Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-03-27
The Bottomless Jug.

'NiN SouhtJj uoihS q ootlOuhicso Jub'
The host saw that the curious thing
caught my eye, and smiled.
"You are wondering what that jug
is hanging up there for, with its bot.
tom knocked out" he said. "My wife
perhaps, can tell you the story better
than / can ; but she is bashful and
amt. SO Ill tell it.
"My father, as you are probably
aware, owned this farm before me. He
lived to good old age, worked hard
all his life, never squandered money,
was cautious trader and good cal.
culator; and, as men were accounted
in his day and generation. he was n
temperate man. was the youngest
boy, and when the old gentleman was
ready to go-and he knew 1.-THE
others agreed that, since had stayed
at home and taken care Of the old
folks, the farm should he mine. And
to me it was willed. l had been mar
ried three years.
"Well, father died--mother had
gone three years beforehand left the
farm to me with mortgage on it for
$4,000. 1 said to Mollie, my wife:
"'Mollie, look here. Here fathers
had this farm in its first strength of
soil, with all its magnificent timber
and his six boys, as they grew ap,
equal to so many men, to help, and he
worked hard-worked hard-worked
early and late-and yet, look at it (!
A mortgage of two thousand dollars
What can / dor
"And l went to that jug-it had a
bottom in it then-and took good,
stiff drink of old Medford rum from it..
II noticed the curious look on the
face of my wife just then and asked
her what she thought of it. for l sup
posed she was thinking of what I'd
been talking about. And so she was,
for she said
"Charles, I've thought Of this a
great deal, and I've thought of a way
in which I believe you can clear this
mortgage off before five years are
ended
"She thought for awhile, and then
said, with a funny twinkle in her blue
eyes-says she:
CHARLES, you must promise me this,
and promise me most solemnly and
sacredly, promise me that you will
never bring home for the purpose Of
drinking as beverage, at any time,
any more spirits than you can bring
in that jug-the jug your father has
used ever since l knew him. and which
you have used since he has done with
it,
"Well, knew father used once in
a while, especially in haying time and
in winter when We were ut work in the
woods, to get an old gallon jug filled !;
so thought that she meant that l
should never buy more than two quarts
at time. thought it over, and af-
ter little while told her ! would
agree to it.
Nov mind, said she, you are
never to bring home any more spirits
than you can bring in that identical
Jug And l gave her my promise.
"And before l went to bed that
night I took the last pull at the jug.
AS l was turning it out for sort of
night cap, Mollie looked up, and says
she:
Charlie, have you got drop
left2'
There was just about drop left.
We'd have to get it on the morrow.
Then she said, if l had no objections,
she would drink that last drop with
me. l shall never forget how she said
it, that last drop! However, tipped
the old jug bottom up and got about
a great spoonful and that was enough
Mollie said. She took tumbler and
poured few drops of hot water into
it and bit of sugar, and then tinkled
her glass against mine, just as she'd
seen us boys do when we'd been drink
ing TO good luck, and says she:
"'Here's to the old brown iugp
"Sakes alive thought to myself
that poor Mollie had been drinking
more rum than was good for her, and
I tell you it kinder cut me to the
heart. 1 forgot all about how many
times she'd seen me when my tongue
was thicker than it ought to be, and
my legs not so steady as good legs
should be, but said nothing. drank
the sentiment, The old brown Jug
and let it go.
"Well, ! went out after that and
did my chores and then went to bed,
and the last thing said before leav-
ing the kitchen, this very room where
we are now, was: We'll have the old
brown jug filled Tomorrow
"And then / went off to bed. And
I have remembered ever since that /
went to bed that night as had done
hundreds Of times before, with buszing
in NV head that no healthv man oucht