCERY. When left
my gate in the morning l took the
road. and on n dead run, as If pur-
sued, made thedistance. Iranh hard
all the way home to dinner. and back
Httct illiU meal, never, IN 1aCC, CfuSt-
ing myself to walk, or even taketo the
sidewalks for months. The cure was
slow. keep all the brakes hard set
yet. A single glass ofhard ciderwould
undo the work of all these years, but
you can bet that glass doesn't touch
my lips while the memory OF those
little crawling black reptiles stays with
me-"
And did your wife finally learn
what became OF the milk" he was
asked.
Yes" and his voice broke. "Itold
her on her deathbed.
Jim, dear she said, when l had
finished, with her hand clasped in
mine-'Jim, dear, | knew it all the
time"