One night I was out gambling, and had had quite some luck.
The fellows got to drinking, and in fact I got drunk, and when I started
for home I could hardly walk. I fell down several times, when who should
come along but mother and sister, and when they saw me staggering along
they were astonished. I heard my mother say, "Oh! my God, my boy, my
only son, oh! what happened to you?" Mother knew without asking what the
matter was. She had often seen father reeling home under the influence
of drink. But here was something she could not understand. Here was her
only son beastly drunk, and she cried bitter tears. She took hold of one
arm and my sister the other, and we finally reached home. I was getting
pretty well sobered up by this time, and knew I was in for a lecture.
My mother hadn't whipped me of late, but I dreaded her talk, and then I
wished I had never met Mike ----.
Mother didn't say anything until we got home. She put me to bed, brushed
my clothes, and told me to go to sleep. About two o'clock I woke up.
There was mother kneeling by my bedside, praying God to save her boy and
keep him from following in his father's footsteps.
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