Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-20
mr., XIII r, IT O the

wards became his wife and my moth
er She was of an old New England
/ family. and as her tastes were SINH
| lar TO my fathers they were drawn
/ together. They were quietly married
| a few months later at the home of the
American Ambassador in London.
I From that moment until my mother
I died. nearly four years ago. / don't
| believe a more devoted couple lived
| on earth.
This brings me down to a painful
/ episode. Mildred-the only blot, the
| only cloud in our family sky. Soon
/ after their marriage my parents de-
| Cided to come 10 this country to live
| as there was nothing to keep them
/ permanently on the other side. Now
my father had been accustomed TO
| drinking light wines in Europe and
I he had never tasted the stronger
| drinks that are so much used in this
/ country. Ny father and mother had
! hardly become established in New
| York and begun a new life with their
| friends when my father, without the
! slightest apprehension Of what the
| consequences would be, began indulg-
! ing in the strong drinks that mis-
( friends were in the habit Of taking
/ at their clubs and in their homes
| Gordon paused a moment before ne
4 continued.
/ Mildred, the results were terrify-
( ing. Strong drink made a beast of
my father He was like a raving
maniac while under the influence of
/ it, In his right moments he was a
Dr. Jekyl in his nature, but when he
drank he was a veritable Mr.. HYDE.
It is true he committed no crime. nor
did any of the atrocities with which
the fictitious Mr.. Hyde is credited de-
velop, but it seemed only a question
Of time when something awful would
happen. My mother was heart
broken, but she loved with a devotion
that proved itself a thousand times
before and since. The story am tell
| ing you. Mildred. was told me once
| am not going into all the details,
but am telling you enough so that
you can thoroughly understand
things.
Plans for Redemption.
This dark spot in my fathers life
lasted nearly three months. My moth
er was in constant fear that some
thing dreadful would happen. 1t was
necessary to take drastic measures.
She sent for my Uncle Andrew. He
was shocked at the story she told
him A cablegram was dispatched to
my Uncle Peter in London and seven
days later he. arrived in New York.
There was a family consultation, in
which my father, who by forcible
means had not been allowed to touch
/ liquor for nearly a week. took part
My mother and my two uncles were
the others that distressed the serious
problem before them
MY father who was the kndest
most courteous and most considerable
man that ever lived, except for the
brief period of which l am telling
you, was his old self at this family
conference. He freely acknowledged
his terrible mistakes and begged for
giveness of his wife and brothers.
When it came to a question of what
should be done, it was my father who
made the suggestion that was prompt
~ carried out. Ny mother jumped
at it. What my father believed would
be great sacrifice on her part she
gladly assumed
My fathers plan was this: AS he
I believed 1t would simply be counting
destruction for him to remain in New
! York, or any other city where the
temptation of strong drink was al
/ ways at hand (for in that terrible
period he found himself unable to re-
| sist iD, he proposed to take himself
| away from the haunts of men; to
build himself a place away from
everybody and live there for the re-
mainder of his days. 1t was a dras-
| tic remedy, but the only thing to be
done. There was nothing that need
Keep him in New York He had been
brought up and educated TO live a
| life of ease.
When my mother told me the
story she said she cried for Joy when
my father unfolded his plan to her
and his brothers. The plan was adopt
ed then and there and not a moments
| time was lost in carrying it out. That
very night emissaries were Dispatch
ed to the South. One went to the
mountains of Virginia, one to North
| Carolina and one farther South.
Within week reports began to come
in and within a month this site was
selected.