The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-10-30

grow up ain going to be a minister's
wife" How l wish she might have
done so, but, when she was twenty
four years old, she married a man who
was studying for doctor, and with
him she left her home and went to the
far west.
The man whom Mary married had a
rich father who gave his son a home
and furnished it very nicely.
Mary used to write us cheerful
letters, for she was happy for time,
but, by and by, her letters seemed differ
ent, and in one of them written to me
alone she told me her trouble.
She said that Albert Cher husband)
had taken to drinking. At first he
drank but little, but she could see that
the appetite was growing greater. She
said that she prayed for him and
begged him earnestly to stop drinking,
but he always said that he did not
drink enough to hurt him and that he
could stop any time he wanted to.
We asked Mary many times to come
home to visit us. but she said she dare
not leave Albert for fear he would
drink harder if she went away. So
patient Mary staid year after year
without seeing her home and friends
and she never wrote me half that she
suffered.
One morning 1 received a message
telling me to go to her, and | started at
once. There was no one to meet me,
but by inquiring l found the house.
There was no answer to my rap upon
the door so pushed it open and walked
in. | walked through the house, which
seemed all in disorder, till l came to
the room where a dreadful scene met
my eyes and made me sick with fear.
Mary lay on the bed cold and stiff, for
she was dead, and by her sat her hus-
band with dirty, torn clothing and UNI
combed hair. His eyes were wild-looll-
ing, and | was afraid of him, but he
said in harsh tone: you have come
too late: she is dead and killed her. ="
Then be told me his story, how Mary
had been suddenly taken sick and he
had gone after some one to stay with
her. lie had to pass saloon and the
smell OF the liquor made him stop for
just one drink. AS he started out a
man came in whom he had not seen for
years, and he turned back to drink a
glass with him. The one glass led to
many, and he became drunk. The
saloonkeepcr did not turn him out, as
he was too good customer while his
money lasted, but let him sleep on the
floor in the corner till morning When
he awolle he forgot his GRAND and
staggered home. He found Mary just
where | found her, dead in her bed,
while the baby, little boy, was
screaming in the cradle.
AS Albert finished his story he stood
a minute looking at Mary, then NUT
tering: II killed her." he left the room.
| went to Il ncighbor's to get some one
to help me, and when two kind women
returned with me, we found Albert
dying, with an empty poison bottle be-
side him.
Do you wonder that hate the saloon,
and that whenever | see one this whole
scene comes before my eyes?
This is but one of the bad things the
saloon has done. 1t leads to drunken
ness, theft, crime. poverty, insanity and
death. But some day the women are
going to vote and then there will be no
saloons.
When I came back from Mary's
brought her baby with me, and he has
now grown old enough to join the
Loyal Legion, and he is temperance
child. | hope he will do all he can
against saloons and never go to one. -
Bell HollingShed, in The Lever.