The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-06-14
The Bottomless Jug.

IH6 DOItUmltSS Jug
1 saw it hanging up in the kitchen of a
thrifty, healthy, sturdy farmer in Oxford
County, Me.-a bottomleas jugl The
host saw that the curious thing caught
my eye, and smiled.
"You are wondering what that jug is
hanging up there for with its bottom
knocked out" he said. any wife, per-
haps, can tell you the story better than I
can; but she is bashful, and I amt, so
I'll tell it.
"My father owned this farm before me.
He lived to good old age, worked hard
all his life, never squandered money, was
cautious trader and good circulator;
and, as men we're accounted in his day
and generation. he was temperate man.
1 Was the youngest boy; and when the
old man vas ready to 60, and knew 1t,
the others agreed that since had stayed
home and taken care of the old folks the
farm should be mine, and to me 1t was
villed. had been married then three
years.
"Well, father died-mother had gone
three years beforehand left the farm to
me, with mortgage on it for fifteen hun
dced dollars. I had never thought of it
before. I said to Mollie, my wife:
"'Mollie, look here. Here, fathers
had this farm for years, with all its mag
ni6ceut timber, and his six boys, as they
grew up, equal to so many men, to help
him and he worked hard early and late,
and you look at it A mortgage of IF
teeu hundred dollars. What can do 2
"And went to the jug-it had bot
tom to it then-and took q good stiff
drink of something much stronger than
water.
81 noticed a curious look on the face
of my wife just then, and I asked her
what she thought of it, for I supposed
she Was thinking of what l had been
talking about, and 30 she YVES, for she
said:
"'Charles, have thought of this
great deal, and I have thought of way
in which I believe can clear this mort
gage off before FIVE years are ended"
"says l, 'Mollie, tell me how you'll do
it?'
"she thought for while, and then said
with funny twinkle in her blue eyes
said she:
"'Charles, you must promise me this,
and promise me solemuly and sacrediy:
Promise me that you will never bring
home for the purpose of drinking for
beverage, at any time, any more spirits
than you can bring in that old jug-the
Jug your father has used ever since 1
knew him, and which you have used
since he was done with it,"
"Well, knew father used once in
while, especially in haying time and in
Winter, when We we're at work in the
woods, to get an old gallon jug filled so
I thought that she meant that should
never buy more than two quarts at q
time. 1 thought it over, and after a lit
flo while told her that I would agree to
it.
"'Now, mind said she, you are never
to bring any more spirits than you can
bring in that identical Jug And gave
her the promise.
"And before went to bed that night |
took the last pull at that jug.
swell, went out after that, and then
went to bed; and the last thing said
before leaving the kitchen-this very
room where we now sit-was:
"'We'll have the old brown jug filled
tomorrow
"And then I went off to bed. And I
have remembered ever since that went
to bed that night, as l had done hum
dreds of times before, with buzzing in
my head that healthy man ought not
to have.
"Well, got up the next morning and
did my work at the barn then came in
and ate my breakfast, but not with such
an appetite as farmer ought to have,
aud 1 could not think that my appetite
had begun to fail. However, l ate
breakfast, and then went out and hitched
up the old mare for, to tell the plain
truth, 1 was feeling the need of a glass of
spirits, and hadn't drop in the house.
1 was in a hurry to get to the village.
hitched up and came in for the jug. l
went for it in the old cupboard and took
it out, and
"Did you ever break through the thin
ice on swapping cold day, and find
yourself over your head in freezing wa
ter? Because that is the way felt at
that moment. The jug was there, but
the bottom was gone. Mollie had taken
a sharp chisel and hammer, and, with
a skill that might have done credit to
master workman, she clipped the bottom
clean out of the jug, and then she burst
out. She spoke-oh! I had never
heard anything like No, nor have |
heard anything like it since. She said;
"'Charlea: that's where the mortgage
on the farm came froml 1t was brought
home in that jug-two quarts at time !
And there's where your white, clean skin
and your clear eyes are going. And in
that jug, my husband, your appetite is
going also. Oh! let it be SIS it is, dear
heart And remember your promise!
"And then she threw her arms around
nv neck and burst into tears. She could
speak no more.
\ -. nonH NV