The Brandon news., 1903-04-30

other things that you would not have
talked in the presence of my innocent
christian mother, and tho children.
Now you are opposed to Sunday
schools, prayer meetings and fight fore
ign missions, saying that the mission
aries are responsible for the uprising
of the Boxers in China, and all the
devilment in the old world, and, with
the worm, prohibition in the new.
Oh, how have tho mighty fallen
Just last night, as | sat in my rags in
the back seat at church, I heard earn
est souls singing ''Do they ever
pray for me at homer" Oh, my
God, thought I, that is my condition.
Oh, yes, father, before your heart was
hardened by money and whisky, tha
Holy Book of God' you spoke of in
your letter, was read at the family
altar, especially when the pastor came,
but now, never; no song, no prayer
you away at the club meeting, (you
said) and my poor mother would
patiently wait with anxious hear1
and warm supper, nursing the sick
children with heavenly meekness,
hope, trust and believed you a true
man and that business kept you away
at late hours, but alas! alas! as the
dark cloud came nearer, and we heard
the muttering thunder Of disappoint-
ment, we saw the storm of desolation.
coming. And father you know as you
grew richer and richer, you became
more and more careless until your
heart has been encrusted in the steel
OF worldly care, and wilful disregard
of all that is sacred and dear. You
are now, dear father, arrayod against
the best people and our common in
terests. You speak of struggling and
praying mothers, who work constantly
for the we'll being of their sons and
daughters in this s.World and that
which is to come, as fanatics, -
CHASING them with the Pharisees,
Scribes, drunkards, opium eaters and
all the low and outlandish characters
in the world, and in that list must be
found my own darling mother, and the
mother Of your own children, the wo-
man that you promised, before God
and man, at Hyman's S altar, to love,
pro tect and to honor. You have left
all. Father, you said in your let
ter that all those good women, in
cluding youa wife, were violating
Gods Holy Book and ought TO hold
their tongue in public and learn of
their husbands at home.' Oh, father,
don't you remember how my dear
mother tried to do that and would
beg yeH to give more time and
thought to God, heaven and home, and
begged you to refraia from drinking
and selling rum, and told you how
your conduct and influence could
ruin, not only our family, but all
the town, and would advise with you
and tell you OF the broken hearted
mothers, and suffering children that
liquor was making. Oh, yes, father,
you can't certainly have forgotten how
you were urged to lead the family to
higher planes of christian culture and
usefu living, but when she would put
her arms around you and take you
close TO her loving heart and try to
warm up youF frozen soul by the fires
that burn on hyman's altar, you
would pull away and with curt reply,
have heg to know that you was boss
Of your affairs, and hasten away to
the club OF stofe( y Yes, she wouldsfre-
quentiy impress a walm wifeiy kiss
upon your icy lips to be met with
whisky fumes and tobacco juice.
Yes, thousands of good women would
be glad to sit at the fleet of loving
husbands to learn and follow their ad-
vice if their husbands would live the
right kind of lives, but q mother is
not willing to sit still and see her |
how "a down into the cesspoool of fuin |
cr;me and ID -th. even through the
influence of an lnil1,'ian 1a'''.i'
Oh, broken, wronged and disinhe-
ed boy that am! No one loves
me, mo one cares for my soul. {
am a castaway in this hard world
what shall I do? My dear sweet
mother, the bright morning star OF
my life, ny only true friend, gone
down in sorrow to the grave; my lit
tie brothers, the sons of my own
mother, have gone out, uneducated
and Ealone to become drawers OF
water and lewers of wood'' foF
others; my sweet little sisters are put |
out in their childish ignorance, and |
helplessness, to become burden bear
els and waiting maids for the more
fortunate. My dear father, the once
noble and manly John WatergIass,
ESQ.,. now with bloated face, blood