The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-09-25

head of the 'hold-outers.' You're the
most influential man among them.
Fifty or hundred men are standing
behind you, covered by you. Admit
ting that whisky doesn't hurt you, it's
hurting them. If you join the move
ment Wen reform the last man of
| them"
Still Bob refused. If there were men
behind him he had nothing to do with
their being there; they put themselves
there, etc.
But the greater the opposition he of
fered the more determined were the
temperance people to conquer his will.
They ordered to the front their
logicians, their eloquent men, their
persuasive women, till Bob's refusal,
from being good-natured, grew to be
coldly polite, then severely dignified.
At length, one day, he replied, angrily:
Look here, I'm tired of this. You
meddlers, get out of my shop and let
me alone. Don't you come bothering
me with all this talk any more. I've
had enough of this nagging. You're
an impudent set of fellers to come
advising of me about my duty to my
wife and children. Which cares most
| for EN-, you or me? You'd better 90
and look after your own wives and
children. Mine have more clothes and
better clothes than any of yours and
the clothes are all paid for, and that's
more than some of you can say. Look
out for your own homes and let mine
alone. My wife amt goin' to thank you
for meddlin' with her happiness. She's
the happiest woman in town now
Tend to your own wives, I tell YOU
again; | say mines the happiest wom-
an in town"
He said the same thing. "My wife's
the happiest woman in town" to the
old gray-haired minister, sent to him
by the persevering temperance people.
When Bob said to him: "My wife is
the best cared-for woman in town. the
happiest woman in town." the minis
ter replied:
But she might be the happiest
woman in any town, if you'd stop
drinking"
'You don't mean to say that it
would make her any happier?" said
| Bob.
''Yes, I do. Of course it would
make her happier"
did she say that 1T would?" Bob de-
manded, sharply
'Not that l know of, but there is no
right-feeling woman who is not
grieved and shamed by her husbands
drinking"
81 don't believe my wife's grieved
and shamed at anything I do, or that
she ever has been. My drinking doesn't
worry her. I never get drunk"
Suppose you ask her." the minister
suggested.
81 will; I'll ask her tonight" Bob
said, promptly.
"And what them" said the minister.
''If she says that it will make her
any happier to have me give up drink
ing I'll do it. I'll go to your temper
ance meeting tonight. I'll leave it all
with Susan"
Good" said the minister, laying his
hand on the Others arm and feeling
sure of his man.
That evening, after tea was over,
Bob said to his wife that he would. like
to have a little talk with her. SO they
went away to the spare room together
and then he told her all about it. how
the men and the minister had been
talking to him, of the arguments they
had used, etc, of how he had boosted
that she was the happiest woman in
town, of the minister's reply.
'Then I told him, Susan. that I'd
leave it all to you and I do; leave it
to you. Aren't you happy, Susan? If
you think, Susan, that you would be
any happier by my becoming an ah-
stainer, I'll do it. I'll sign tonight"
There was dead silence.
'What do you say, Susan?"
What did she say?
She said nothing-not a word.
She fell on her knees and cried and
cried as though she never could stop
cried till the tears gathered in Bob's
eyes.
There! there!" he said. Don't
take on any more. I'll join tonight. I
never knew you cared. You never
scolded or fretted like the other
women"
81 only wanted that promise" she
said, 'to make me the happiest woman
in the town."
She told him that for IA years there
had been an aching spot in her heart
a spot haunted by a cruel dread-a
fear that he might so down to
drunkard's grave.
That night at the temperance meet
ing, when the pledge was read and
signers called for, Bob Marshall got
to his feet in quiet, resolute way and
then the men who had reasoned with
him and the women who had pleaded
with him and the wife who had wept
and was weeping, saw him go forward
to the desk"
Bob Marshall!"
''It's Bob Marshall!"
''It's Bob"
Hes goin' to join"
These words went from mouth to
mouth. People stretched forward to
1.