Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-08
From Me- lVoStern Continent.
THE AUGER HOLE IN THE
CHIMNEY

CHlMNEY-PlEC
] see in the Portland papers that sum chaps
in that city has formed a Temperance Society,
called the Tccgraphlc Spike Society,"
They drove a spike into a stump, and agreed
that the first one that gets drunk is to pull II
out with his teeth, OF pay forfeit of ten dol
lars. That Spike Club puts me in mind ola
auger-hole what | seed once in Georgia.
\ | was travelin up in the Cherokee country
on sum business, and stopped To stay all night
at the house OF farmer what lived close by
the road. The family was composed Of man
and his wife, and son about twenty, and two
beautiful black-eycd daughters about sixteen
aud eighteen years old They wer plain pco-
pie an lived IL "A hcwed log house, but every
thing about 'cm was neat and clean, and the
place looked like they was gettln along IN the
world right smart.
After supper was over, and never shall
forglt the nice fried sasages aud good coffee
and cream they gin me,-Mr ByeTs, for that
was the old man name, AK d me if would
yne him in little chat by the fire, and pipe,
i before gwlne to bed. OF course, | had M oh
| lection, specially as | seed the gals was geiiin
out their nitiln-work, and was gwine TO be OF
the party.
/ up to ths brighi-blazin iIghtwood fre--Gt was
| hog killing time and mOnstrous cold for the
season)--and fell to talkin about the price OF
cotton and the crops, and the news, and sich
and snoked our long cane handled pipes, while
the old woman and the gals listened TO US and
went on with their work.
Il Bmeby noticed, right in the middle Of the
big hcwcd log over the fire place, one of the
bigglst sort of auger holes. The mantle
piece above was fixed off with ornaments, and
the very wall itself looked like 1t had been
scowered with soap and sand that very day, 1t
was so white and clean. The big, dark au-
gcr-hole looked monstrous ugly whar every
thing was so nice and tasty, and couldn I
help but wonder what upon yeath they left II
| thar for, right in the middle of the chimney
piece, whar everybody could see it.
spose | must looked at 1t pretty hard, for
himeby seed Miss Fanny, the Oldest gal, sort
o smile at her sister, and then they both look
cd at me and then at the augcr-hole, aud then
kind b. held down their beds, and stole the
mischievousest glanccs at one another ever
seed.
Thinks J. what upon yearh's that augcr-
hole for and looked at II sideways while
talked 10 Mr.. Byers, and tried to keep one eye
on the gals to see what they was up to.
" | scc,' scs Mrs. Byers, that you re
wondetin shat tha, big ugly augcr-holc is
don up thar in my chmncy-pIcce.
Well that's fact" ses |. " / couldn't
think what I, could be thar to-, II il amt for
the gals to hang up thar siockins, on Christ
mas nights.
Both the gals blushed dreadful, and Mr..
Bycrs took a good hearty laugh.
No, il amt for that" ses he. Its
fact, it's IN a monstrous conspicuous place,
and splles the looks of the fire place, and both
ers the gals terribly. But, Sir, that's one Of
the greatest auger-hoes that ever was bor-
cd ~
Thinks what IN thundcr's in that augcr-
hole more n any other and got up ard lobk
ed at it closc. The way the gals did laugh.
1t was two-inch auger-hole, and about
three inches deep <tsS
" don't see anything but common au-
gcr-hcle," sc- 7 putting my finger into it.
Well, Sir" said Mr.. l'yers, "that au-
ccr-hole is worth fortin to me, and ] don't
believe all the money in Georgia could buy 1t,
from, this family. Could II, old womanr' scs
he, chuckiu his old wife under the chin, who
had laid her ntiin in her lap, and was looking
a, the auger-hoe with smile on her face that
made her look almost as handsum as her
daughters.
No." ses she, that ugly auger-hole has
been blcssn to us indeed; and thought
seed a tear standing in her eye, and her voice
sort o tremblcd.
i BY this time my curiosity was up to terri
bic pitch, to know what wa. the mystery about
that augcT-holo
whats about il" ses |, ",hat makes it
worth more'n any other auger-hole.
II Well, III tell you ses Mr.. Pycr.,
knocking the ashes out Of his pipe and handln
II to his Youngest daughter toput 1t away
That auger- hole has been the earthly salvation
of this family It's now ffteCn years sense
settled on tins place ] cum here from Burke
county. whar | once owned one of the best cot
ton plantations IN the State, and likely set
o nIagers as was to be found any whar. IN
old Burke, when ! was young man, every
body used TO keep spirits m their houses, ana
II was common thing 10 treat one inends
with a good glass oftoddy wlcnttc' they cum
10 see us. and to give the family blttcrs all
round in the morning ! needn't tell you that
| soon got a likin to drink, and THAT dnnk soon
90, the better of mc, aud that the end was,
wa. ruined man, before my oldest daughter
thar was five years Of age. ] was sold out by
the Sheriff GO, a kind Of idee IN my he'd
that the world didn't use me right, and that
thar wa. no use in my tryn to get along no
how 40 the only satisfaction ! had vas TO
drink like beast was a miserable person,
then, snd used to make every QUE miserable
about me---