JIM BRADDOCK'S PLEDGE
{"newspaper_name": "The Columbian fountain.", "edition": "01", "page": "p1", "byline": "BY I. S. ARTHUR."}
{"character_count": 2308, "word_count": 431, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9902999997138977], "ccnet_perplexity": [1193.5], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
| ''l am most heartily glad to hear of your
good resolution" Mr.. Jones said, grasping
warmly the hand of Braddock- heart
lily ashamed of myself for having tempted
you, yesterday. Hereafter, am resol-
we'd not to- offer liquor to any man who
works for me. If my money is not enough
for him, he must 90 somewhere else
WE'LL" he continued "you have signed
away your liberty, as you call it. Do you
feel any more slave than you did yester
day ;"


GA slave? No, indeed Pm free man
now +! Yesterday was such slave to a
debased appetite, that all my good reso-
lutions were like cobwebs. Now ] can
act like an honest, rational man. am in
a state of freedom You ask me to drink.
/ say 'no'-yesterday could not say no,
because / was not a free man. But now
am free to choose what is right, and to
reject what is wrong. don't care for all
the grog shops and whiskey bottles from
here to sun down! Pm not afraid to go
past Harry Arnold's--nor even to 60 in
there and make temperance speech if ne
cessary Hurrah for freedom !"


1t cannot be supposed that Jim's wife,
after her many sad disappontments, could
feel altogether assured that he would
stand by his pledge, although she had
more confidence in its power over him
than in any thing else, and believed that
it was the only thing that would save
HIM. if he could be saved at all. She was
far more cheerful, however, for her hope
was stonger than it had ever been, and went
about her house with a far lighter step
than usual.


Towards evening, as the time began to
approach for his return, she proceeded, as
she had done on the day before, to make
arrangements for his comfortable recep-
ton. The little scene Of preparation for
supper, and dressing up the children, was
al acted over again, and with feeling Of
stronger confidence. Still, her heart would
beat at times oppressively, as doubt
would steal over her mind.


At last, the sun was just sinking behind
distant hill. 1t was the hour to expect
him. The children were gathered around
her in the door, and her eyes were alar
off, eagerly watching to descry his we'll
known form in the distance. As minute
after minute passed away, and the sun at
length went down below the horizon, her
heart began to tremble. Sull, though she
strained her eyes, she could see nothing
of him-and now the twilight began to