Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-04-16
A Drunkard's Home.

l was born at Halesowen, in the
Black Country. My father was
chain maker, and worked with him
from the earliest time car remember
until the day Of his death. He was
an ignorant man. violent In temper,
and given to drink.
Every Saturday he would come home
half mad, and would thrash me
without mercy. Sometimes he
would thrash my sister, also But he
never neglected me, and l was glad
to get into the coalhole or any other
place Of refuge when l heard his step.
Many time my sister crept up
stairs to the garrett to console me
after he had whaled me all over with
the buckle.end of his strap. She
used to sit on my bed, and take me
in her arms and cry over me and II
she could find crust Of bread or a
cold potato she would bring 1T to
me, pressing me to eat 1t, while she
whispered such words Of hope as her
simple heart could prompt
We had no mother She died in
childbed, and ] only knew of her from
my sisters telling. My sister dc.
scribed her as a little, frail woman.
silent, and submissive to my father,
though his evil ways and evil pas
sions rendered her very unhappy.
Only once did my mother resent
his violence, and then not on her
own account.
II was one Sunday night while my
sister was still child. My mother.
who was very religious, sat at the
table reading her Bible, when my
father came home in one Of his most
fendish humors, and cursing her for
a canting hypocrite, threw the Bible
into the fire. and struck her in the
face with'his fist.
My sister, seeing this, ran between
them, screaming with terror, and
tried to push my father away. Mad
dened with drink, he seized the child
by the hair, and lifted his heavy hand
to strike her, when my mother sprang
up, snatched a knife from the table,
and laid his cheek open from eyebrow
TO lip.
He drew back then, and, taking
up the poker, threatened to beat her
TO a jelly, but my mother put little
Alice behind her, ana swore by the
White Christ that she would send the
knife through his heart II he moved
one inch forward. so, cursing her
for hell.cat, my father staggered
out Of the house, and did not come
back for a month.
He never struck my mother again,
but after her death he seemed to
wreck his spite upon us.
We led miserable life. From
six in the morning until nine at night
my sister worked at the Matchmaking,
and helped my father in the smithy.
Nearly all my fathers wages went in
drink or gambling. and the few shil-
lings Alice earned went the same
way, 30 that we never had clothes to
cover us, nor food enough to feed our
growth.
have seen my sister take of her
only petticoat, and cell IL TO buy
piece OF bread for supper / have
known her TO walk mile after ten at
night, and sell basket OF empty
whiskey bottles for piece OF coal,
whom the frost was keen and never a
bit Of fire in the crate. And once
when l had been down with low
fever, and was crying from weakness
and want Of food, she jumped up sud
denly, kissed me, bade mo be patient
for little while, and went out. She
came back in an hour, and brought
me some whito bread and small
bunch Of grapes.
| can remember that occasion as
II IL were a thing Of yesterday
Alice, kneeling on the hearth with
her arm around me. and holding
up the grapes between me and the fire,
so that ! might see tho light shine
through them and /, with my head so
heavy and numbed, hanging against
her shoulder, and my eyes burning
and smarting with fever, and, IN the
corner OF the room, my fathers bull
terrier crouohed, snoring, with his
broad black muzzle on his paws.
tried to eat the grapes, but my
throat was too sore 20 swallow them.
My lax muscles ached and quiv-