Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-01-14
w, G, 7, u. COLUMN.
TIE COST OF A LICENSE.

Little Willie came in with glowing face,
And his questioning eyes showed just trace
Of excitement and, may be, of envy, too,
In their sunny depths so sweet and blue,
And he said as his curls from his brow ne
tossed
"Auntie! what is license and what does 1t
cost?
Ned Bakers father, he told me at play
Was going to buy license to-day;
Papa's as rich as the Bakers, know,
Why couldn't we have license too?'
Ger her soul there swept a cold, dread
wave,
Such we feel by yawning grave
A look of terror stole into her face,
She clasped the child in a close embrace
AS if she feared that he might be lost
81 don't know just what licenses cost,
But the license that Baker will buy, think,
Is license to sell his neighbors drink.
Fifty dollars, I think that Ephraim Stone
Paid for one in days that are gone;
paid more, ten thousand times,
Though twas not all in dollars and dimes;
My husband, your grand uncle, Cyrus Jones,
Used to go over to Ephraim Stones,
At first just to pass hour away
An hear what others might have to say.
But, bye and bye, he began to drink;
oh, my heart grows sick when I stop to think,
How the dark storm gathered time went by,
Till no light was left in my life's dull sky.
Slowly hope crushed, for never more.
Could trust and believe as did before.
''But there were the children, Bessie and
Jack,
And hoped for a time they might win him
back.
Sometimes remorse would DER him sweep.
And he'd promise while would pray and
weep
That for the sake of those children and me
He would be the man that he used to be;
And that meant much-never prouder wife
Than till that license wrecked my life.
But the promise was broken, and day py day
The darkness grew denser about my way.
His love seemed a thing of the long ago
And at last one day he struck me blow.
Years have passed since then, but on my brow
seem to feel it burning now;
Joy and g1adness were long since fled,
Hope in my heart lay crushed and dead,
And when he struck me that bitter blow
The last faint spark of love died, too.
He died very soon in drunken spree;
was almost glad, for it set me free.
My very life was wrapped up in Jack
Sure he could not follow his fathers track;
But, ere knew it, my brave, bright son
Was slave to that license of Ephraim Stone.
Oh, Willie! my darling cannot tell
How the night of horror DER me fell,
And storm clouds gathered thick and fast
Ger my helpless head till they broke at last,
And my beautiful boy was brought home dead
Slain by comrades hand, they said.
Over there in the shadows dark and deep
He lies, while still live and weep.
"And Bessie, you say? Well, there came to
place
gay young man with handsome face.
He was bright and pleasant and winning, too
Such girls apt to fancy, you know.
begged and pleaded; for it known
He liked the tavern of Ephraim Stone.
Twas all in vain-these tears will start;
She married him-and-he br oke her heart.
Scarce two years and she lay at rest,
With my only grandchild on her breast.
''Im child1ess and hopeless and all alone
All for that license of Ephraim Stone.
All alone l live, and sit and wonder
If, when reach the home over yonder,
[ shall find even there all I've loved and lost
God only knows what that license COST
Mrs. A. A. ROLFE.