Page 8 Advertisements Column 1

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 103, 4 May 1925, Page 8

i ===== UNCHAINING THE BRUTE. "That new baby of yours didn't hap pen to be horn witli gills, did it?" said Thompson to Toner the other night. "With what!" said Porter, in indignant astonishment. "Gills," I said. Don't you know that science declares that every human baby is a fish, a reptile and a little monkey before it is born as we know it? - ' "Rats," said the outraged Porter, "speak for your own." I "True, all the same, babies havo been born with gills, which science says proves the animal stages we pass through before we see the light." ' "Seems to mc," retorted Porter, "there should be more proof than that, though I'll grant there's the brute in most of us." "You're right there, and it doesn't take much to unchain the brute in some cases," said Thompson. "Here's an instance: — "A family group—mother sitting with six months' old baby on her knee, two little totß playing arounti—- nice home, professional people. There's just a tense air that makes you feel all is not as it should be. "Door opens, father comes in, quick words pass.' He strides forward and seizes the little baby. The mother tries to t;ikc it from him; he grasps her arm, twists it till it nearly break's; she has] to let. fro. Then, the baby is let fall! and its bead strikes the fioo'r. Follows the wailin<* of the little one, the ; mother's sobs, as she picks the tiny tot up, and, gathering the other two to her, swiftly shepherds them to the basement of the house and locks the door on tbe' inside." "They stopped in the basement all night—havo done it often: and why? be aitßC tho brute wns unchained in that other-vise good husband." ■'V\ ns be mad or something," inter- i jecteil Porter. I "Oh no, just drunk, not beastly! drunk or anything, pin in drunk. Never, arrested, never been in court -his wife' won't complain to tlie police. Just one j of hundreds who make bell on earth oil what should bo home Jor wives and kiddies. ! ".-'ninething should be done to that i kind of a beast." said Porter with energy. Porter is a decent very | fond of his home. , | "Ton true," replied Thompson. ."Rest thing hi to keep the drink away from them. They would thank you for that. Put so lone as 'moderates' keep the liquor traffic here those men will go on '■. being tempted and falL.and those wives ami children will be kept in hell on earth." , "After all. they are the. minority," : interjected Harding. "You'd be surprised to know bow i many hundreds of cases nre on record' that never get into court. What I've ! just been telling you is a true story of! Xew Zealand life." replied Thompson. I "After all," said Porter, "you'd jump —any of us would jump into tbe bar-! bour to save a kiddie from drowning— any kiddie. We'd risk our lives for j that. Why should we not sacrifice our drink, that's a doubtful luxury, for the sake of all these suffering kiddies, and vote that liquor traffic out? There are 4000 children now maintained by the State because drink got their parents' - —(Ad.)