News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-30

| of the hold outers.' You're the mos
influential man among them. Fifty c
a hundred men are standing benin
you, covered by you. Admitting tina
whisky doesn't hurt you, it's hurtin
them. If you'll join the movement
we'll reform the last man of them"
Still Bob refused. If there were me
behind him, he had nothing to do wit
their being there; they put themselve
there, etc.
But the greater the opposition he Of
fered, the more determined were tn
temperance people to conquer his will
They ordered to the front their logi
clans, their eloquent men, their per
suasive women, till Bob's refusal, from
being good -natured, grew to be coldl!
polite, then severely dignifed. Al
length, one day, he replied angrily:
'Look here! I'm tired of this Yol
meddlers, get out of my shop, and lie
me alone. Don't you come botherin
me with this talk any more. I've hat
enough of this naggin'. You're an i'm
pudent set of fellows to come advising
me about my duty to my wife and chill
dren. Which cares most for 'em, you
or me You'd better 60 and look afte1
/ y IL.
have more clothes and better clothe!
than any of yours, and the clothes arc
all paid for, and that's more than some
of you can say. Look out for your own
homes, and let mine alone. My wife
amt goin' to thank you for meddlin
about her happiness. She's the happiest
woman in town now. Tend to your
own wives, l tell you again; 1 say
mines the happiest woman in town"
He said the same thing, "My wife's
the happiest woman in the town" to
the old gray-haired minister, sent
to him by the preserving temperance
people.
| The minister had married Bob to
this happiest woman in town; had re-
ceived the happiest woman into church ;
had instructed all Bob's children ;
had been the family adviser and sympa-
| thizer
When Bob said to him, ''My wife's
the best cared-for woman in town, the
happiest woman in town." the minister
replied:
''But she might be the happiest
woman III any town, the happiest
woman in the world, if you'd stop
drinking"
"You don't mean to say that it would
make her any happier" said Bob.
Eyes, do. OF course it would make
her happier"
'Did she say that it would2" Bob de-
manded sharply.
'Not that know of, but there is no
right feeling woman who is not
grieved and shamed by her husbands
drinking"
81 don't believe my wife's grieved
and shamed at anything l do, or
that she ever has been. My drinking
doesn't worry her. never get
drunk"
Suppose you ask her." the minister
suggested.
Il will; will ask her to night, d" Bob
SAID, promptly
''And what then2n said the minis
ter.
''If she says that it will make her any
happier to have me give up drink
ing, I'll do it. I'll go to your temper
ance meeting to night. rll leave it all
with Susan"
''Good!' said the minister, laying his
hand on the others arm, and feeling
sure of his man.
That evening, after tea was over, Bob
said to his wife that he would like to
have little talk with her. So they
went away to the spare room together,
and then he told her all about it, how
the men and the minister had been talk
ing to him, of the arguments they had
used, etc., ETC., of how he had boasted
that she was the happiest woman in
town, Of the minister's reply.
''Then l told him, Susan, that I'd
leave it all to you, and 1 do; 1 leave
it to you. Arn't you happy, Susan2
If you think, Susan, that you would
be made any happier by my becoming
an abstainer, Ill do SO. Tll sign to-
night"
There was dead silence.
What do you say, Susan"
What did she say2
She said nothing, not word.
She fell on her knees, and cried and
cried as though she never could stop
cried till the tears gathered in Bobs
eyes.
''There! there!" he said. Don't take
on any more. I'll join tonight. l
never knew how you cared. You new
er scolded or fretted like the other
women"
Il only wanted that promise" she
said, ito make me the happiest wo-
man in the town"
She told him that for fourteen years,
there had been an aching spot in her
heart, "a spot haunted by cruel dread
"a fear that he might go down to
drunkard's grave.
That night at the temperance meet
ing, when the pledge was read, and
signers called for, Bob Marshall got to
his feet In quiet, resolute way, and
then the men who had reasoned with
him, and the women who had plead with
him, and the wife who had wept and
was weeping, saw him go forward to
the desk.
'Bob Marshall!"
'It's Bob Marshall!''
ats Bob"
''He's going to join"
These words went from mouth to
mouth. People stretched forward to
see; rose to their feet, Climbing on
chairs and benches in wild excitement.
and as Bob took the pen and bent over
to write his name, the Joy of the
awakened people broke all bounds.
Cheer followed cheer; the men tossed
up their hats, the women waved their
handkerchiefs. Then all seemed to be
pressing forward to the stand. Some
shook Bob's hand, others Rugged him,
while dozens and scores eagerly put
their names to the Temperance pledge.
For over half hour the joining went on
till, it is claimed, every person present
was enrolled.
When Bob and his wife got home from
the meeting that night, and she had
turned up the low burning lamp on the
sitting-room table, she looked into his
face with shining eyes and said :
Tonight, dear husband, your wife is
the happiest woman in town"
"And l am as happy as you are, wife
there was cloud that hung over nv
life, if / would not confess it. 1t has
passed"
There are many mothers who seldom
speak of the cloud on their hearts hap
piness. They suffer on in silence and
pray. A single act of self sacrifice on
the part OF some one might often make
such silent sufferer "the happiest wo-
man in town "-YOuth's C0mpaniOn.
Saved Her Diamonds.