Year: 1876

your dead father, 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


"'Oh, shipmates, 1 did promise, then
/ and there, all that my mother asked, and
| God knows that to this moment that
| promise has never been broken. My
| father was buried, and some good, kind
neighbors helped us through the Win
| ter. When the next Spring came 1 could
work, and 1 earned something for my
mother. At length found chance to
ship, and 1 did 50, and every time 1 go
| home have some money for my mother.
Not Tor the wealth of the whole world
would l break the pledge 1 gave my
mother and my God, on that dark, cold
morning. And even had made no such
pledge, would not touch the fatal cup,
for l know that have fond, doting
mother who would be made miserable
! by my dishonor, and would rather die
than bring more sorrow upon her head !,
Perhaps you have no mothers; and, il
you have, perhaps they do not look to
you for support, for 1 know you too
well to believe that either of you would
ever bring down loving mothers gray
hairs in sorrow to the grave. That is
all, shipn1ates. Let me go, now, and
you may enjoy yourselves alone, for
do not believe that you will again urge
the wine cup upon me-


AS Jack thus spoke, he turned to-
ward the door, but Tim Black stopped
him.


"'Hold on jack cried Tim, wiping
his eyes and starting up from his chair.
You shan't go alone. have got q
mother, and love her as well as you
love yours, and your mother shall not
be happier than mine, for, by the love
I bear her, 1 here swear that she shall
not have a drunken son. l willgdrink
no mOrep


"'Give us your hand, Tim, cried Sam
Pratt. "I'll go with you


''I waited no more, but quickly start
ing from my chair I joined the other
two, and ere long he whole five of us
! joined with Jacks m III in his noble plan
We called for pen, ink and paper, and
made Jack draw up pledge. He signed
it first and We followed him, and when
| the deed was done l knew we were far
happier than we had been before for
years. The wine upon the table was not
touched, and the liquor we had drank
during the forenoon was now all gone in
its effect.


Toward evening We returned to the
ship. There was frown upon the cap
tain's brow as we came over the side,
for he had never known US to come off
from days liberty sober. But when
we had all come over the side and re-
ported ourselves to him, his counten-
ance changed. He could hardly give
credit to the evidence of his own senses.


Look here, boys, he said, after he
had examined us thoroughly, What
does this mean?'


"'Show him the paper whispered 1.


"Jack had our pledge, and without
speaking he handed it to the captain.
He took it and read it, and his face
changed its expression several times.
At length I saw a tear start to his eye.


"We let the captain keep the paper,
and when he had put it in his pocket he
came and took us each in turn by the
hand. He was much affected, and 1
knew that the circumstances made him
happy. From that day our prospects
frightened. Jack Small no more had
our envy, for he took hold and taught
us in navigation, and we were proud of
him. On the next voyage we all six
were rated as able seamen, and received
full wages, and we left not that noble
hearted captain until we left to become
officers on board other ships.


"Jack Small is now one of the best
masters in the world, and 1 believe that
the rest of the party are still living,
honored and respected men. Three
years ago we all met-the whole six of
us-at the Astor House in New York,
and not one of us had broken that
pledge which we made in the hotel at
Rio. Four of us were then command
ers of good ships, one was q merchant
in New York, and the other was Just 60
ing out as American consul to one Of
the Italian cities on the Mediterranean.


A SPIDER IN THE SToMAcH.-A short
I A. = . n -