The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-13


sort. always knew you'd come out all
right. You drank a little at one time, OF
course, but"
mo, didn't" said Jack. 81 never drank
little. j drank a barrel Moderation
wasn't in me. / was a drunkard. l lived
the life Of n dfunkard. l died the death
Of drunkard."
"Metaphorically?
Literally That may sound absurd. but
1t is only the truth. Nothing but death
could save me-"
mot even
mo- not even Alice"
His eyes filled with tears Of tenderness
at the mention of his wife's name.
II was never so wrong headed he con-
tinued, "as to suppose that man can be
saved by love alone. Any person who
has had experience in such matters knows
that an added motive for sobriety is an
added temptation to the drunkard. You
see man marry and keep sober for a
while. Then you see him taSe a drink
again. You say il is becaut his love
has waned with the honeymoon. It's no
such thing. At first he does not drink
because the novelty Of the situation keeps
his mind off the subject. Marriage seems
like a great vacation from the dullness
Of life. And then love grows stronger till
he begins 10 realize what 1t is. The pre-
ciousness Of his possession reveals itself
to him. lie who has more than his due is
never free from fear. What 81 he lose her?
He reviews the dangers. In the front
rank Of them he sees his appetite. And
that Is the end of him. As soon as he
knows that il will be absolutely fatal
for him to touch a drop of liquor he IS
certain to do it. That was my experience;
and my sin was the greater, because ]
knew it all beforehand"
yet you escaped the consequence"
mo; it killed me, as / have already
said. l will tell you the story You can
make farce comedy or a tragedy out Of
1t, just as you like. 1t was n CHASTITY Joke.
Mother nature is the grimmest practical
joker, after all, and this Is the way rhe
played it on me. But first / must let YOU
into the mysteries of our early house
Keeping. The details seem trivial but
they contributed TO final catastrophe
began with the usual drunkards
balance on the wrong side OF the books.
We took n fiat In that long row | pointed
out to you as we came up town on the
l.. our furniture we procured on the in
stallment plan. II was not luxurious of
course. but you should have seen how
pretty home Alice made OF II. There
were weekly payments 20 be met and for
month or more the rising sun and I
were equal models Of punctuality. Then
let II 30 for a week. Nothing happened
| was somewhat surprised at that. for
my contract with the dealer had been
more binding than the shackles of Israel
In Egypt. Another week slipped by. and
another. Various causes reduced orr
funds TO low ebb. Presently / owed
$40. A polite collector came. / promised
Immediate settlement and he departed
was 10 receive my monthly check from
the Philadelphia Office in a few dave
and | relied upon that. Something de-
layed 1t. ] borrowed $50 from John Fnnfs
and, as he gave me the cash, ne looked
at me in peculiar way.
He thinks I'll 20 off on n snrea o,a
spend this money said ! to myself and
then | added, great heavens. what n 7
shouldr """' -
IL seems absurd 10 be sentimental about
lew sticks Of furniture. but when a
man is newly married and has n home
lot the hrSt time In ten years he NAV
be pardoned for an excessive anxiety IN
Keep II undisturbed. That anxiety was ~
course. my chief danger. The drunkard
is always on the edge OF a precipice. and
II he looks down he will cast himself into
tne uepths. III Is the same perhaps. with
an mortal perils; they have fascination
! looked down that day and was draered
over the brink
THAT was the beginning OF such degra-
dalton as / could not name 10 anv man
put a true friend The poverty which
drunkenness entails is not nearly the
worst or 1t, and yet that alone is heart
rending TO endure or 10 look back upon
what Alice suffered doubtless | do not
even Know. How she unfaiiingIy forcaye
the Angel OF the Book must have recorded
IN words we have not learned on earth.
through IL all think her principal ankle
~ was to preserve our home.
1 VIII not weary YOU with the story OF
her struggles. There is nothing so mean