{"id":54,"date":"2021-06-16T14:34:42","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T18:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=54"},"modified":"2022-02-01T11:26:35","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T16:26:35","slug":"signing-the-pledge","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/chapter\/signing-the-pledge\/","title":{"raw":"Signing the Pledge","rendered":"Signing the Pledge"},"content":{"raw":"Do you see this cup\u2014this tempting cup\u2014\r\nIts sparkle and its glow?\r\nI tell you this cup has brought to me\r\nA world of shame and woe.\r\n\r\nDo you see that woman sad and wan?\r\nOne day with joy and pride,\r\nWith orange blossoms in her hair,\r\nI claimed her as my bride.\r\n\r\nAnd vowed that I would faithful prove\r\nTill death our lives should part;\r\nI've drenched her soul with floods of grief,\r\nAnd almost crushed her heart.\r\n\r\nDo you see that gray-haired mother bend\r\nBeneath her weight of years?\r\nI've filled that aged mother's eyes\r\nWith many bitter tears.\r\n\r\nYear after year for me she prays,\r\nAnd tries her child to save;\r\nI've almost brought her gray hairs down\r\nIn sorrow to the grave.\r\n\r\nDo you see that boy whose wistful eyes\r\nAre gazing on my face?\r\nI've overshadowed his young life\r\nWith sorrow and disgrace.\r\n\r\nHe used to greet me with a smile,\r\nHis heart was light and glad;\r\nI've seen him tremble at my voice,\r\nI've made that heart so sad.\r\n\r\nDo you see this pledge I've signed to-night?\r\nMy mother, wife, and boy\r\nShall read my purpose on that pledge\r\nAnd smile through tears of joy.\r\n\r\nTo know this night, this very night,\r\nI cast the wine-cup down,\r\nAnd from the dust of a sinful life\r\nLift up my manhood's crown.\r\n\r\nThe faded face of my young wife\r\nWith roses yet shall bloom,\r\nAnd joy shall light my mother's eyes\r\nOn the margin of the tomb.\r\n\r\nI have vowed to-night my only boy,\r\nWith brow so fair and mile,\r\nShall not be taunted on the streets,\r\nAnd called a drunkard's child.\r\n\r\nNever again shall that young face\r\nWhiten with grief and dread,\r\nBecause I've madly staggered home\r\nAnd sold for drink his bread.\r\n\r\nThis strong right arm unnerved by rum\r\nShall battle with my fate;\r\nAnd peace and comfort crown the home\r\nBy drink made desolate.\r\n\r\nLike a drowning man, tempest-tossed,\r\nClings to a rocky ledge,\r\nWith trembling hands I've learned to grasp\r\nThe gospel and the pledge.\r\n\r\nA captive bounding from my chain,\r\nI've rent each hateful band,\r\nAnd by the help of grace divine\r\nA victor hope to stand.","rendered":"<p>Do you see this cup\u2014this tempting cup\u2014<br \/>\nIts sparkle and its glow?<br \/>\nI tell you this cup has brought to me<br \/>\nA world of shame and woe.<\/p>\n<p>Do you see that woman sad and wan?<br \/>\nOne day with joy and pride,<br \/>\nWith orange blossoms in her hair,<br \/>\nI claimed her as my bride.<\/p>\n<p>And vowed that I would faithful prove<br \/>\nTill death our lives should part;<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve drenched her soul with floods of grief,<br \/>\nAnd almost crushed her heart.<\/p>\n<p>Do you see that gray-haired mother bend<br \/>\nBeneath her weight of years?<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve filled that aged mother&#8217;s eyes<br \/>\nWith many bitter tears.<\/p>\n<p>Year after year for me she prays,<br \/>\nAnd tries her child to save;<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve almost brought her gray hairs down<br \/>\nIn sorrow to the grave.<\/p>\n<p>Do you see that boy whose wistful eyes<br \/>\nAre gazing on my face?<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve overshadowed his young life<br \/>\nWith sorrow and disgrace.<\/p>\n<p>He used to greet me with a smile,<br \/>\nHis heart was light and glad;<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve seen him tremble at my voice,<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve made that heart so sad.<\/p>\n<p>Do you see this pledge I&#8217;ve signed to-night?<br \/>\nMy mother, wife, and boy<br \/>\nShall read my purpose on that pledge<br \/>\nAnd smile through tears of joy.<\/p>\n<p>To know this night, this very night,<br \/>\nI cast the wine-cup down,<br \/>\nAnd from the dust of a sinful life<br \/>\nLift up my manhood&#8217;s crown.<\/p>\n<p>The faded face of my young wife<br \/>\nWith roses yet shall bloom,<br \/>\nAnd joy shall light my mother&#8217;s eyes<br \/>\nOn the margin of the tomb.<\/p>\n<p>I have vowed to-night my only boy,<br \/>\nWith brow so fair and mile,<br \/>\nShall not be taunted on the streets,<br \/>\nAnd called a drunkard&#8217;s child.<\/p>\n<p>Never again shall that young face<br \/>\nWhiten with grief and dread,<br \/>\nBecause I&#8217;ve madly staggered home<br \/>\nAnd sold for drink his bread.<\/p>\n<p>This strong right arm unnerved by rum<br \/>\nShall battle with my fate;<br \/>\nAnd peace and comfort crown the home<br \/>\nBy drink made desolate.<\/p>\n<p>Like a drowning man, tempest-tossed,<br \/>\nClings to a rocky ledge,<br \/>\nWith trembling hands I&#8217;ve learned to grasp<br \/>\nThe gospel and the pledge.<\/p>\n<p>A captive bounding from my chain,<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve rent each hateful band,<br \/>\nAnd by the help of grace divine<br \/>\nA victor hope to stand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"menu_order":16,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-54","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/54","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/54\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/54\/revisions\/77"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/54\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=54"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=54"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/sketchesofsouthernlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=54"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}