Year: 1875

CHAPTER j.


John Cosnett felt very much like "Mr.
Ready-to-halt," as he walked along under
the gloomy sky of certain Oath of De-
cember.


John had not very robust constitu-
ton, and he felt the influence of weather
and surrounding circumstances more than
he would have done had he been a
stronger man. He knew that it was to a
great extent his own fault that he had
destroyed the health he once enjoyed by
years of excessive drinking but this re-
lection did not make his trouble any
easier to bear-far from it.


1t was now exactly twelve months
since he had signed the pledge; and in
stead of looking back with Joy and
thankfulness upon the happy change
which had taken place in himself, his
family and his home during that time,
he perversely chose to look at every
thing in light as gloomy as that
of this gray, frosty, cherries Christmas
Eve.


'T don't see that we're much better of
than we were this time last year." he
said to himself. "Almost all we can say
is, that we are quite out of debt; but
home isn't much better, that can see.
Fifty things that we wanted then to
make it comfortable, we want yet; and
can't see any prospects of getting 'em.
1t has been nothing but patch, patch,
patch, after all our striving; and there
are lots of things that wife and children
want this cold weather, that can't be got
and won't be got for many a day. Then
see how ill Polly has been, and what a
sickly little mite she is still; shouldn't
wonder bit if we lost her, and l think
it would drive me well.nigh mad to lose
Polly. All, things do look dark, and
there doesn't seem much encouragement
to keep on. Wife and the children don't
seem even to remember that this is the
anniversary of the day on which / gave
up the drink, although it was the hardest
trial of my life to do it. Not wort
have they said about it, and they dom
seem to care. l suppose they wouldn't
care if did just as Tom Hanvers wants
me to so much-go and keep Christmas
Eve with him and the rest of 'em at ''Th'
Golden Goose" Well, if l did i
wouldn't be 50 bad, after all. Haven
I kept the pledge whole year? AnC
that's more than many can say. If
did have bit of enjoyment tonight,
could sign again after New Years Day.


John thrust his cold hands in his pock
cts, and iingled the silver about in then
that he had Just received for wages. /
seemed as if he tried to look and feel a
miserable as he could.


All, John, John Don't you know hoy
easy it is to make every thing in life lool
as black as night, if we are bent upol
murmuring and repining? And don
YOU know that there is sunny side +
every cloud, and that oftentimes thing
are not nearly so bad as they seem to he
Now if your "good angeP' could hav
whispered into your ear just then, wha
might you have heard? Something lik
this:


"Now, John, man, pray reflect upo
what you have been saying. You are
deal better off than you were this tim
last year. Not only can you hold u
your head before the whole world, an
say, "I owe no man penny" but you
money has done many blessed things bt
sides putting you out of debt. Certainl
there is not so much to show for it yet
but it has kept the children plentiful
supplied with good food all year it ha
kept their shoes sound, and their clothe
tidy; it has brought many little comfort
to your home, and made your wife gla
and thankful woman. And though man
things are still wanted, they can be dor
without, little longer, and you will &,
them in very good time if you hold O
bravely. Then, although your darlir
little Polly has been so i'll, she is now q
most well, you may say, and, with car
-...x t,,rr ont AZ rapn anu Of III
other children. And if it should plea
God to take her, He would surely gi'
you strength according to your day, al
help you to say, ellis will be done,"
you look to Him. And as for wife al
children not caring about this importa
anniversary you just wait bit and sc
1t is because they are afraid of lettiI
the cat out of the bag, as your eide
boy, Arthur, says that they have n
said word about it during the past ty
or three weeks.


Be a man, John Don't be so FOOLS
nay wicked, as to go off to "The Gold
Goose" seeking "enjoymentp p You knC
well enough you wouldn't find it the
Didn't you try through many wea
wear TO get enjoyment in such plac
and after all didn't you find yourself
the very depths of misery and despai
And pray don't let Satan deceive y
with the notions that you would 60 a
sign the pledge very easily after N,
Years Day. Youmight never sign aga
il you want only break it now, and tn
woe, woe, woe, to yourself and eve
body belonging to you.


Go home, John, go homel Home is I
place for the tempted and the gloon
Il is haven to run into and escape sh
wreck. If things look dark to you nc
20 home, and hope for the shining of
sun tomorrow


Whether Johns reflections took II
this way / know not; but certainly


kept straight on in the direction of hor
turning not TO the right hand nor to