Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1908-05-14
Down With the Liquor Tallc.
(BEsSIE BINGHAM.)

N''hDpih hDi+''i'hh'|
There is not q motherin all our
land who sees her boy come reel
ing home drunk from a legalized
saloon. who declares that the sa-
loon traffic let's her alone, altho'
she lets it alone
| heard OF a young man in the
far West years ago who inherit
ed from his fathers estate quite
q sum Of money-between fifty
and one hundred thousand dol
lars. He married one of the most
lovely christian girls in the COM
munity; beautiful, loved and re
spected by all who knew her.
They did what few ever did in
those days took a wedding trip
to Europe.
They remained there two years.
This young man coming sudden
ly into possession of this great
estate--for it was great in those
days-joined clubs, attended ra-
ces and got to drinking and gam
bling. Losing atgambling he un-
dertook toregain thief ortune lost
and went on from bad to worse
until he became q common drunk
ard. During the two years they
spent in Europe a child was
born to them. At last. as the re-
suit of hisdissipation, they found
themselves "a | m os penniless.
They had just enough to bring
them back to New York. He sold
his wife's jewelry and parted with
| all the clothing that they could
spare to get enough money to
take them back to theirold home.
And when they got there she, OF
course, was broken-hearted and
Inundated, while he. a blear-eyed
bloated wreck. He had left there
but two years before, a bright,
sober, highly respected young
man; a young man offuturefnm
and honor in the community
where he was raised. His friends
rallied around him and tried to
save him, but he had become so
debauched and profane and bru-
tai that he spulned their friendly
offers.
At last with the aid OF friends
and by the solicitation ofhis wife,
who had been stricken with con-
sumption, they moved South in
to a state where there was a good
town, but where there were two
or three saloons: (It is hard in
this country, except in prohibi-
tion states, to find a place where
there are no saloons.) Il h ey
moved intea cabin in the out
skirts of the town. She was on a
bed OF straw, hollow-eyed and
pale. her little boy, then about
ten wears of age, her only watch
er. While he was with mama, pa
pa was at the saloon cleaning
out spittoons for a drink.
Is it possible that we have iu-
dlcials granting license to Il bust
ness that thus reduces manhood
upon which the life of the coun-
try depends? Is there a my
heather landlower on the face of
Gods earth? NOT ONE!
And this poor mother, in her
great distresss, sinking day By
day, lower and lower, not hav-
ing the comforts of life. At last
one day, in her great agony she
said to her little boy; "Oh, Tom
my, won't you pray for mama?"
Tommy knelt down and thus
prayed. "Oh, Lord, wilt Thou
look downupon ourhumble home
and wilt Thou bless our dearma-
ma, and wilt Thou relieve her OF
her great suflering?"
Then the drunken father came
in, caught him by the hair,
threw him upon the floor, kicked
him, and cuffed him and bea t
him, and said: ''Now, you little
scoundrel, III ever come home
and catch you shifting and pray
ing over your mother you'll
leave this house never to darllen
this door aoain ~ A wepk later