The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-10-23
THE n0TrOHLEss jug.

THE HOTrONLEss JUG.
/ saw Il hanging up in the kitchen
Of n thrifty, healthy, sturdy farmer
in Oxford county, Me.-a bottom less
Jug! The host saw that the curious
thing caught my eye, and smiled.
"Nnu are. wondering what that jug
IL hanging up there for with its bot
tom knocked out, said Ire. my
wife, perhaps, could tell you the
story better than I eau; hut she II
bashfuI aud I ain't, 80 III tell IL:
my father, as you are probably
aware, owned this farm before me.
lie lived tn a good old age, worked
hard all his life, never sguandered
money, was a cautious trader, and a
good calculator; and, n men were
accounted In his day aud generation,
lie was a temperate man. ] was the
Youngest boy; aud when the old man
was ready 10 cn-and he knew it
the others agreed that since | had
sta yed at home and taken care Of the
old folks, the farm should be mine.
And tn me 10 was willed. ] had been
married then three years.
"Well, father died-mOther had
gone three years beforehand left the
farm 10 me with a mortgage on 10 for
two Thousand dollara. I'd never
thought of % before, and said la
Mullic, my wife:
"MnIlie, lock here. Here fathers
had this farm la its first strength Of
-Oii, with all it, magnificent thinner,
aud his six boys ~ they grew up,
equal tn 40 many men Ia help him !;
and lac wnrkrk hard-wurked hard
worked early and lntP-aud yet look
at 10! \ mortgage Of two thousand
dollar, What can ! dO?'
And went tn that jug--it had it,
battnm In then-snd took n good
still drink of old MedfOrd rum from
Il.
81 noticed curious look on the
face Of my wife Just then, and
asked her what she Thought of IL, for
supposed she was thinking Of What
I'D been talking about. And 81 she
was, for she said:
"'ChaTlps, I've thought nf this a
good deal, and I've thought of way
la which ! believe you can clear this
mortgage off before five years are
ended
"says /: 'M"IIie, tell me how
you'll do il.
"She thought for while, and then
said, with a funny twinkle in her
blue eyP-Says she:
Charles, you must promise me
this, and promise me SOlemnly and
sacTedly: Promise me that you viii
never bring home for The purpose of
drinking for beverage, at any time,
any more spirits than you can bring
In that jug-the jug your father has
used ever since ! knew him, and
which you have used since he has
done with it
"welI, I knew father used once in
while, especially i'm haying time
and Ia winter when we were ut work
in the woods, Ia get an old gallon
lug filled: 81 I Thought that she
meant that I should never buy more
than two quarts at time. Thought
10 over, aud after n little while told
her I would agree Ia Il.
Nov mind said she, you are
never, never Ca bring home any more
spirits than you can bring ln that
identical Jug Aud ! gave her the
promise.
And before I went to bed that
night took the last pull ut that jug.
AZ WAS turning IL out for sort OF
night-rsp. Nellie looked up nj me,
and says she:
Charlie. have you got a drop
IefI:'
There was Just about a drop.
We'd II ave To ill IL nn the morrow.
Then she said, &c had no objections
she would drink that last drop with
mc. shall never forget how she
said it-'tlIat last drop" However,
! tipped ia" old jug bottom up, and
got about = great spoonful, aud Mol
lie said that was enough. She took
the tumblrr. and poured a few drops
Of lao; water and hit of sugar into
ID, and then she tinklCd her glass
against mine, just ~ she'd seen III
boys do when we'd been drinking Ia
each Others good luck, aud Gays
she:
Heres To the old brown Jug"
"SAkes alive! thought Ia myself
that pOnr Moilie had h-en drinking |
more uf the rum than was good for |
her, and tell you 10 kind Of cut me |
to the heart. forgot all about how |
many times she'd seen me when my |
tongue was thicker than 10 ought Ia |
Ice, aud INV legs not so steady - gond |
legs should BE-: but I said nothing |
I drank the sentiment, THE Old |
brown Jug and let IL GO.
"Well, ! went out after that, and \
did my chores, and then went To led
aud the last thing ! said before Ieav-
ing the kitchcn-this very room
where We now sit
"'we'Il have the old brown jug
filled Tomorrow
"And then I went off to bed. And (,
I have remem 5ered ever since that 1
vent to bed that night, as had done
hundreds Of times before, with n
buEZiug in my head that n healthy
man ought not tO have. / didn't
think Of u then, nor ! never Thought
Of 10 before, but I've thought Of it a
good many times since, and have
Thought of u with wonder aud awe.
"Well, ] got up the next morning
aud did my work At the harm, snd
then came In and ate my breakfast,
but not with such an appetite as
farmer ought 10 have. aud / could .
not think then that my appetite had
begun tn fall me. However. / ate
nay breakfast, andtnen went out and
hitched up the old mare for 10 tell :
fhe plain truth, I Was feeling In need {
Of glass OF spirits, and I hadn't q
drop Ca the house. as In a hurry 4
20 get to the village. I hltehed M.
and came 10 for tie jug. l went for
Il In the cupboard and took Il out, I
and
ibid you ever break through thin
lee, On . swapping cold day, and find {
yourself In an instant overhead On G
water? ID
"well, that IL the way felt at that
moment.
1.-THE Jug was there, but the bot c
l0m was gone. MOlile had taken q 4
harp chieel and n hammer, and, With .
, akill that might have done credit 9
q q master workman, she had Z
,lippea the beitom clean OF The jag l