Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-04-18
Shifting the Responsibility.

A HARD SHELL STORY.
While attending court recently, in the ad dining
county of Randolph, a friend who is fond Of
jokes of all Sorts and who relates them almost as
humorously as * His Honor" gave us the following
youching for the substantial sublunar existence of
the parties and their present residence in the
county aforesaid :"
Brethren Crump and Noel were both members of
the Primitive Baptist Church, and both clever, hon.
est men, who paid their taxes and debts the same
annually accrued, with regularity at once Chris
tain and commendable. If, when setting day came
| round Brother Noel was "short' Brother Crump
was sure to be in funds; and on the other hand it
almost seemed providential how, if Brother Crump
fell :: behind' Brother Noel always had surplus.
Thus borrowing from and lending to each other,
worshipping at the same church, and living only a
mile apart an intimacy gradually ripened between
them that at last they did not hesitate to speak
in the freest and most familiar to each other,
even in regard to their respective foibles.
Now, it came to pass that Brother Crump, during
the yeest period of the cotton season, drove into
Wetumpka and disposed of his crap of ten bales.
at the very fair price of 124 cents per pound. It
was than he expected, and the world was
easy with him, he determined to invest, and actually
did invest portion of the proceeds of the sale of
his cotton in barrel of western whiskey; paying
therefor at the rate Of precisely two pounds of mid
ding cotton for gallon of ditto whiskey.
Of course it norated in the settlement" that
old man Crump had bought whole barrel, and af-
ter few weeks people began to observe that his
nose grew feuQer anu MS eye more mOlSG. ne 1Qea
that brother Crump was /" drinking too much" diff
fused itself in the neghborhood, until one might
say, it became epidemical People talked and talk
ed-more especially what few; of other denomina-
tons of christians dwet Whereabouts.
/ Brother Noel was d" sore troubled at the scandal
which circulated about his brother and friend and
especially regretted the injury it brought to the
q cety'' at Sharon. So morning, he stepped
over to Brother Crumps and found the old man in a
half doze in his little porch.
IL Q~ok1
as soon he of the presence of hisneign-
Dor.
wants it,
Brother Crump got his bottle, and the friends took
/ "Don't you think, brother Noel" said Crump,
q that sperits is blessin ?'
! eyes !" responded Noel "sperits is a blessn',
butt accordin' to my notion its blessin' that some
! of us abuses"
'sWell now, brother Noel who do you think abuses
the blessin o.
"Well, its hard to say-but people talk-don't
you think you drink too much, Brother Crumps'
Its hard to say-its hard to say returned
Crump. Sometimes I've thought l a drinkin'
too much-then again, I'd think may be not What
is man. A weak acurrum of the dust What the
Lord saith, that shall be DONE So left it to the
Lord to say whether was goin' too fur in sperits.
I put the whole 'sponsibility on him; prayed to
him, eff was drinkin too much, to take Gacay my
i dppetue JOf SpefaLS.
Here Brother Noel groaned piously, and asked
/ What then, Brother Crump?''
And"-replied Crump-" I've prayed that pray
er three times and he hain.t done it So I'm eleal
of the sponsibility, any way
& The Lords will be done " calculated Noel, anG
after taking another dram he went home, thinking
all the way, how cleverly Brother Crump had shift
ed the responsibility!
i THE DARKEST Hour OF ALL-An old :" Revolution
err who had been through all the hardest fights of TIN
war of 76, said that the darkest and most solemn
hour of all TO him, that occupied in going hons
one dark night, from the widow Beams. after being
told by her daughter Sally that there earthl,
use in his coming back any more.