The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-09-22
I'los influence.


Don't 1tu. think. my dear, said
\unt Mary. .ihat instead ri wishing Tor
more influence il Mnul hc Il good plan
Io u>e Nhat YOU haNe:'
Il suppose it Would: but. auntie. |
h.ree 80 iiltlei il always seemed Useless 10
Or, 10 do anything.
PERTAINS YOU haNe moro than YOU
think for: At any rair, the parable oi
the talent, and pounds hold~ good in
every ea-r 10 linn WHO use- wei! that
which he ha>, more shlil he gwen, You
know
Flo had just conn in from a temper
auec mcctlne, aud VA, full Of rntlu>-
it-m Oh the subject. 81 that AUNT MARY :
words fell upon good ground ANA took
root.
Il believe I'll do a. aunic said. o."
thought she. H. She went oil Ia bed:
"I'll use the influence have, and II
begin at the very first opportunity too.
Now il is usually the case thai when
people want opportunities they hha
Them without much effort or delay, ana
80 il Was with Flo.
\ few DAYS after her conversation
with her aunt, Il party Of Young propI"
File among tbem-arranSed To nav Il
picnic al "Ihe caves. n Wild, plctllr-
r-,lic spot about fifteen miles from 40 :
huine. They drove oni in Two light eN-
prcSS-Nawons with double teams. carry
ing their dinner aud supper with them
intending to take the evening Tor drive
home.
II was a very MERRY party that sci OIL
al eight o'clock that June morning. ana
a very hungry one that dl>mo'lntcd i'll
he cave, three hours later. and vote
resulted unanimously in favor OF dispos-
inc of dinner before anything further
va. thouuht of. So while the boys un-
hitchcd the horses and made them com
Portable in the shade with plenty of hay
and fresh water. the girls busted them
selves unpacking the dinncr-haSkcts and
spreading The table-cloIl and ratables
on he grass. :,
And now came the opportunity Flo
had been waiting for. Thrusting her
hand back under the seat OF one OF the
WAGONS to MAKE sure that everything
had been taken out, she gave an eNclana-
tinu of surprise and drew forth bottle
of wine.
Summoning all her resolution She
turned toward the young men who had
come up and asked
Whose is this:" holding the bottle
up to view. -,
lust returned from college to spend his
vacation at home. ''that i. my contrlbn-
ton To the feast.
well" Flo said, with Il rising color
al am going to ask you to take ii nom"
again unopened. if YOU please
"Why. what for?" and there was the
HIM of "A succr in his tone As he added,
~ hope. Flo. YOU are not II fanatic on
temperance:
r lo's blood WA, up now. AMI looking
unllinchnyly into the Young man'| cNe~
She replied quietly. but with decision
~ on may call me what you please
but am determined that | will never
touch such vile stuff. myself, and that
mo- one else shall ever drink ii in my pre-
srucc if cam help it. may not have
much influence but what have snail be
ON the side OF temperance always.
~ cure right, Miss Flo, "hearlllN re-
spondcd Will Gregg. who was college
friend of Harry. and was visiting NM
land if all the girl would TAX" aN illm
"A stand ~ YOU have, il would hrlp u
boy more than They know.
larry stood a moment lfr'N"lllr'
then taking the rest OF the bottles from
under the seat. he handed them all over
To Flo, saying:
\ol shall do what You like with them.
.Thank vou.' said Flo simply, and
takiu" the bottles to the edge III the
Gins. she hurled them one after another
into the depth of the rHNlne below.
" And now We are ready Tor dinner.
She said rs she came back smiling.
.Oh, Flo" whispered Alice Wright a
the Two girls stood together afterwards:
81 can't tell YOU how glad am YOU ana
inst rs YOU did. We have been worried
a little about Harry lately, and you hay"
so much influence with him.
.Uave T." said Flo astonishcd. II
didn't suppose had much influence
with anyone.
"Indced YOU have answered Alice,
squeezing her hand.
They had counted upon the long twi-
light for the drive home, but soon after
they started sudden storm came mp.
and dense darkness fell rapidly about
them: the road WAS rough and trcacher-
o,lS. and the flash of the lightning only
served to brighten the horses and IN
crease the danger. but cool heads ana
steady nerves were in charge ana they
reached home in safety
But more than one of their number
thought with thanllfulncss OF those
broken bottles at the bottom OF the IA
vim, and wondered how they would have
Jared if it had not been for flo's in
tlucuce.
gu see" said Fred, Flo's brother.
when they talked it over afterwards. II
didn't intend to drink any OF it myself,
and didn't think Harry ought to take
it along, but didn't have the nerve to
say so when he put it in there. tell
YOU | felt pretty sncaking when YOU
stood right up to it that way, SIS o,it |
was awful proud of you too, and after
This YOU can count on me every time II
vou'il Just back me up Il little,
And to think thought Flo with
shining eyes, after Fred had gone. II
never once thought of the influence |
might have right here. at home over my
own brother.
But the matter did not end there, for
the picnic episode got noised about
among the. young people OF the town,
and a a result of Flo's stand ON that
occasion tho temperance question was
before them as it had never been before,
their interest was awakened, and before
Harry Wright and viii Gregg went back
to college they had pledged themselves
to drink no Intoxicating liquors, along
with Il number of other young men and
hovs: while ilourishing society had
been organized in which Flo and Fred,
and Alice Wright were leading spirits.
"You were exactly right auntie,' said
Flo to Aunt Mary. recalling previous