The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-02

got into the habit OF this. And, OF
course. Humphrey'n coax them In again.
I've trembled some even when I've seen
him sucking cider. through straw-new
cider, too. But cherry brandy-O, Ii really
is wicked"
wicked amt no name for It," cried
Mrs. Carter, who had followed her.
And with this sort of feeling abroad
among the mothers IL was not remark
able that going down for their shopping
10 the Port. the Port people heard OF
Humphrey. and the still. and the cordial.
and the boys.
In this way the matter came to my
aunt Pamela's ears. And my aunt Pa
mola was the head and front of an asso-
citation which just then was sweeping all
before IL in the cause OF temperance, an
entirely new cause in our part of the
world at that period. when the decanter
stood upon the sideboard. and every well
furnished store closet had its key OF
MARSHA or Madeira. Even aunt Pamela,
in all the exuberance of her enthusiasm,
had not banshed the old rum bottles that
had her grandfathers name and date
blown in them. from the corner buffet,
where stood her grandmother's Powered
china, the lovely Lowenstall that she al
ways washed herself. And she never
thought twice about mixing the comfort
able forums that the minister and the
doctor took together.
But even enthusiasts IN n great cause
out OF their very enthusiasm may make
mistakes: and, sooth to say, my aunt
| Pamela was one OF those people who take
| up cause simply for the sake of its ex-
| element, and for something to be busy
about. Nothing she sought. because
| nothing she knew. of homes beggared, of
widows made. and orphans. of hearts
| broken, of great powers brought to
| naught. OF the profound misery of those
| who watch for late uncertain footsteps,
| who see poverty and degradation coming,
| see the corruption and decay OF the soul
| they love. Nothing of all the terrors of
| drunkenness did she know, nor any of the
| heartburnings when the man who sells
| the poison takes the house as he has
| taken the happiness of the house, and
| rolls by with the riches that he has wrung
| out of tears and pangs. A feeling of this
| had hardly begun in the country, and
| Aunt Pamela was no better than her day.
| All she knew was that there was pri-
waite still somewhere up along the shore;
| that 1t belonged to a woman named Sally
| Lavender. whose husband was making
| drunkards of little boys; and II was
| against the law to have a private still. At
| least she believed II was against the law.
And at any rate she would destroy the
| still first and see about the law afterward.
She called a meeting of the Tabitha-
| STYLED the tabbies by the irreverent-and,
| after assuring them that the matter OF
| changing their name to that OF the Mar
| tina washingtons could wait awhile, she
| laid before them the monstrous fact that
BOYS were being ruined by the possessor
| OF n still five miles up the river. and that,
| of course. their own boys were In danger,
near as they were TO a community sub
| tect to such demoralizing influence. and
she moved that they send constable az
once for the destruction OF That 1901 OF
| evil, and declared that 1t was vote.
| "But. PAMELA cried my mother, hur-
rying in as soon as she heard OF 1t. You
| are all on IT is nothing OF the sort. She
| is a poor woman, who sells herbs ana dis
| tits rosewater---"
IT never heard that rosewater intoxi-
| Gated little boys" said my aunt. loftily
! and I know her-I am very fond OF
1 her-I buy a great deal of her
IT know you refused TO join our society,
| hut Won needn't boast of buying stfmu-
lants. Emily" said my aunt
"stimulants" exclaimed my mother. out
| Of all patience. Sweet little sally Law
| endar's essence of roses. / gave you
| lar of her potpourri---"
| yves And IL is reeking with alcohol'
THE poor. weak cologne she makes
| herself"
with that STILL suppose, where she
| makes the cherry brandy that mas torh
the hearts OF all the mothers in the VII
| HQa who are seeing lntif bpfS
| into little beasts by her machinations-
20. Pamela this is really 10 ridiculous'
| "You may call Il rdiculousV' said my
aunt. with her eyebrows at the given at
tltude for disdain. II call It tragicalf'
And tragical II was, as TO her grief
my mother found, when Fastening up the
shore in the chaise--my cousin Lester ana
/ following, unnotlced in her unusual
anxiety. on a milk wagon whose good
natured driver pretended that we were
pirates who had overcome him and we're
forcing him to drive us where we would.
But my mother was Just too late The
constable had arrived first. and had con-
fronted the bewildered Sally. and had
demanded the stili And Humphrey. UNI
derstanding nothing but that the defense
of the stlll was in question, had thrown
himself upon the man with all MS mani
acal force The still had been ruined in
the struggle. the man had been borne 10
the ground but not seriously hurt, and In
his fury Humphrey had broken blood
vessel on his brain.
Sally was on the grass of the little gar
den plot, holding Humphreys head upon
her breast II was late OF bright June
afternoon. l remember now all the pic
ture OF the moment--it struck me more
than the feeling did-the sky Of that ten
der blue which vsrgcs toward evening.
the roses clambering over the high trellls
behind. the great, fragrant. alushing roses
that Sally had trained there, shaking IN
the soft wind with a gay and cruel rus
Ting the white, sim woman who seemed
20 see nothing in all tho world but the
face upon her breast-that strange, dark
face whose burning eyes we're fixed on
hers with complete intelligence
The doctor. for whom Try Hodge had
run. was on his knees. holding Hum
phrey's hands and Ann and Miss Rhody
and Libby and Tom Brier--I knew them
| all afterwari-were with my mother by
the big white rcse bush. crying and
| trembling together. Humphrey was
plainly dying. and Sally knew nothing
Of any words but that she bounds Of
whose dark mystery she seemed 20 be
| ,reading with him The gust of sweet
| hvier tossing IN the wind brings IL all
! before me now--the faces OF the fright
| oned children az the gate. the cries 81
the men far on launching a iitile sis0p
I on the hate tide. the sense ri an awful
/ darknasa ofanfur ont OF the light ard