St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-08
A PRACTICAL LESSON.

the country, observed Jonathan Jones,
irately, at the conclusion of an argu-
ment with his friend and neighbor,
Mark Morgan. IF man chooses TO
open public next door to you, let him
alone-it's no business Of yours"
"But suppose you were woman,
with husband in clined to be fond OF
drink, or with boys that you want to
keep steady and sober, how would you
like a public at the turn of every street,
with open doors, to 'tice them in, and
maybe two or three close to your own
home?" inq uired Mark.
Jonathan evaded the question. "A
mans got right to do as he Will on his
own premises, [ do suppose" he said.
ppm glad to hear you say So" said
Mark, thOughtfully, ''fOr I've had 1t in
| my mind to make few little alterations,
and didn't know how you would take it;
but it's all right now"
Mark was fond of joke, and there
suddenly came into his mind plot by
which he might read his friend a lesson
on the benefits Of local option. He lived
in one of three cottages, far removed
from neighDoring dwellings. Jones
lived in the middle, Mark and his broth
| er James on either side. Between them
the two brothers Matched dark and
secret plot, the working of which we
| shall see.
Good gracious. what's that frightful
SMELL" cried Jonathan, as he sat eating
! his breakfast near the open window OF
the kitchen. Two strides took him to
the window. Close to the boundary
fence lay a heap Of manure, freshly
placed there by Mark, who was quietly
turning it over with fork.
Here, | say, this won't do" cried
Jonathan. angrlly. "Man alive, do you
want to poison us? v nat 40 You mean
| by shooting that stuff just THEREOF
''lt's on my own ground" returned
Mark, coolly. "A mans got a right to
do as he will on his own premises, do
suppose"
ono, he ha'ant," retorted Jonathan,
hastily, mot if it's to be nuisance to
| his neighbors. and that you'll soon learn
| if you don't move it. I'll indict you as
a nuisance, that | WILL" cried peppery-
Jonathan. land have the law on you"
Dear me, dear me, you've soon
changed your tune" cried Mark; II
was only acting on your own doctrine. "
The manure heap vanished in short
time, but poor Jonathan was not to have
| 1t all his own way.
| He was an early-to-bed mantle
striking of the hour of 9 o'clock was the
| curfeW-bell of his household. AS the
clock hand passed the hour of 10 on the
| following evening the inmates of the
center cottage we're aroused from their
! first sleep by fearful din proceeding
from Marks cottage. Sounds of cor
net and violin rent the quiet air, ac-
companied by quiet singing. Each per-
former took his way as regards time and
| tune, and made up for lack of correct
ness by energy and noise.
"Are the men gone Off their headS"'
cried Jonathan, when he realized from
whence the sounds came. Indeed, he
felt nigh distracted himself, between
the noise next door and the terrified
crying of his children awakened from
| their sleep.
'Pll stop this!" he cried. bouncing
| out of bed after the noise had gone on
for a quarter of an hour Or so. just
then he heard the door of his neighbour
house open, and the sounds issued hence
with yet greater volume and effect on
the open air. Open flew Jonathan's
window, and out went Jonathan'S head.
care you fellows mad?" he shouted.
"Shut up and 60 home, or I'll fling a
| jug of water over you. What dye mean
| by, disturbing us all like this, and me
gone to bed with headache, too"
"We've started a Harmonic society,
and this is our first practice" responded
Mark. 1--WE shall do better by and by.
We enjoy it very much; tits a cheerful
way of passing the evening""
"Cheertul! It's maddenng! How do
you suppose I'm to do my morrow's
work il my nights rest is to be broken
into like this? But I'll stop it! I'll have
you bound over to keep the peace! I'll
sue you for damages! I'll, Pill"
Come. neighbor, take it quietly"
said Mark. soothlngly. "This is the
sort of thing my sister and her family
have to hear every night in the week
from the pubIics round about. and foul
language anu fighting into the bargain.
| Now, you see, we don't give you bad
language, and James is going home
peaceably enough long before closing
| time"
'Pll give you" began Jonathan ;
then thought better of it and withdrew.
Now it so happened that i'll field
owned by Mark, at the lower end of the
cottage gardens, there was pit filled
with water-a dangerous place, carefully
fenced round by Mark, lest any Of his
brothers. children or his neighbor's
might fall in. About week after the
meeting of the Harmonic society, Jona-
than walked across the field and saw a
portion of the fencing surrounding the
pit had been taken away.
Here. say, old man, this isn't safe, "
he cried to Mark Morgan. who was
working in his garden. "How came this
fence broken down T'
81 took it down." replied Mark. 81
want to use the water now and then in
the garden, and [ haven't got any chill.
dren to tumble, so didn'G see the need
Of fence"
"No, but l have" retorted Jonathan.
and some of mine might fall in. You'd
ought to have thought for your neigh
boris children as much as for your
own"
"Ah-h," slowly said Mark, $50 my
sister says about the drink pitfalls
sons and one of them is being 'ticed to
spending his evenings in the public
houses nearby. Whichever way the
lad comes from his work there stands
the open door. 1t would lift great
fear from her HEARTH only some of those
doors were closed SO as to give the lad a
better chance. Jonathan, my friend, ii
! it was your lad that was in danger you'd
soon be stirred to close the way. Next
time you blame the teetotallers for doing
their best to remove the temptation from
the path Of the young and the easily
tempted ones, bethink you; the public
house may be no danger for you or fol
your own children, but it is danger
for somebody else, ana for somebody
else's boy or girl"
eff ever [ saw such a felloww cried
Jonathan. "Whlchever way start you
always bring up at that. And L believe
you're right. There's heaps too many
drinkshops. and that's fact"
Then give us your vote at election
for the local option man, said Mark
quickly.
"No peeping into the ballot box" re-
torted Jonathan, merrily. But [ won't
forget the fence when that time comes
neighbour" he added, with knowing
wink of his eye.
Miss Birdena Farwell, Miss Emmf
Hause and Mrs. Alice NJ. Judd leave al