The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-05-01

INDUCED in the process of ablution, an
partaken of cheerful and refreshin
breakfast, he went to his room to prs
pare himselffor the duties Of the day.
swell, Polly" said he to his wife
81 feel much better than expected +
feel after that frolic last night"
"Ah, judge" said she reproachfully
'you are getting too old: you ought t
leave off that business" '9b ~
"Ah, Polly-what's the use Of talk
ing" = lo.al Do ieliia Q p
II was at this precise instant Of time
that the judge, having on his overcoat
was proceeding, according to his usua
custom, to give his wife a parting kiss
that he happened, in thrusting his hanc
into his pocket, 10 lay hold Of S!errett'.
spoons. He jerked them out. Witt
an expression of horror almost inde
scribable, he exclaimed-- a
"My God! PolIyw .i,.'
"What on earth's the matter, Judge p
"Just look at these spoons!''
"Dear me, where dye yet them?"
"Get them? Don't you see the in
itials on Misunderstanding them TO-
wards her-"l stole Them" = "a 5a "
"Stole them, Judgew ..aa - "
"Yes, stole them." es>l 'S'7es
"My dear husband, it can't be posi-
Bile! From whom?" 3,tsn y t.'
"From Sterret, over there-his name
is on them." i1 .'.t|a % % '2f
"Good Heavens! how could it hap.
peng" 70 'ia a p -'ee -
~ know very well, Polly. / was
very drunk when came home, wasn't
IW se@ - ,l@asai ~ sli
""Why, Judge, you know your old
habit when you get among those law
ysrs?" { " .
"But was livery drunk9"
eyes, you Das." " ~. p y
"Was | rema, ka6ly drunk when ]
got home, Mrs. Brownw 2. 90 ...
"Yes, Judge, drunk as a fool, and for
ty times as stupid" - . 'n'
~ thought so," said the Judge, drop
ping into chair in extreme despon-
dency--"l knew it would come 10 that
at last. have always thought that
something bad would happen me--that
| should do something very wrong
kill somebody in a moment Of passion
perhaps; l'never imagined that / could
be mean enough to be guilty Of delib-
crate larceny."e 55Y..'. ..,,., ~.
"But there may be some mistake,
Judge!" 80, 81, 3Ie12 ,'i1'l a'u /" !
"No mistake, Polly. / know very |
well how it all came about. That fel-
low Sterrett Keeps the meanest sort Of
liquor, and always .did-liquor mean
enough to make a man Go any sort Of
a mean thing. ! have always said it
was mean enough to make a man steal,
and now have q practical illustration
of the "--and the poor old man
burst into tears.
2 aDon't be a child" said the wife,
wiping away the tears; ego like man
over to Sterrett- him It was a lit
tie bit Of a frolic--pass it off as a joke
-go and open court, and nobody will
ever think Of it again."
A little Of the soothing system oper-
ated upon the Judge as such things
usually do; his extreme modification
was finally subdued, and over 10 Ster-
retfs he went with a ,tolerable face.-I
Of course he had bat little difficulty in
with him-for aside from the
fact that the Judges integrity was un-
questionable, helhad an mixing Of the
joke that had been played. The Judge
took his seat in court; but it was. OBJ
served that he was sad and melancholy,
and that his mind frequently wandered
from the business before him. There
was a lack Of the sense and intelli-
gence that usually characterized his
proceedings. n1 X s'ps,a ,I
Several days passed away, and The
business orths court was drawing to
close, when one morning a rough
ooking sort Of q customer was arraing. II
ID on 9 charge Of stealing. After the
;lerk had read the Indictment to him, (.
lie put the usual question. iipaaffme3 |,
"Guilty, or not guilty s,,iash seisv3 Ii
"Guilty-bat drunk = answered The
prisoner. q9'''3 ssli IS .9lllsHt1-3a lsaaia II
.What's that pleaao exclaimed The h
Judge, who was DOING on the bench.
aHe pleads guilty, but says he was /
|runk," replied The clerk. u