The Yazoo Whig and political register., 1842-01-07
SAM BALLENGER.
"a TRAvEsTY.

The night is chilly, the night is damp;
IT'S twelve O'clock by the tavern lamp,
Which, glimmerIng low
With flickering light,
Burns dim and slow
At the Wane of night.
Sam Ballenger, the topper old, e..s
Is hungry, wet, and passing cold;
There he stands with arms uplifted,
And seems as one who is strangely gifted;
Ever and aye he mUtters an oath,
And'to leave the door OF the tavern is 10th;
He looks at the lamp, he looks at the sign,
Which creaks above with mOcking chime.
The ancient topper, Samuel,
Who his bottle loves so well,
What makes him out so late at night,
An hundred yards from the tavern light?
If common report doth speak no i'll,
No upright man is Samuel;
Nor s he straight toTICGrd, though Op and dOiCH,
Is the kind Of a man he's known for in town.
Sam reeled along and nOlhing spoke,
His liquor was out, for his bottle broke
The last time he fell in that dangerous gutter,
Which crosses the street half flled with water;
He drew himself up feahully
II seemed as near as near could be,
II struck his ear with a wheeling sound,
AS one who had fallen and lay in a swOund;
But what il is how could he tell,
That drunken man, old Samuel?
Within the gutter it seemed to be,
Yet the night is dark, and how could he see?
Stand trembling legs of Samuel,
Spirits of whlskey keep them still!
He f1ourished his stick, but nothing said,
And staggered over to the other side;
What sees he there /?
There he sees a man dead drunk,
| And his head is pillowed on white oak chunk,
That lay in the ditch half covered with mud:
Sam called aloud, but was not understood;
Was the man dead who was lying there,
With his matted hair and muddy feet bare
guess twas awful there to see
A man so beastly drunk as he,
Horrible exceedingly!
Brandy and whiskey save me now,
I(Said Ballenger) and who art thOu2
The drunkaTd strange gave answer meet,
And made vain efforts to rise to his feet;
Have pity on my wretchedness,
/ am here alone from welriness;
And the drunken man, whose voice was weak,
Did thus continue family to speak:
stopped at the tavern-'twas early this night
Gwen here you may see the glimmering Light
II asked for lodging, / called for hOnl,
And they kicked me OUT Ia man fOrlOrn,-
And here / have lain half dead wis,
Nor can guess how long it is;
/ thought heard, but cannot tell,
lSome hours ago a steamboat bell
O help me to get on board of that boat,
I've lost my shoes and half my coat,
Stretch forth thy hand (thus ended hey
And help me up for charity
Sam Ballenger stretched forth his hand,
10 sorrow and shame he could not stand;
He knelt by the weary strangers head,
And raised to heaven his eyes and said,
Alas! my friend, this dreary night
Hath found thee in an evil plight;
II hath robbed thee Of thy wits fear,
But Heaven is kind-so be of good cheer.
The stranger wiped the mud from his brow,
And feebly said, I" 'tis over now -
He gathered himself from ont his trance,
And spoke with cheerful conntenance,
Here is friend that shall keep Us warms
And Tomorrow will find US free from harm;
He drew forth a bottle half filed with gir--
Here's comfort said he, for poor creatures of sin.
Ah well-a-day! quoth BaIlenger,
I'll lay me down to quad thee here's
rEis mob in my nature to ieave thee sOs
Exposed to The pitiIess winds that blow;
Poor stranger thou art, I'll share thy late,
Though cherries the night, and growing late.