Nevada County picayune., 1888-06-20
but l said nothing. drank the sen.

[5 ihieh'- the Old brown Jug -and E slet it go.
 ss Well. l went out after that and Fdid chores, and went to bed, and |:the last thing l said before leaving Iathe kitchen. the very room where wC Enow sit, was, wen have the ole \ jbrown jug filled tomorrow anG I5then l went to bed. And l have re- [gmembered ever since that l went tc Ilbed that night. as had done hun. s,dred times before, with a buzzing il Isiny head that healthy man ought Enot to have. l did not think of il ,sthen. nor had l ever thought of il
 abefore. but l have thought of it z s9good many times since, and sahave thought of it with wonder Eaand awe.
 E "Well. l got up next morning and |Sdid some work about the barn, and !Sthen came in and ate breakfast, not Eawlth such an appetite as a farmer Bought to have. and 1 could think ev- Fen then that my appetite began to ;3fail me. However, after breakfast
 dwent out and hitched up the horses afor to tell you the truth. 1 was feel j ing the need of glass of spirits, and had not drop in the house. I was in hurry to get to the village. l : 3got hitched up, and then came in for the jug. l went for it in the old cupboard, and took it out, and
 Did you ever break through the thin ice on nipping cold day, and : Hind yourself, in an instant, over your head in freezing water. The Hug was there. but the bottom was gone Molly had been and taken a
 sharp chisel and hammer. and, with ] a skill that might have done credit
 to masterworkman she had chipp- led the bottom clean out of the jug. . without even breaking the edges of : the sides. looked at the jug. and then l looked at Molly. And then she burst. She spoke. Oh, l have never heard anything like it since. - Said she:
 Charles. there's where the mort gage on this farm came from, It brought home in that jug, two quarts |at time. And there's where all the |dcbt has been. And there's where vour white, clear skin, and your clear, pretty eyes are going. And in that jug, my husband. your appetite is going. Let it be as it is. dear heart. And remember your promise Ito me.
 And she threw her arms around |mv neck and burst into tears. She l'ould not speak more.
 And there was no need. My eyes were opened as if by magic. In Ia single minute the whole scene pass led before me. saw all the mort |gages on all the farms in our neigh borhood. and l thought where all the money had gone. The very last mortgage father had made was to |the man who had filled his jug for wears. Yes, saw it as it passed be- lore me-a fitting picture of rum, rum, rum. debt, debt ,-and in the end death and returned my Mol |lv's kiss, and said |:
 "Moll, my own, I'll keep the promise. villas help me heav- en,
 And so I have kept it. in less than five years, as Molly had said the mortgage was cleared off My ap- |petite came back to me, and now we've n few thousand dollars out at Interest. There hangs the old jug, just as we hung it up that day; and |from that time there hasn't drop |of spirits been brought into this house for beverage that the bot |tomless jug would not have held. Dear old jug. We mean to keep it. and to hand it down to our |childrent for the lesson it can give |them-a lesson of life, of a happy life. peaceful, prosperous and bless led.
 And as he ceased speaking his |wife. with one arm drawn tenderly around the neck of her youngest |boy. murmured a fcrvent "Amen.' The farming and lahoring classes 1of Ark.neas have been clamOrinp for