The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-03-24
From the Saturday Evening Post.
A Temperance Story.

any IuI-eI-NO / V III tel II. ana ] rather
think It will make some of the folks laugh.
l have laughed over il hundred times to
myself.
was enjoying my glass of fin, one night
at the little old Black Horse that used To
stand mile out Of ST hadn't Joined
The great army Of teetotalcrs then. )when a
neiehborlng farmer came in, whose moder-
alton at least III whiskcy toddes, was not
known unto all men. His name was W
lie was quiet sort Of man when sober
hvely aud chatty under the effects of n sin
gle glass, representative and Extensively
doGmaic after the second toddy. and down
right insulting and quarclSome after getting
beyond that number Of drinks. We liked
him and dislil<ed him on these accounts.
Tn the occasion referred to, he passed
through all these changes, and finally sunk
OH to sleep by the warm stove. Being in
. the way, and also in danger of falling upon
the floor, some Of us removed him TO an old
settee, where he slept Soundly, entertaining
MS with rather an unmpsical serenadc.-
( There were two or three mschievious fell
lows about the place. and one of them sug
geSted that 1t would be capital fun to black
/ VS. face, and make a darkie Of him
/ No sooner said than done. Some lamp
black and oil were mixed together in an old
TN cup, and coat Of this paint laid over
the face Of W, who all uncociuus
OF what had been done, slept on as soundly
and snored as oudly'as ever.
Full two hours passed away before he a.
woke. Staggering up to the bar. he called
for another glass Of whiskey toddy. while
we made the old bar room ring again with
our pcalS Of laughter.
"What are you all laughing at q; he said -,
as he became aware that he " as the subject
of merrmeni. turning his black face around
upon the company.
GIVE MS Zip Coon, old fellow !" called
out one of the ''boys" who had helped him
to his beautiful mask.
"No-no-Lucy Long, Give us Lucy
Long" cried another.
"Cant you dance Jim Grow Try it..
III sing the "wheel about and turn about,
and do iiSt So" Now Begin
And the last speaker commenced singing
Jim Grow.
W neither understood nor relshed
all this. But the more angry and myStitied
he became, the louder laughed the compa-
ny, and the GIcer became their tests. At
last, IN passion. he Swure tins Justify. and
leaving the bar room, in high dudgecn. took
hid horse and rode oh,
>. 1t was past eleven o'clock. The night
was cold, and ruc Of two miles made
W sober enough to understand that
he had been rather drunk. and was still a
good deal sin for - and that it wouldn't
exactly DO for his wife to see him Just as he
. vas. SO he rode on = mile past his hu,se,
anu then back again, at slow trot. con
Guiding that by this time, the good woman
was fast asleep. And so she was. He en-
tered the house. crept silently up stairs, and
got quietly into bed, without his better half
being. the wiser Of it.
On the next morning, Mrs. W A.
woke first. But what was her surprise and
horror, upon rising up, TO see, instead of her
Lawful husband, what she thought strap
ping negro. as black as charcoal, lying at
her >ide.-IIer frs; impulse was to scream ::
but her presence of mind. in this irving pu-
si,."n, enabled hcrto keep silence But you
may be sure she didn't remain long in close
slipping out Of bed. quickly. but noiseles,lv.
she glldCd from the room. and was soon
down stairs in the kitchen, where stout,
two listed Irish cir! was at work preparing
breakfast.
. '''ls Ntd1 NlllN sue tNCWllltO. pant
ing for breath. and looking As pale a. a
ghost: "have you seen any thing of Mr..
/ W this morning.
"Och, no. endade, dear ma'am. Butwhat
ais We: l'r as white as Sheet"
"Oh, mercy Katy. You wouldn't be-
'ievc it, but there's d mOnStrouS negro in my
ruOmI'
"Gracious me! Mrs. VI. \ ma
ger?'
"Ye>, indeed, Kitty returned Mrs.
/ W, trembling in every limb. "And
worse and worse, he's in my bed! just
woke, and though; it was Mr.. W by
my side. But when looked over saw,
instead of his face. one as black as the
stove. Mercy on me | was frightened
almost 10 dcath.'
SIS he asleep" asked Kitty.
"lcs sound asleep and snoring.-Oh.
dear! What shall we do? Where in the
world is Mr.. W? I'm afraid this
negro has murdered him."
"Och the blasted Numbering thalcr'
exclaimed Kitty, her organ of combative-
ness, which was large, becoming terribly
excited. ''Iil show him what wen do. Get
into MISTRESS bed, and the Teddy tharc her
self, the omadhounl The black, mur,heriu'
thaie of villanW
And Kitty, thinking of no danger to her
self. nor making any calculation of conSc-
quences, seized a stout hickory clothes pole
that stood in one corner of the kitchen, aud
went up stairs ike n whirlwind banging the
pole against doors, baniStcrs or whatever
came in its way. The noise she made n
reused W from his sleep, and he rails
Cd up IN bed just as Kitty entered the room.
son! you murthorin thafc of vilain!"
shouted Kitty, rs she caught sight of his
black face. pitching into him with her pole,
aud sweeping of his night cap, at the inn
mnen, risk of taking hS head with it,
"I!allow he cried, not at all liking this
strange proceeding, care You mad"
"Nlad is it, ye thaie!n rctortcd Kitty,
who did not recognize thevoicc, aud taking
n surer aim this time with her pole, brought
him tremendous blow along side of the
head, which knocked him scuSclcSS.
Mrs. W, who was ut the bottom Of
The stairs, heard her husbands exclamation.
and knowing his voice, came rushing up,
and entered the room in time to see Eitty's
formidable weapon come with terrible force
against his head Before the blow could he
repeated, for Kitty. calculating her muir.
thrrn ihaic OF u villain! had lifted her pole
nfFnin. Mrs N thrCNy bnr ap,,,y n