From Wealth to Poverty; Or, the Tricks of the Traffic. A Story of the Drink CursePotter, Austin
General
From Wealth to Poverty; Or, the Tricks of the Traffic. A Story of the Drink Curse
Potter, Austin
Temperance -- Fiction
"How dare you speak to me of behaving myself? Things have come to
a pretty pass when you dare thus to dictate to me. This comes from
your mother encouraging you to disobey me. Now you take your hat
and go, or I'll make you."
"I am not interfering with you, father; and if you were yourself
you would not want me to go. If you let the others and me alone I
will not say a word to you."
"Leave the house this minute," his father roared, "and don't dare
to bandy words with me."
"Father," said the son quietly, "I'll not do it. I am not going to
leave my mother and the rest here alone to be abused by you."
"You say you won't!" he hissed between his clenched teeth; "but
you will, or I'll break every bone in your body."
As he said this he ran around the table to the place where Jim was
standing; but the latter, nimbly avoiding him, dodged to the other
side of the table, while the rest of the children ran screaming
into another room. Mrs. Morris attempted to expostulate, but her
voice was lost in the general confusion; and Morris had become so
enraged that he was literally frothing at the mouth. He chased Jim
around the table for a few times, but his efforts proving
abortive, he, in his mad rage, seized a heavy glass tumbler and
threw it, with all his strength, at Jim's head.
"Look out, Jim!" screamed his mother, in a voice of horror, and
the boy dodging, the tumbler just grazed the side of his face; if
he had not done so, it would have taken him square in the mouth,
and would certainly have knocked out most of his front teeth, if
it had not broken his jaw.
But, though Jim fortunately escaped, Harry, the brother next to
him, was not so fortunate, for he happened to be standing
behind--almost in line with Jim--and the tumbler, which missed
the latter, struck him with terrific force just above the temple, and,
glancing therefrom, struck the window-sash behind, shattering two
of the panes to atoms from the force of the blow.
The boy, with a groan, sank to the floor, turning deathly pale as
he did so, and in a moment the blood began to trickle down his
face.
"Oh, Henry!" exclaimed Mrs. Morris, "you have killed Harry! Oh,
how could you throw a tumbler like that? Jim, bring some water
quickly."
The mother bent over her boy, who lay as one dead; and, as Jim
came with the water, she bathed his head with it and sprinkled
some upon his face. But their efforts to bring him back to
consciousness were in vain, for he lay breathing heavily, but
still insensible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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