Democratic banner., 1848-07-10

the gals to hang up their stockins on, CnTis'-
mas nights
Both the gals blushed dreadfnlly, and Mr..
|Byars took a good hearty laugh.
No it amt for that ses he. It's a fact,
it's in a monstrous conspicuous place, and
|spiles the looks of the fire place and both
srs the gals terribly. But, Sir, that's one
|of the greatest suger holes that ever was
Thinks l what in thunder's in that suger
hole more'n any other? and I got up and
at it close. The way the gals did
laugh.
It was a two inch anger hole and about
three inches deep.
sIdon'tses anything but a common auger
.hole,' ses I, putting my finger into it.
well, SIR that said Mr.. Byars, that au-
ger hole is worth a fortin to me, and l. don't
believe all the money in Georgia could buy
it from this family. Gould it, old womanT'
ses he, chuckin his old wife under the chin,
who had laid her nitten in her lap, and was
.lookin at the auger hole with Z smile on her
face that made her look almost as handsum
as her daughters.
'No.' ses she; shat ugly hole hes been a
blessin to us indeed;' and | tho't I seed e
tear stsndin in her eye, and voice sort o.
trembled.
By this time my curiosity was up to a
terrible pitch to know what was the myste-
ry about the anger hole.
whats abont it, ses !, shat makes it
wortl, more'n sny auger hole?'
'Well, I'lltell you,' ses Mr.. Byars knock.
ing the ashes out of his pipe and hsndin it
to his youngest daughter to put away
sThat suger hole has been the salvation Of
this family. It's now fifteen years ~ I
settled on this place. cum here from Burke
county, whar ! was the owner Of one of
the best cotton plantations in the state, end
as likely a set o niggers as was to be found
any whar. In old Burke, when | was q
young man, everybody used 10 keep spirits
in their houses, and it was a common thing
to treat ones friends with a good glass Of
tody whenever they cum TO see US, and give
the family bitters ell around in the morning.
needn't hardly tell you that l soon got a
likin for drink, and that drink soon got the
better Of me, and that the end of it was !
was a ruined man; before my Oldest daugh-
ter was five years Of age I was sold out BY
Sheriff. / got q kind of a idee in my
he'd that the world didn't use me right, and
that Their was no use in tryin TO git along
no how: so the only satisfaction I had was
to drink like q beast. I was . miserable
devil then, and used to make every one
about me-
Mrs. Byars put her hand TO her face to
hide q tear that wss roIlin down her cheeks,
and the gals stopped Their nittin and sot thar
and lookedin the fire without saying q word.
My wife had q little cummin to her from
her fathers estate, an6 her friends made
out to save enough from ny debts to move
Us up here and buy this little place; and I
promised to do better when ! got nut Of my
old hants. Our brginning wasa monstrous
one; but my wife's spirit wasn't broke
Jet; and my boy was getiin big enough To-
help me q little; so we went 10 work 10 build
up q new home in the woods in good earn
sst. We went on a willie very well till one
day I went to town to the election and thar
got drunk, and didn't come home for three
days, till they Thought was murdered, and
vent my little boy to try to f'.d me. When
cum home I felt monstrous bad; | had
broke all my promises, and ! couldn't bear
% look my poor wife in the face. But she
me and ! promised again. This
lime ] made out to 40 to town twice and
come home sober, but the third time ] got
and got into . fight which ike to cost
ne my life. Well, after my wife nursed
ne up sgaiu, ! Thought Aever would touch
another drsP Of infernal spirits, and didn't
'of shout three months. One day I went|