The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-27 00:00:00

A COMMUNITY OF DRUNKARDS.

I have heard strong objections to any interference
with the habits of society—and it has been said that
it infringes upon the RIGHTS of individuals, to pre-
scribe sobriety to them, and to put them to any in-
convenience because they choose to get drunk. Much
fault has been found by some, with an opinion which
I expressed at the late meeting, that drunkenness
ought to be punished. One person whom I met with
next day, told me I was " straight laced." What he
meant, is for him to say. If he meant lam a bigot
and a " co-ercion" man, will promise to amend, and
to take his side of " non-interference," upon one con-
dition, and that is, that drunkards shall form a corn-.
munity to themselves. Let them live in separate
towns—let them have a " Tadmor in the 'Wilder-
ness," if they will. At a proper distance from all
sober towns, let a DRUNKEN TOWN be established.
Let them be a distinct community, as far as may be.
I was amusing myself with imagining such a society
—all drunkards. I thought a goodly town was built
for them, with every convenience that heart could
wish—walled round--as was fitting (for drunkards
are poor defenceless things) with just one sober man
to lock the gate, and to keep out sober intruders. I
thought they were all " settled" at last and gone to
bed, as " comfortable" as they could wish, each having
had a good " night cap," and I watched to see how they
came on next morning. The first that rose was " a
gentleman," of course, that had taken up his night's
rest upon a dung heap—what is called in Yorkshire a
" muck midding," and a very decent dormitory for a
drunkard. He went to knock up the priest of a gin
temple, which was no easy matter. Other priests they
wanted not, or else I fear it would not be impossible
to find a drunken one. This done—he demanded " a
morning,'-'• if-you know what that is, of the best sort—
but it now turned out, that the .good lady of the house,
having had " a drop too much," had left the tap run-
ning, and it was all gone I And now to the cellar—
but here again was bad luck, for the key was lost I
Misfortunes seldom come singly, for the "gentleman"
who applied for his " morning had no sooner begun
to smack his livid lips, after tasting it, than he dis-
covered that his purse was lost ! It appeared that this
was to be market day ; but, alas! where was the market?
Butchers had been so busy " enjoying themselves,"
that the carcases were undressed. Drovers were de-
tained on the road after taking " a little drop too
much." The bakers had, in pursuit of " good fellow-
ship," forgotten their bread batches. The carrier
whom the grocers had sent to a neighbouring sea-port,
for supplies of tea, sugar, and gin, was " at a lock," in
consequence of " a little conviviality" he had indulged
in. The miller—the honest miller, appeared as if some
one had thrown dust in his eyes, for he had left the
mill-dam gates open, and the water was gone. Mr.
Crispin, the shoemaker, " to oblige his customers,"
had just spent a few evenings " in a free way," till the
lap-stone was mouldy, and his worthy neighbours were
barefoot. The tailor and his goose had quarrelled, he
had only been a few days at the sign of " the Last
Shift," "to drive dull care away." The lawyer's eyes
were both bunged up, so that he could not see his
clients brief—and the doctor's nerves were so unste.,',--y,
that he could not discern whether his patient's pulse
was 60 or 199.—Rev. G. S. Bull's Lecturi. to Benefit
Societies. "

INFLUENCE Or TUE CROWN.--One day during
the earlier portion of the reign of Louis XV., some person
was besieging Monsieur de Montbarreg, who had the honour
of being admitted to his especial confidence, with petitions for
a place, "if ever his Majesty should obtain the slightest in-
fluence," replied the courtier, I will not forget you."