The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-01-04
DRUNK on CIDER.

Cider is the curse Of New England.
l have an uncle living near my father
in a town of Massachusetts. His farm
is valued at $4,000. He is the father
of ten children, and he is so cross that
his sons can not live with him. Cider
makes drunkards that are very hate.
ful and dissgreeable. One year when
the apple trees were all in bloom,
looking so beautiful. my aunt, the wife
of this uncle, said, as we stood looking
at them, that if it we're in her power,
she would blast every blossom, for che
knew what they would bring forth the
next winter.
My father is in his eightieth year.
He has always made cider and drank
it, but never knew him TO be drunk.
For thirty.two years l have been mar
ried, and lived some twenty miles
from the old homestead. As a matter
of course, we visited there several
times every year. Eight years ago
this summer, l took my youngest boy,
then ten years old, and we went to
my fathers to speEd week. We
we're to meet there my eldest son, who
had been away from home six years, a
part of the time doing business in
Boston. One afternoon my two sons
went with a number of other young
men to pond not far distant to bathe.
Very soon my youngest boy came
back, saying, Mother, Herbert is
drunk! He fell out of the boat, and
he couldn't walk straight" And be
fore the child finished telling me, the
remainder of the party came in, and ]
bad the modification of seeing my
first born, then twenty.three years old
in the bloom of young manhood,
drunk on cider! He had stolen into
the cellar through the hatohway, after
dinner, and helped himself!
| shall never forget the agony Of
that hour, nor the further shame oi
the next day, when he told me that he
had been drunk a great many times
at his grandfather's on cider. And
my son was drunkardl And it be.
gan at the cider barrel at my OWL
fathers. plead with him, and pray.
ed with him, aud urged him to sign
the pledge, and he did so for two
weeks. He would not promise to give
up the drink for longer time.
need not tell you that he became
besotted, and that he wasted, in the
city of Boston, handsome little for.
tune that he nearly crushed his faith.
er's life out of him, and broke my
heart.
Of course we did everything We
could for him. For two years we had
him at home with US, and oh, what
years of trouble and sorrow they we're
We are very glad now to be able tc
say that he has reformed, and we hope
it will be enduring. But even thai
can not make US forget the years o.
anguish and trouble that have gone
over US. 1t can not give him back t.
us pure aud clean as if he never had
sinned so fearfully. Nor can anything
give to him the reputation be might
have won, nor restore to him all these
wasted years of his young manhood
which instead of being years to which
he can look back with pleasure, are
clouded with the most painful memo
ries. But while we can all rejoice
that he is so far restored, yet so as by
fire, there are thousands that have nc
such joy to brighten their darkness
The grave has closed over their loved
ones that have died as the fool dieth
and there was no hope in their death
And they were made fools by that
simple, silly thing, rotten apple juice
Surely every mothers heart ought tc
curse the cider; nay, she ought to dc
more, and learn how to save her chill.
dren from it. S. P. A.