Year: 1873

COHueuCeu JO abuse anu sCOH. we aC-
cused him of trying to step over us on
board the ship, and of all other bad things
of which we could think. For awhile the
poor fellow seemed inclined to let his anger
calmed himself, and, stepping back to his
chair, he said:


'Shipmates, will you listen to me for
moment?"


"Silence gave consent, and in moment
more he resumed


"'Since matters have come to this pass,
have resolved to tell you what l had
meant to keep locked up in my bosom"


GO We had always thought, from Jacks
manner, that there was something peculiar
connected with his early life, and we were
all attention in moment.


My story is but very short one,' he
continued, 'and can tell it an very few
words. From the time of my earliest child
hood never knew what it was to have
happy home. My father. was drunkard
Once he had been a good man and good
husband, but rum ruined all his manhood,
and made brute of him. | can remember
how cold and cheerless was the first winter
Of my life to which my memory leads my
mind. We had no fire, no food, no
clothes, no joy, no nothing, nothing but
misery and woe My poor mother used to
clasp me to her bosom to keep me warm
and once-once, remember, when her
very tears froze on my cheek Oh how
my mother prayed to God for her husband;
and l, who could but just prattle, learned
to pray, too. And / used to see that hus-
band and father return to his home, and /
remember how my poor mother cried and
trembled.


"'When i grew older had to go out
and beg for bread. All cold and shivering,
I waded through the deep snow, with my
clothes in tatters and freezing feet almost
bare; and saw other children dressed
warm and comfortable, and l knew they
were happy, for they laughed and sang as
they bounded along toward school. Those
boys had sober fathers. / knew that their
fathers were no better than mine had been
once, for my mother had told me how
noble my own father could be if the ac-
cursed demon, rum, were not in his way
But the fatal power was upon him, and
though he often promised and though he
often tried, he could not escape.


"'Time passed on, and was eight years
old, and those eight years had been years
of such horror and suffering as pray God
length one cold morning in the dead of
winter, my father was not at home. He
had not been at home through the night.
My mother sent me to the tavern to see if
/ could find him. had gone half the way
when saw something in the snow, by the
side of the road. stopped, and a shudder
ran through me, for it looked like a human
form. l went up and turned the head
over, and brushed the snow from the face.
1t was my father, and he was stiff and cold
l laid my hand on his pale brow, and it
was like solid marble. He was dead p
"Poor Jack stopped moment and wiped
his eyes. Not one of us spoke, for we had
become too deeply moved. But he soon
went on:


"' went to the tavern and told the
people there what had found, and the
landlord sent two of his men to carry the


frozen body of my father home. o ship.
mates cannot tell you how mother wept
and groaned. She sank down on her knees
and clasped the icy corpse to her bosom
as though she would have given it life from
the warmth of her own breast. She loved
, her husband through all his errors, and
her love was all-powerful now. The two
, men went away and left the body still or
the floor. My mother wished me to come
and kneel by her side. I did SO. "My
child" she said to me, and the big tears


were rolling down her cheeks, "you know
what has caused all this. This man was
t once as noble, and happy, and true, as mar
. can be but oh ! see how he has beer
: stricken down Promise me, NY child
. oh promise here, before God and youl


dead father, and your broken-heartet
, mother, that you will never, never, touch g
single drop Of the fatal poison that hai


wrought for us all this misery


/ 30 shipmates ! I did promise, then ant
there, all that my mother asked, and Goo
: knows that to this moment that promis,
: has never been broken. My father wa
. buried, and some good, kind neighbour


helped us through the winter. When the
: next spring camel could work, and earn