Year: 1871

was lacking, this thought made me
drink the harder to drown it. In
tho days when / was courting Mary,
never drank anything Intoxicating
until after l left her; SO she did not
know-for I never drank at home
that / was nota total abstainer. She
told me afterwards she always thought
l was one, she would never have
married me.


We stopped at the "Slow and Easy,
drinking for five hours--in fact, until
half-past eleven; and then were turn
ed out by the landlord--probably be-
cause we were too drunk to drink any
moro. Just as we were pushed like
dogs into the street. against whom
| should stumble but Mary and my
master both hurraying to the police
station to inquire whether any ono
like me had been seen during the las.
fow hours. They were afraid ]
had mot with most serious acci-
dent.
If I we're to live thousand years
I should never forget the amazed look
Of scorn and contempt Mary cast up
on mo. 1t made me mad-madl i
swore ut Mary, and called her such
bitter names as I would give the
world TO revoke; and with my Est
knocked my employer into the gut
ter, and, as it was very muddy, he
wasn't in good temper when he
found out whose fnultit was. "Tom, u
said he after time, during which he
had been scraping the dust from his
clothes, "go home now with your
wife. ! shall have few words to
say to you Monday morning"
Drunk as / was / was too ashamed
to say word to Mary until we got
home, and then only to wish her
"good night"


The next morning awoke in q
frightful state Of nervousness-too
nervous to leave tho bed. Mary, af-
ter getting me q cup of good tea To
settle my nervss-its wonderful how
drink unmans one and muddles the
Lrain-told me all that occurred the
previous night. Strange to say ]
hadn't the slightest remembrance OF
knocking the governor into the gut
ter, most likely because / had been
thinking 80 much about what Mary q
feelings must have been to find me
intoxicated so soon after our wedding
day. But / found tho governor had
not forgotten it. when went TO work
Monday morning.


tom" he said, ~ always thought
you steady, sober. upright work
man."


He laid particular stress upon go
ber."


81 hoped that all my men knew
how to conduct themselves with pro-
priety and sobriety."


And then he gave mo O downright
good lecture, ending by saying he
would never have drunkard in his
employ, and gave me weeks notice
to quit.


Mine was a good place. q very good
place, and ! was 10th 10 leave it. But
you know all working men are more
or less obstinate-the old spirit oil
independence. l suppose. At any
rate was obstinate, and said was
under no obligation to him, and q
great deal more to the same bad ef.
feet.


was certain at the time that il !
chose to be humble, to beg his par
don, and to promise to be careful for
the future, he would have kept me in
his service; but no, / was downright
stubborn, and although he had been
an excellent master, / abused him
terribly. He kept very cool. howev-
er, and when become quiet. he call.
ed me and said:


"Tom, we'll part at once. here's q
weeks wages instead of tho notice,
and you will obige me by going al
once"


At that moment I congratulated
myself upon getting away with O
weeks wages. feeling quite sure that
should obtain another situation,
and went home to Mary with rather
light heart; but at times my con.
science-that indescribable monitor
told me I was wrong, and that ]
should be sorry for what had hap.
pened.


In spite Of my implicit confidence
that I should readily obtain employ.
ment, I could not help occasionally
whispering to myself that trade wai
very dull, and that our master had
only the week before, discharged
three hands because there was moth.
ing for them to do.


was out of work six MONTHS
Mary's dress-making supported us
the first three of them. OF course
I was ashamed of the fact, but wha,
could 1 do. / could not starve, an6
no one would employ me. If any
body wanted hand, they referred
to my late master for character, anc
asked the reason of my leaving
And he. like the Christian man he is
told the truth. But he also addcG
that / was good workman.
It was no use--we were starving
Mary had overworkcd herself, and
was now very i'll. We got into debt
gradually but deeper, and ther,
wasn't o. single shopkeeper wht
would trust US fuither. One by on,
every article except the bed on which
Mary was lying, even the bedstead