The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-12-25
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
SANS POOR LOT.


JiNAs bhb bOCSll lOOh over nine. Tic Is
very dignified and solemn-looking
boy, and | never yet saw anything APP
preaching a smile on his face. The
mistake | made was in winking at
Sam and playfully pol1ing him in the
:ibs, as any man has a right to do by
any boy. He stepped back pace,
looked me up and down in the most
cold bIooded manner, and quietly OBJ
served:
Sir! If you have any business with
me please state your case!''
went among the boys and asked
about Sam, and l learned that he
treated everybody that way. He had
no chums, spent no money, and no one
knew anything about him except that
he had to be care fully handled Then
l went back and made up with him
that is, excused my hilarious conduct,
stood treat to a milk-shake and so
thawed him out that we now and then
had talk about the weather. the crops,
and the outlook of matters in general.
! just happened to blunder on to his
living place in Baxter street the other
evening as | was prowling around. |
when had called to him he invited me
down.
1t was two-room habitation and a
most wrctched, woebegone home.
Sans father was lying drunk on the
floor and his mother reclined on an old
mattress in Il corner and muttered and
mumbled and tried to sing now and
then.
Home, Sweet Home" quietly OBJ
served Sam. Take off your overcoat
and have a chair. Glad to see you down
this way"
And so this is where you live?''
YES Elegant start on the road to
success, isn't it? Lots of things to en-
courage boy to make a man of him
SELF
us that your father and mother?"
'Of course
"Sham! Sham! Whoze that, Sham?"
called the mother.
Now, you hush" he replied, as he
pointed at her. II want you to keep
quiet and go to Sleep
"All rize, Sham-all rizer' she re-
piled. as she fell back on the bed.
Drunk, of course" said the boy. as
looked from father to mother. It's
this way about four nights in the week.
| was figuring just before you came in,
and here's how came out Father has
been drinking man for thirty years.
He has paid out an average of 10 cents
per day during that time. That's
S36. 50 per year or about 81, 100 without
interest. Mother has been drinking
for about ten years.
"Well call that $3.50. Here's about
$500 gone from our income. Am l
right?'
Yes"
Owing to drink father has lost at
least one day out Of a week. I've known
him to lose a job and not work for
three months. Well call it only fifty
days in year. That's 1900 days in
thirty years, and being Il mechanic he
has never had less than s. per day.
There's So 600 more lost from our in
come. Am l correct?'
You are
The father now turned over, groaned,
stretched and rose up on his elbow and
thic'lly inquired:
''Sham, whaz time is it?"
Never you mind" answered the boy.
''You have gone to bed for the night,
and ] want Won to stay right there
The man muttered and complained,
but fell back and was soon snoring
again, and Sam continued:
"A man who gets drunk generally
gets into trouble with the law. Father
has been arrested at least hundred
times in the thirty years. He has been
fined ut least $500 and mother at least
500. While drunk father broke his leg
once and his arm once, and mother once
broke her arm. Mother also broke a
lamp and we lost $500 worth of furn-
ture. Loss of furniture, doctor bills
etc, about $500. Is that too high?"
81 don't think So
"WeIl. then. let's add up. Hey< we
have total of about s., 800 in cash, to
say nothing of interest, lost from one
mechanics income up to tie present
date It's just as much lost as if flung
into the fire and burned to ashes. 1t
hasn't done us one iotG of good. On
the contrary it has disgraced, degraded
and brutalized u.s.
Il see"
"Sham! Sham! I want to shingr'
called the mother DIT this juncture.
81 want you /" keep quiet he stern
ly replied.
"All rize, Sham--all rize.''
''Now let's see what we could do if
we had this money which has done no
good, continued the boy. Five thou
sand dollars would buy us snug farm:
it would take us out west, buy a house
and lot and establish father in Il shop
of his own: it would educate me as Il
lawyer or doctor twice over; it would
keep father and mother the last ten
years of their lives without work or
worry. See! Isn't it appalling when
You come to figure it out in black and
white?"
''ft certainly is
"A Sunday or two ago" said Sam,
after an interval of silence, you ex-
pressed wonder in your sketch that
rich people did not do more to help the
poor 1t would have been wiser in you
to wonder why poor folks didn't do
more to help themselves"
''By a.bstaining from drink?"
4 L