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Show "II don't think we'd better," said his companion, "my father's terribly ter-ribly opposed to saloons. I don't know what he'd say if he knew that I'd been in one, and drank liquor there." "Just for the fun of the thing, you know," urged his friend. "Of course, we'd stop with one drink. There couldn't be any harm in that." "My boys," said the old man, coming com-ing up to them, "you don't know what you're talking about. If you go in there and take one drink, you are not sure of stopping there. The chances are that you won't, fori tell you and I know what I am talking ab-ut from a bitter experience there's a fascination about liquor that it takes a strong will to resist after the first taste of it sometimes. Take the first drink and the way of the drunkard is open before you. Only those who let liquor entirely alone are safe. I know for I've been a drunkard' a good many years. I expet to ba one till I'die. I began by taking a drink just as you pro- pose, 'for fun.'but I didn't stop there, you see. Take the advice of a poor old wreck that is, never take the first drink." "You're right;!' said the boy, who had proposed to visit the saloon. "I thank you for your good advice, sir. I say, Tom, let's promise each other nexer to take the first drink." "All right," said Tom, and the boys clasped hands on their pledge. "That's a good temperance society to belong to-" said the old man. "I wish I'd joined one like it when I was a boy." Eben E. Rexford. Oa Temperance. The boys stopped in front of a sa-lbon, sa-lbon, and an old man standing near listened to what they said. "Let's go in and take, a drink," aaid one of them.. |