The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-28
Flashlights On The
Temperance Question
No. II.
Tho Broken Doll.

1t the Christmas time when the
city's oughfares were crowded with the
gift shoppers The great army Of resident
gift buyers augmented by that large con-
tngent OF out of town folk who hither
make their purchases. The ieadcn skies and
damp chilly air did not serve to diminish the
throng. Hundreds were vending their way to
the railway station laden with boxes, pack
ages--talld. alas! not few with liquor jugs. At
certain point there Was q congestion of tho
pedestrian throng, caused by drunken man.
who quickly taken in charge by officer In
the meantime three had accidentally dropped
and smashed many jugs of the Christmas
cheer liquid. the odors of which were waited
around by the breeze. One Of the "juggers''
also carried Il goodly package OF useful and
appropriate Christmas gifts, but in the mix-up
, the owner and the package became separated.
and there marks OF Identification on
the goods. W hen 1t was picked up. the marreo
form and features OF an erstwhile very pretty
doll Was conspicuous In the wreckage OF the
bundles Dolly had hit the pavement face down
~ard-one eye gone, her nose laceTaAed.
foot broken OFF, her hair matted with mud. and
her skirt with whiskey from the broken
Jug. Many a glance was given the unfortunate
little inaniinAte lady. accompanied BY such ex-
pressions what d pity such pretty doll
/ should be horribly broken!' Even the hand
II the TOY raised IL to shield her re-
manning eye from the peerins looks and sug-
/ gested shame and modification. Could dolly
have spoken her words would not have been
enbalmed in song and story by the defenders
, and apologists OF the liquor traffic 1t was
only a doll But let US picture in imagination
the little girl for whom the doll pur-
chased and her empty stocking! Also mama
and homei
Papa had come to town to buy the Santa
cided upon. Little Mary had looked fondly for
ward to the gladstone morning when mama
Claus had brought her She had dreamed fond
dreams OF that doll She had written and
talked about it for weeks. Mama had every
1 thing planned for joyous morning. and now.
with Mary snugly tucked away In her uunde
bed maybe. she eagerly awaiting the ar.
rival of papa who would have the doll and
other g0odiy things Christmas happiness.
All! here he comes! His supper awaits him
the IRE glares on the hearth--it viii be IL happy
/ q enins fixing the stocking for old Santa! But
/ he staggers in with mud covered garments and
with babbIes Of excuses that he has had
accident and lost his packages and money. and
! only took drink to avoid cold from expo
! sure. l3ut mother knew. and hope within her
dies' The roseate hue of Christmas Is
/ eHpplanted Ivy the dark clouds OF despair.
Christmas songs turned into sighs-tunefur
! laughter into choking sobs' And yet tits
Of herself is she sad but for pity of him and
some plight she seeks to frame apology
/ for Santas failure to come. 1t becomes almost
Undesirable when the child starts I'm her sleep
and lisps. Mama has Santa Claus come yeti"
/ Instead OF a joyous. delightful little girl hug
ging the long coveted doh and with sweet. In
! nocent face beaming with smiles. the morning
lnds poor little Mary standing before her emp
y stocking with her little hands casped be-
mind her, tears streaming down her checks and
4 trying To interpret manas answer to her plain
! tive query, why didn't Santa Claus tum?"
! And santa Claus didn't come because of
! liquor! And liquor did come because OF the
/ saloon And the saloon and stays be-
cause Of the legal sanction given 1t by the
voters And there quite enough voters OBJ
posed 90 the traffic to wipe it OF existence
i II they VIII properly unite,
This little sketch. based fact, is not In the
4 beast oVerdrawn. There hundreds upon
] hundreds OF even more pathetic instances And
they are happening all around and about US
ana yet the nefarious liquor traffic Is permitted
! by law to exist or course the State and city
gets the revenues. and the traffic il licensed
TO regulate It," for sooth. but what State or
municipality can thrive Off OF such tribute
i money and how can bad egg ever be "reg,l-
/ iated'' Let's withdraw legal sanction OF a
+ traffe which causes much misery and woe
! and IS a blot upon escutcheon.
AZ long AS children cry out their distress
and the walls Of broken hearted mothers re-
sound through the land. just long la IL neccs-
/ sary for such articles this to he penned by
somebody II that be fAnaticsm make tha
most OF ~ II It he treason, be- Ill