RY THOS. A. FALCONER.
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II u


seasons it bIoomed, and transcribed in beau


ty all the rose bushes in the neighborhood
! Other flowers were scattered around on


humble. yet happy dwelling Each sprin.
passed with rich and beautiful, treasures


aud with joys and songs But dark aEt
/ cloudy seasons were al hand


I Your father. have said was a smar


and active mec hanic. and il was customary


IN those days to furnish spirit for mechanics
and an impression prevailed that the more
| freely they were served with spirit, the


more labor they would perform. 1t was
thought no harm to drink moderately. and
even chnrrh members wnnld hni h sell and
drink and sometimes ministers would Ia k c


a glass. | remember to have heard our


old minister say. when asked to sign the


temperance pledge, that he had no occasion


for that as he thought himself in no danger


Of becoming a drunkard. a nd he did not feel


himself bound to refrain from an occasion.


a. glass when it was beneficial to him, be-
cause some others made bad use of it


You might as well, said he, require ne to


sign a pledge not 10 use money, for some


make as bad use of money as they do of


spirit Your father at this time had &C


quired an appetite for strong drink blt hav-


ing lust witnessed the fearful death of a fel-


low workman from drunkenness. think he


would have signed the pledge under the in


fiuence of u powerful address, delivered in


the place, had they not called on the minis


ter frs, who replied as above-f This ar


gumeuI OF the minister settled his mind for


though he loved spirit, and felt that it did


him good, be had not the least idea that be


was in danger Of becoming drunkard


From this time he would not listen 10
word about signing the temperance pledge,
and his habit o. drinking very rapidly grew
upon him. He soon became npgligen. in
his business, and when circumstances threw
him out of his regular bus ness for a day,
instead of impro ing II at home. as former


ly, he would spend it in a neIghboring bar


room. The tavern was then kept by MIR


Jones. with whom your father became very
intimate insomuch that he spent most of
his leisure hours in his society. | became
alarmed, and did all could to reclaim him
from what considered his errors Hopc
would cling to nv heart, and L could not
really believe that be would become a drum
kaId yet | could see that rapi change was
passing upon him His temper was sour
his habit, in the morning. was verish and
irritable; at night. he often appeared dull
and ncommunicable and it was plain that
the rose that flourishrd in the yard, being
neglected. began to flourish, with unnatural
stimulus, on his cheeks Still had never
seen him drunk, bat my apprehensions were
dreadful Sometimes hope would seem to
die within me, and | would fancy myself
the wife of a drunkard, and see all the
wretchednesS that drunkenness brings with
Il; but again hope won revive, and |
would think that should escape the dread


fui calamity.


Time rolled on. Your father more and
more neglected his business, began to be
out late at night. aud even 1cnnt gan to
stare me in the face Many ,nely even
ing did spend over few slumbe'ing em
bers until ten or eleven, and even twelve
o'clock, waiting for your la'her's return.
One nigh:. when it was dark and stormy
ia November-your father had been out
ever since morning. bpd eaten the last
rnorsel for dinner, but h8p,a FIR supply,
as your father had gone IL collect a small
demand with which he designed 10 purchase
provisions Night approao he'd, and be
came not the shadows of dark ard cold
November evening closed around me. des-
titute of a supper. and with but a few small
sticks of wood You was then about flu
years cd, and hard time / had to make
you satisfied with a supper consisting of
nothing but a small dish of milk. But
soon you forgot your troubles in sleep
Not so with me. | sat Up alone to depIore
my condition and 10 weep over it. thought
IN the fore part of the evening | would go
o some of the neighbors'; and then again TO
10 this without giving the reason of my WIS.,
Z. would appear str nge. and my hea was /
,et too proud to make my condition known. I
Hour after hour passed slowly away.
started at the sound of every passing footstep /
,ut to my modification they all passed by. I
rhe town clock had just struck eleven-my
wood was consumed, and was stung with /
he deepest anguish. as found myself thus
deserted and destitute Suddenly heard a
loise at the door. and my heart leaped with
q me FASTENED to open il. when-l shall
lever forget the feelings Of that moment
Your father fell his full length upon the
loor. covered with mud. his face bloody, and
spec hIess | will not attempt 10 describe
ny alarm.-I might say my fright. soon
ound, however that the blood was from
fery slight injury ofthe face, caused by fal-
ing; and the mud you can account for.
when tell you he was helplessly drunk !
was unable to remove him 20 the bed a nd /