“No, sir,” again responded the boy, “father and all the neighbors do that on Sunday.”
The parents then were the examples; and the children followed. How many parents thus unwittingly take their children by the hand and lead them down to death!
“You all go to meeting sometimes, don’t you?” continued the missionary.
“Yes, sir, once in a while.”
“Don’t the preacher talk against such things?”
“Sometimes; but nobody cares. Some go to the grocery and pitch horse-shoes for whisky; and some go to the tavern to play checkers or such, for a dram, or for fun,” replied the boy.
“Don’t the preacher talk against drinking liquor and lying about at the grocery on Sundays?” seriously inquired the missionary.
“No, sir, he likes it himself.”
“It is a bad thing to drink whisky,” said the missionary.
“Yes, sir,” quickly responded the boy; “last night they had a spree at the grocery, and Bill Jones liken’d to’ve killed Tom Miller with his knife; and Ace Ross knocked Old Butt’s eye out. Father says they have a law suit to-day.”