First Rate

Extractof a tcmperance lecmre by Mr. Smith, ihe ' Razor Strop man :" VVhcn I was a drunkard not only was my wíre, inyself and chiidren hall' s'arved, but my I(j cat was a!so reduced lo a perfect skcletoii. - And noionly tliat butshe grew wicked & becnme an uut-and ouf thief. Cause why 7 Wliy lie cause elie couldn'i get enough to caí ni liünir, so sho went prowhng and stealhig among the neigbbora. Every once ti a whüe, I'd hear the ncighbors cry out, " cuas that Smith's oíd cat. she's atole íHy fish, nnd cus3 that Smith's caí, she'8 siole my meat, and cuss that Sniith's cat. .-!k''s drank up all my niilk.' Bal why didn'i íhc stay nt liomö and catch niice and liv'e'bn them, says you 1 Reason enough, says í, for our niice couldn't get crumbs of ment and breau likc a sober man's mice can. so thcy had to live an tho recoüection of what tliey had to eat belorc their mastcr was a crunknrd, and at lasi thoy got so ihin and scragíry, that fify of them wouldn't make the oíd cat a breakfast. But wlien í reformed tliings took n diliereiu turn Smiih's iab!e had plenty of fi.h nnd pkniy ol meat on it, and Stniili'a mico had pJenty of crumbs and grew mcdy, and Sinitli'a cat had !ony of mice nd didn't have to steal the neiyhbor's nieat ;ind lish any more. No sir, my inice were f;it and piuinp, nnd my oíd ca was ■apry and active and it didn'ttake fifty mire to riakfl a meal nuthor. No sir-ee. The oíd cni vnuld j.ist catch two tuien, and these twu wi-.e as ntuch asáho could cnt al onc níeal ; nnd wlien liïe had nat '.'üeni, sht'd lic down and go to sleep, nnd nlier a gooti nihis rest, slie"d wakc up o he mornfng with tlie ploasurc of k'nowtirg (ha) h(; inicu. Int. pliunp mico, wure l)ot ali g-ne. tul ihat ihere tozrc ajw more I-Jl of íic same