Year: 1870

; Ny poor llOluCI uS6u 10 clasp me 10
2 her bosom to keep me warm, and
once, once 1 Femem bor, when her very
: tears froze on my cheek 0, how my
, mother prayed to God for her hus-
band; and ], who could but Just pratt


tie, learned to pray, too. And I used
to see that husband and father return
TO his home, and remember how my
poor mother cried and trembled.


"When | grew older Ihad to 90 out.


and beg for bread. All cold and shiv-


ering l waded through the deep snow,


with my clothes in tatters and my


freezing feet almost bare. And saw


other children dressed warm and com


Portable, and l knew they were hap


py, for they laughed and sang as thev


bounded along toward school. Those
/ boys had sober fathers. l knew that


their fathers were no better than mine


had been once, for my mother told me
how noble my own father could be if


the accursed demon rum were not in


his way. But the fatal power was up


on him, and though be often promis-I
ed, and though he often tried, he
could not escape.


''Fime passed on and l was eight
years old, and those eight years had


been years Of such sorrow and suffer


ing as 1 pray God l may never see
another experience. At length one
cold morning my father was not at
home. He lad not been at home
through the night. My mother sent
mo to the tavern to see if could end
him. l had goue half the way when
l saw something in the snow by tile
side Of the road. | stopped, and q
shudder ran through me, for it looked
like a man. l went up to it and
turned the bead over and brushed the
snow from the face 1t was my faith
er, and he was stiff and cold 1 laid
my hand upon his pale brow. and it
it was like solid marble. lie was
dead !"
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:


81 went 10 the tavern and told the
people there what I had found, and
the landlord sent two Of his men to
carry the frozen body of my father
home. D, shipmates, | can not tell |
you how my mother wept and groan- /
ed. She sank down upon her knees
and clasped the icy corpse 10 her bo-
sum, as though she would have given
it life from the warmth Of her own
breast. She loved her husband
through all his errors,a and her love was
all powerful now. The two men
went away and left the body still on
the floor. My mother wished me to
come and kneel by her side. ! 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 once as noble, and hap |
py, and true, as man could be, but oh, |
see how he has been stricken down
Promise me, my child, o, promise, |
here, before God and your dead faith
er, and your broken hearted mother,
that you will never, never, touch |
single drop of the fatal poison that
has wrought for Us all this misery"


go, shipmates, l did promise. then
and there, all that mother asked, and
God knows that to this moment that
promise has never been broken. Myi
father was buried, and some good,
kind neighbors helped US through the
winter. When the next spring came
| could work, and earned something
for my mother. At length l found a
chance to ship and | did so, and every
time | go home l have some money
for DIy mother Not for the wealth Of
the whole world would l break the
pledge that l gave my mother and my
God on that dark, cold morning. And
even had made no such pledge, I
would not touch the fatal cup, for l
know that have a fond, dOting moth
er who would be made miserable by
my dishOnOr, and l would rather die
than bring more sorrow upon her
head. Perhaps you have no mothers;
and if you have, perhaps they do not
look TO you for support, for know
you too well to believe that either Of
you would ever bring down a loving
mothers gray hairs in sorrow to the
grave. That is all, shipmate5. Let
me go now, and you may enjoy your.
selves alone, for do not believe that
you will again urge the wine-cup up
on me-" l.


As Jack thus spoke he turned to-
wards the door, but Tim Black stop
ped him.


"HOld on, Jack "cried Tim, wiping
his eyes and starting up from his
chair. "You shan't go alone. l hlUs
got mother and l love her as well as
you love yours, and your mother shall
not be happier than mine, for by the
love l bear her, I here swear that she
shall never have q drunken son. l h
will drink no more"


"Give US your hand, Tim" cried II
Sam Pratt; sIll go with you"


l waited no more, but quickly start
ing from my chair joined the other
two, and ere long the whole five of us
joined with Jack Small in his noble /
life-plan. We called for pen, ink and
paper, aud made Jack draw up
pledge. He signed it first and we fol
lowed him, and when the deed was
done l know we were far happier than \
we had been before for years. The II
wine upon the table was untouched,
ind the liquor we had drank during
the forenoon was now all gone in its
effects.


Towards evening we returned to the t
ship. There was frown upon the {
brow as we came over the
side, for he had never known us to
come off from a days liberty sober.
But when we had all come over the ;
side and reported ourselves to him
mis- countenance changed. He could 1
hardly give credit TO the evidence OF Ia
mis- own senses. .... a .... ..al


"Look here, boys" he said, after he
had examined Us thoroughly, "what
loes this mean 2" ... ..-..


"Show him the paper" whisper
d I. .-..


Jack had our pledge, and without
;peaking he handed it to the captain.
d