The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-02-10

is here on visit, and this is the first
time he has come home in such condi-
ton.
After a time the poor sick wife opens
her eyes ard begins to sob and moan.
and the girl passes into the kitchen to
prepare a soothing potion. The room is
smaller than the other, and contains
one small window and door; the furni-
ture consists of a cook stove, table, cup
board, lounge. chairs and large chest,
and the room is pretty well filed up.
The young man owns this tiny house
and the lot on which it is built in the
suburbs of the town. He is printer,
and might have continued for years to
make a comfortable living and add to
the beauty and comfort of his home
had it not been for the demon Of drink
that possessed and overpowered him.
The pair were married in st. Louis,
and left there to get away from his old
haunts and the associates who fol-
lowed him up persisteptly with their
threats and other devilish devices to get
him drunk. They had been here for
over year; he had been sober and in
dustrious, had procured this little home
and they were prospering; but at the
office they heard that he had another
boy, so the man must treat-now what
sense is there in that I never have
been able to learn. No one ever thinks
it necessary or even proper to bring
beer or vitriolized whisky to offer the
mother, even when it is her first at
tempt. Now. if that is what they
call congratulating fellow, 1 believe
the mother who has passed through
such an ordeal is the one to be congrat-
ulated; but it would not be deemed
proper or even safe in her case to do so
in that style; neither is it in his; but
men are always on the lookout for an
excuse to "take something" SO they
treat and are treated, and thus many a
poor wretch who would never buy a
glass for himself and could keep his
pledge is dragged into the gutter.
In the case of this young man it re-
quired several years, but at last he gave
way, and was SO entirely crazy when
drinking that his wife had him confined
in an asylum where he remained for
two years and then escaped.
His wife had gone to Canada to rela-
tives and taken her three boys with her.
He had no desire to live with her, so he
went to Chicago, where he lived for
years before he died. The lesson Of the
asylum was salrtary one, but have
no means of knowing if he ever fell back
into his old incorporate habits or not.
Those who knew him when he was
boy say that he was very bright and
intelligent, much superior in every way
to the majority of boys, but he lost his
mother at an early age, and lived for a
couple of years with an uncle who kept
tavern in small village in Ohio The
usual barroom was kept in the house,
nnd the usual loungers hung about the
bar, treating each other, singing songs
and telling yarns. Harry was only
eight or nine years old, but they treated
him, and if he got tipsy occasionally
they thought it great fun.
The uncle did not always know what
was going on, but was too much afraid
Of offending his customers to say much
II he had, and thus young life and soul
were wrecked that a few tipplers might
have what they called fun, and thus one
poor, motherless boy acquired taste
for observation-disclosures Watson, in
Lever