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

British Workman.
mo, | do not see what right you tee
total folk have to be meddling with
how many public houses there are in
the country, observed Jonathan Jones,
irately, at the conclusion of an argu-
ment with his friend and neighbor,
Mark Morgan. ''lf man chooses TO
open public next door to you. let him
alone-it's no business of yours"
''But suppose you were a 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 public at the turn of every street,
with open doors, to 'tice them in, and
maybe two or three close to your own
home?" inquired Mark.
Jonathan evaded the question. IA
mans got right TO do as he Will on his
own premises, [ do suppose" he said.
Pm glad to hear you say So" said
Mark, thoughtfully. "for I've had it 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 a 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 frigbtful
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, l say, this won't do" cried
Jonathan, angrlly. MAN alive. do you
want to poison us? What do you mean
by shooting that stuff just there?"
ats on my own ground" returned
Mark, coolly. "A mans got right to
do as he will on his own premises, do
suppose"
"No, 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. Pll indict you is
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 a short
time, but poor Jonathan was not to have
it 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
for q from thlIr
first sleep by fearful din proceeding
from Marks cottage. Sounds of cor
net and a violin rent the quiet air, ac-
| companed 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.
"rll stop this!' he cried, bouncing
out of bed after the noise had gone OH
for a quarter of an hour Or so. Just
then he heard the door of his neighbours
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"
"Cheerful! It's maddenlng! How do
work il my nights rest is to be broken
into like this? But IIl stop it! Eli have
you bound over to keep the peace! Pll
sue you for damages! I'll, PHI"
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 publics round about. and foul
language and 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"
"Fu give you" began Jonathan;
then thought better of it and withdrew.
Now it so happened that in 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 neighbours
| might fall in. About week after the
| meeting of the Harmonic society, Jona-
than walked across the field and saw
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. Glow came this
fence broken down."
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't see the need
of a 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
| round about her house. She's got three
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
better chance. Jonathan, my friend, if
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 for
your own children, but it is a danger
for somebody else, ana for somebody
else's boy or girl"
''1f ever [ saw such fellows 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.
mo peeping into the ballot box" re-
torted Jonathan, merrily. but won't
| tl,taf hot