The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-02-05
A Farmers pleI~e.

"ETello, Bub, who are your" exclaimed
one of Tom Hather's reapers, as seven
year-old boy, one noon appeared! among
them.
II am papa's temperance pledge;
aren't l, papa?' piped out the Jolly little
chap =.
-tou ARE. wen. then, l have a mInd TO
pitch you into the middle OF next week,
if it is you who are keeping us from hav
ing a comfortin' drop OF wiliskey and
water" said a reaper.
eyes. it's me" laughed little Dick, in
high glee; 'and if you want to know
where papa signed me, I'll show you;
and as proudly as any old soldier dis
playing his scars, the little boy pulled
down the collar OF his calico shirt, and
showed queer, white scar on the shoul-
DER reaching up toward his throat; then,
espylng a load of straw starting for the
barn, he sped Off to beg for a ride.
"Yes, boys" said Tom, "that little
fellow is my pledge, and l signed him,
though he does not know what thatreal
| lv means You know it isn't meanness
that makes me refuse you liquor which
other farmers deal out, for l agree to
pay YOU more wages. 1t is nv hatred
of the accursed stuff, and my regard for
your real good When l bought this
farm ten years ago did not know the
taste of rum or whiskey. Everybody
took IL little, us l found, i'll harvest
times and when work was pressing, SO l
fell into the same way; drop ii the
weather was very hot; Il little If it was
very cold; :. long drink moons if I was
hard at work Once IN while OF a sun
day, in the old Westinghouse, when the
choir was singing a hymn my mother used
J to sing, 1 had an uneasy feeling that
was slipping down-hll. l always kept
: hard cider in my cellar; all my work
, hands had it, and some way the farm
+ began to run down, too. Summer be
t lore last it was very hot, and was not
e very well; had been having chills. Wher
. they came on / thought nothing helpet
, me more than little--no, a good dea
: of whisky. One noon in the fields l wa
: rather hungry; the dinner horn had no
sounded, and picked up my jug ant
# took a long pull What with the hea
: and taking it on an empty stomach, tn
z whisky flew to my head as never before
!, I cut the grain every which way, th
ground rising up and going down unde
S me, and the farm shifted till the point
e OF compass were all wrong. You jus
IS saw that boy OF mine? He is my onl
It one, his mothers idol, and-well,
e would die for the boy any day. Th
If little chap had taken his puppy an
o wandered off out where was workin!
1t was hot. He was only five years ole
and what did he do but lie right dow
where the tall grain would shade hin
!. and go to sleep with the puppy cuddli1
= down and doing the same. Well, IL
:. dizzier got the more recklessly swul
- around, and suddenly slashed o,
- y with thatsharp steel, and ood heaven
! boys! just you fancy it! The poo
). little puppy never yelped, his throl
- was cut SO clean; and that boy OF mir
One great cash down his soft, viii
.s- flesh, right up to his tender, little thros
in but escaping it, Tor the puppy nestl
lu- there! don't know much about t
ID. rest OF that day, nor the time, until
heard the boy wouldn't die. But VIII
old Doctor Kinley said he might live
,ne just held him up to God in my arm
- and Isaid: Here, Lord, is my temp
Z, ance pledge! I'll never touch one DIR
:, OF liquor while I live, and this boy, wht
=, ~ life has been spared, never shall eth
~. IN. if prayers and examples and teach
nis can prevent" And SO, boys, ca
=, treat you, for I have signed my ple'
- in blood.
~ There was no more murmuring
that farm after that. "A. L. Noble
ted Temperance Banner: