The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-21
Epishes to st. Paul.

man who asked me for ten cents with which
to buy drink. His voice and manner at
tracted me and listened to his story. He
said he was an engineer on an Illinois rail-
road, and had been enjoying his annual out
ing or drunk" He would have money the
next day, he said, but needed one more
drink to steady his nerves before sober
ing uD I offered him a silver dollar, but
he declined it, saying that ten cents was
enough to get a good drink Of whisky. In
spite of myself I had become interested in
the man, and after lhe had shown me a trip
pass issued in the name Of an employe Of
the railroad he had mentioned, believed his
story. I told him that he could repay me
out Of the money he expected to receive the
next day. He finally accepted the dollar
and babe me good night, after I had handed
him my card bearing the address Of the ho-
tel at which I was stopping. A busy evening
drove all thought Of the man from my mind
so that when his card was sent to my room
the following forenoon I was unable to
imagine who my importunate caller could be-
10 my surprise 1t was my acquaintance Of
the night before. He was shaved, neatly at
urea. and bore little evidence, besids nery-
BUSINESS, Of the terrible debauch he had been
through I wondered then, es I have
thousand times since, to what depths will
men stoop that want liquor. But I resolved
10 iisteIl 10 tnelr stories.
A night or two ago 1 was standing at
street corner waiting for a car to bear me
home when I was again accosted by a man
who asked for ten cents to buy whisky. Re.
membering my former experience I gave the
man attention. After he had repeated hia
reaust I asked him If he really thought he
needed the drink. He assured me that he
Gid and swore he would make any sacrifice
On earth to secure one. finally asked.
What would you give for O drink OF
whisky7'
In voice as mild as a wornans, but trsm-
bling With emotion, he repeated my question
Not once, but two or three times.
What would give for drink Of whisky
Ii you'll listen, man, III tell you what have
given, and then maybe you'll know what I
am willing to give now for drink. need
ehe drink. or God knows wouldn't stop a
man on the street and beg it of him.
began to drink, like many another fool
ish boy, before was twenty, and by the tim !,
was twenty-five the habit was fxed upon
me. MY wife married me in the hope Of
bringing about my reformation, and 1 remem-
Der that did quit drinking for few weeks
entlrely after we were welded. The Old de-
sire for liquor gradually asserted itself q,
that when our blue-eyed baby was born T
Went ON on spree that lasted several DAYS
MY love for my wife didn't grow less. but
my appetite for liquor had increased cops1d
eraoly during the few days Of my debauch.
II seemed that 1 could never quit absolutely
asaln. was rich-that Is, had considerable
property and a business worth twenty tbou-
sano year-and we moved in the best circles
OIL society In our city Of some sixty thousand
I'm spite Of my wife's earnest entreat,os
in spite Of business that demanded nv dai,v
a1tent1on, IN spite OF everything 1 kept on
drinking. and 1t was not long before it besa,
TO tell upon me and my source of income. 1t
nao long before left its mark upon the woman
mad sworn to love and protect.
one night after had been taken home In
mack my wife aroused me from my stupor
with an appeal to go for our physician. Our
darling child then three years old, WAS very
III. few days later she died and l. like
the miserable coward that I was, left my
poor heart-broken wife to fight her battle with
grlef alone and drowned my sorrows in
drink. FROM bad to worse kept going until
my business was swept away and was COM
PEELED to give UP the room that had sheltered,
II 1t had never been home for my wife. We
went to a boarding house, and I made an
other eTort to be man. 1t was of little use.
for In spite Of my desire to overcome my
appetite, 1t got the best of me and lost the
situation that my friends had secured for me-
And then-God, then came the fatal blow
My wife, the only person 1 loved on earth
heart-broken and discouraged, left me. From
that time became wanderer getting work
whenever it offered, but oftener begging for
the food I ate and the whisky that drowned
the remembrance Of my sufferings and the
misery I had caused the sweetest and best
woman that ever lived
What would give for drink Of whisky?
Anything, man, in Gods name, anything
have left in this wide. wide world"
OF course he got his drink, and l feel no
compunction of conscience in consequence.
Freddie! TIE sound struck the top of
the green door. ricochetted on to the head
of young Mr.. Ames and exploded against the
ether wall. Mr.. Hammer turned pale. He
pushed open the green door and entered the
sanctuary where Col. Kieser sat gloomily
giaring out on to Fifth street.
You called, your Worship"
II did, Freddie. Is there cabinet meet
ing called for today?" Mr.. Hammer consult
ed his tablets
Not any, your worship"
Then its very odd, Freddie, and I fear
there is treachery aboard the ship Of state"
What disturbs your Worship" asked
Freddie.
i sat here few minutes ago and 1 was
looking up at the top floor of that block over
there. just thinking 1 ought to hold an in
srection Of the janitors around this building
and show them how to do their work I
have noticed that they go about sweeping
with their coats uTbuttoned and holding their
brooms and the spittcons in a most unsol-
dierly way. And that fellow that pushes
the lawn mower gave that lawn out there
clipping that made it look like a ten-cent
hair cut. 1 was thinking about things when
I saw Billy Johnson come to one Of those
windows on the top floor over there ard de-
liberateiy give the hailing sign to somebody
in this building. I gave him back the high
sign, but he paid no attention to me and
gave the hurry sign to some one over here.
He wanted somebody to come over and to
come quick, and 1t certainly was not me.
Go out Freddie and see If Ames is around The
building and send Mcintyre to Blly's office
If there is treachery afoot we must know it,
If Mike Fitzgerald amt in his office and he
can be tracked across the street therell be
new junta established and Billy johnson
won't be in it-not If he had ten Eighth
wards In his inside pocket. BECOME"
There is an old hard luck Story about the
grocer who got home SO rarely during the
working hours Of his rising DESCENDANTS that
one Sunday the small boy of the family ran
into the house, bowling.
What's the matter?' asked his mother,
sympathetically.
THAT man what stops here Sundays boxed
my ears" was the response
But st. Anthony hill man who has to get
acquainted with his family by minutes in
stead of my hours or days. has new form