Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-06-07
"OO You Feel Thirsty, Father?"
BY MARGARET SPENCER.

luuuN! we hIt tNllG GtIug6b IN tears
this month Perfectly absurd re-
quest. A funny story y-of-temperance. "
"Mary, don't look so fororn; l can
tell you one this minute, and it's true
as the gospel; hapl ened here In this
very temperance town. II the editor
Of the "Breegy News" don't laugh, then
be is a hopeless case. That's all!'
Mary was Aunt Lursnda's favorite
niece from England. She lived close
TO BOs on, and wrote for the news
papers, and was "smart'; she was max
ing her uncle's family a visit in Ohio.
Aunt Luranda folded her hands over
her white apron, put her specs on the
top of her head, and said: Reuben
Cliff was born in our town. His father
and his grand father were called good,
plain, well-to-do men. They gave
their men on tie farm whlskey and
rum, sometimes, and took little too
much themselves at 'raisins" and
town meetings Reuben was used to
wine on the table and sideboard. Mix
punch and eggnOg fOc company and
for health
Reuben's father said, "If the boys
are used to seeing it at home they'll
never be drunkards."
Reuben was a handsome boy, and
at twenty two a fine, sober, manly
fellow. He married my dearest Sun
day school scholar, Lucy Chaplin. She
used to worry good dead about
keuben's love of q glass now and then,
but his prosperous business and his
entire devotion to his family led her to
think him ''too much of man and a
gentleman to be a drunkard.
Twelve years passed. Reuben's
little Annie Was ten, and Bob eIga
years old. Tie b. By died that winter
Little by little Reuben went down, till
he lay III the streets. He WAS nervous
and easily intoxicated, and for three
years had been taking a little more
every day until he almost lived at he
saloons. l cant tell You Mary, about
Lucy, about Reut ems discharge from
his place of business.
Really, Aunt Luriuda, L don't see
anything"
Anything funny. Well L see 1t
coming now. I'm going to leave out
the sOrrowtUl.
One night late in the fall, as your
ancle and L we're going home from
prayer meeting, we stopped at Reub-
ems house. We knew Lucy had gone
to take some sewing home, and the
children would be alone. The front
door was shut, but the curtains were
not drawn down, SO we looked in the
window a moment.
What a sight There on the bare
floor lay Reuben Cliff, his hair
tossed about, HE face red, and his eyes
shut like the dead On on" side of bim
knelt Annie; large TN dippcr was in
her hand, bucket full of water stood
close beside her. Bob knelt on the
other side; hi7 face all aglow with ex-
citement and responsibility. He held
a small tin funnel to his fathers lips,
putting il jCst inside his mouth. Annie
slowly poured stream of water from
the big dipper, watching carefully that
it should go down her fathers throar.
Uncle leaned against the house for
support, and 1 stuffed my shawl in my
mouth. Bob raised up often to look in
his fathers eyes, but they we're still
shut. Another and another dipper-
full
"Bob, it don't qmte all go d wn."
"a little runs over, but you spilled
Iome"
Down the mans face, into his ears,
ais neck, over the dirty coat aud hand
kerchief, the water ran IN tiny streams
on the floor. Bob scrabbled off his
knees and said decidedly, There I'll
bet fathers full"
"Yes, there wont another drop go
down. That's certain. But Bob are
you sure that halt bucket full is
enough?"
"Oh yes, Annie, that's lot of water,
tell you. Butt does take a good
deal to fill such great big man, YOu
know"
Bob's candid face was more than
your uncle couli star1 He just
walked away minute to laugh aloud.
"'AnnIe, mothcr'll be awful glad to
zee father full. l heard her say this
morning, when he said he was faint
and sick, and must have q drink. He
was so thirsty, 4 wish You could be
filed up once Reuben, and never ask
for another drop to drink"
Poor mother" and Anne sighed.
Bob, we've done more than all the
big temperance societies in this town
that Aunt Luranda goes to so much.
Father wont want another drop, l
know, after this"
She put her two small hands on
her slim waist, set her head to one side
; bit, and drew d long breath of salts
faction. Then We walked in. The
floor was covered with tiny streams of
water running in every direction. The
man was dead drunk. SOberiy as L
could, l asked,
"W hat are you doing, children"
Annie said enthusiastically, why
you see, Aunt Luranda, Sally Whites
father used to go TO the saloons all the
ime, and be IN the streets, and WAS
always drinking. Now he's curedl
He's never thirsty for whisky or vine,
or beer. Mr. Cough told Sally's
mother that whenever a man was once
hEted up with cold water till it ran
down out of his mouth IN streams,
he would never want TO drink whisky
again, never. They poured a bucket
full of cold water down Sally's father,
and he was full, and he's never been
So Tom Rnd | have cured fatherp'
Tom leaned over his fathers face sEd
ssid briskly:
fathers got enough to drink" Tom
thirsty when mother comes this time,
eitherp
Well Mary, your, uncle couldn't
talk; he walked into the other room,
and shook, and cougbed, and took a
glass of water, and Mt last said, Come.
we must go, Luranda."
We couldn't wait to see the poor
mother come home; but she told us
how she found them that night: how
she and little Annie were early in the
morning building a fire, and Reuben
awoke. Not a dry rag on him, cold,
wet and miserable.
Lucy lett him alone with Annie.
He stood on his feet, cursed and swore,
staggered to a seat by the fire. At
last he asked, CHOW in the-did l
GET" then he put his hands to his
head-to think.
Father do you feel thirsty this
morning?" little sweet voice asked.
Tell me about it Annle," he said
tsebly.