SCARED INTO SOBRIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 13, 18 July 1884, Page 9

SCARED INTO SOBRIETY.

Skated around the fire in the Antisdel House office, Tuesday eveningj smoking their after-supper cigars, were half-a-dozen delegates to the Total Abstinence Con veution . The name of one, whom they all seemed to know, was mentioned, when a story, of which he was the hero, was suggested to one of the party. " There were four of us," he said, •' including John , oat together one evening, and we dropped into the billiard room of the hotel, where two of us engaged in a game. John had been drinkly rather freely, and soon after he sat down he was sound asleep. One of the boys suggested, after we had finished the game and it wa9 time to go home, that we play a joke oa John. Everybody had left except our party, and the landlord readily gave bis consent. The ghs was turned off and the room was as dark as pitch. One of us took tbe two balls and knocked them together, and we walked around the table talking pbout the shots, as if the gamo were in progress. Presently one of us, as if by accident, stumbled against John, and woke him up. He roused himself long enough to hear the click of the balls and 'call out, ' Let's go home.' He was told that we would as soon as we finished the game, and the balls were again knocked together. This programme was repeated at frequent intervals until John was quite awake." He apparently realized that a game of billiards was in progress, but was confused and then alarmed because he couldn't see. But one of the boys shook him and carelessly told him to wake up and open big eyes again, and assured him that the game was near the end, and as soon as it was finished we would all go borne. 1 But I tell you lam blind," he exclaimed. " I can't see a thing in this room." 'We then affected some interest in his case, and one of us put his hand on his cheek with the remark, in a tone of great anxiety, ' Why, boyp, he's cold I Then another felt his pulse, Why, good heavens, he's paralyzed I ' This was more than John could stand, and he sprang to his feet fairly trembling with terror, aDd almost yelled, « Boys, I'm ruined ; for the Lord's sake, send for my wife ! ' Then the gas was lighted, and you ought to have seen that man 1 If ever a fellow was suddenly scared sober he was the one. He was so thoroughly reformed by the fright that to-day if you even point a crokscrew at him he will run." — American paper.