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040			_aUtSlPG
041		7	_aen _2iso639-1
050		4	_aPS
100	1		_aBaker, George M. _q(George Melville), _d1832-1890
245	1	3	_aAn Old Man's Prayer
264		1	_aSalt Lake City, UT : _bProject Gutenberg, _c2015
300			_a1 online resource : _bmultiple file formats
336			_atext _btxt _2rdacontent
337			_acomputer _bc _2rdamedia
338			_aonline resource _bcr _2rdacarrier
500			_aRelease date is 2015-01-10
508			_aProduced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
520			_a"An Old Man's Prayer" by George M. Baker is a moralistic poem written in the late 19th century. This work takes the form of a narrative that conveys a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol, exploring themes of loss, regret, and redemption. The likely topic centers on the old man's heartfelt plea to a group of young men to avoid the pitfalls of drinking, drawing from his own painful experiences. In the story, an elderly man intrudes on a festive gathering of young men celebrating one of their own who is about to leave for war. He shares his tragic tale of wealth turned to loss due to the curse of alcoholism, which claimed the lives of his three sons—one who succumbed to drinking, another who died at sea after excess, and a third who became a soldier. As he tells his story, he implores the young men to shun the temptations of alcohol, culminating in a powerful moment when one brave soldier takes a stand to reject wine in favor of pure water. The poem poignantly closes with the hopeful imagery of young men marching off to battle, armed not just with weapons, but with the protective shield of temperance instilled by the old man's prayer. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534			_nOriginal publication data not identified
653			_aUnited States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Poetry
653			_aAmerican poetry -- 19th century
653			_aTemperance -- Poetry
700	1		_aBillings, Hammatt, _d1818-1874
856	4	0	_uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47934
999			_c88773 _d88773