The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-04-27
Slate Pencil POrtraits...NO. 5.
The Han that sells Liquor.

Nv hat have we here man or fish lie smell
| like u iish. '-Shdks.
This individual is quite a different person
sonage from the Ale house man that plays such
merry figure in old English story. Then beer
flowed smooth as oi!-,,ickling adown the throa
and warming in the heart, laughed in the cheek
sparklcd in the eye, laughed also-at the elbow
Then tho host WAS merry maker and homes: meI
quaffed wholesome drink
! But now days there's poison IL the cup. an,
fire in the dram, and the liquor seller knows it
There's law against him ihat makes him cIimi
nal, and he looks solemn when he takes down til,
}decanicr. Hc peers into the faces # his custom
CT to see if there are blossoms on hi hose, and
burning fire in his vitals Now and then he look,
behind his victim, aye rict'm TO see il there i.
not some ghost Of wife or chilI-he looks cut at
thc door to be sure TO one bcholds. Then lac
gives the poison clut, hes Lis bloatcd hand On
he sixpcnce--but jerks about convulsiyely rs i
he heard demons in the corners Of his hole cry
Go it, Jerry You ara the 10y tar me' There,
a fire in hi> eye, Loat on hi, E.cc, palsy in lis
oim guilt on lis courtcnancc, and barb III Ii,
heart, that makes the liquor seller another IN au
from the stprcd alc.huusc man Of ol len times.
For years We have seen this man, and followed
linn through his various chArges-chmgc, in Iii,
establishment from the tInic when he kept pnor
docgery and wLilci Ohi>kry. Ch5n,es in lis
h,u3, from the time bat hc was an umuhc
smoothed checked boy whom lis mother loved aud
put to sleep with her soft evening hymu--to the
last WINTER, when poor wretched creature pawn,
cd an empty stove and l,f, another such n gentle
mother as lis own, TO put her babes to sleep in a
freezing cellar Changes in lis manners, from the
calm scifposScsSon Of innocent childhood, 10 tli-
lis icsilcs.ncss, tho he stood on tie crater oi
Volcano while ghosts Of his slain danced with
iends around him, and ,soutings fran b,ioU c,h.
oed You are the boy for me, Jerry. Keep tlo
good cause goiug All men are Just like you-
all they care for is to get money. Don't some Of
the best men patrorizc you Don't they like
billiards auicardsi They'll s'a,iby yos al last
ness as others DO, Who'll ask ten years hence
where your money came from You'll be in
other society then, Jcry"-Fact! Jerry thou
wilt and in a rdraer latitude, if eyes and nose
and omJonroi0t don't prove false prophets, That
body Of thine is not what it once was
This man--mGn do not love or rcspcc;-he
passes YOU in the st-oct--if you are stranger
he looks mp bashfully. II not, and you drink no
liquor if you have delivered temperance lee
tire, his eye is downcast his countcnance logged
he feels himself IN object Of pity. Have you
blossom on your countenance, his face becomes
hi. heart swels,
He feels iiienl is nigh"
With tattcrei garments, red faces, black eyes
broken noses, and all jugs he feels a sympathy
With the whole jug family lie is on intimate
terms, Himself the prince Of jugs genuine
juggler, spirits from other clin.es are ms compau-
light his coan,enancc and warm lis
heart.
Tie ycrrest rummy that for half gallon Of
wmskey gives him greasy shilling touches his
heart with a delicate fattery. The spruce young
man that is bringing di.honor anil grief to the
gray hairs Of his sire, comes to him for a segar
and ilip,-,hey Low, they smile; both are hatter
cd. The young man thathe finds encouragement
the other patronage; both fora dime
In all chrttcndom could there I've a greater
show than this same liquor man in the midst Of
his customers. Falstaif's ragged regiment would
be forgotten-look at their eyes, book at their bod
les bah then their clothes and now their noses
they call them noses now the general appear.
anc,---thc liquor man, the master workman 4.
mong this clay, 4 sort Of dcmi god ldcmohn)
mong them hear them hiccuugh--thcy nol-
in the gutter, the liquor man
crawls to bcd--ncNt morning counts the dimes
and gathers Lis troop Of dear children, tonursc
them all again. They are a dry set Of suckers
lie himself probably their dry nurse This man
knows his crowd