Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-04-18
4 q R 9 g s
sHIF TING THE RESPONSIBILITY
A HARD SHE'LL STORY.

WutAe dAltuNin2 GOuTt, recently, IN
the adjoining county Of Randolph, a f lend
who Is fond Of jokes Of all sorts. and who
relates them almost as bumorousIy as--
{" His Honor" gave US the following,
vouching for The substantial, sub-lunar
existence Of the parties and their present
residence " in the county aforesaid:
Brethren CTump and Noel were both
members ofths Primitive Baptist Church,
and both clever. honest men, who paid
their taxes and de bts as the same annu-
ally accrued. with a regularity at once
Christian and c~ommendahle. II, when
settling day came round, Brother Noel
was short" Brother Crump was sure 10
be 10 fuads; and on the other hand il al
most seemed p:ovideniial how, If 81 othei
Crump fell " behind" Prother Noel al
ways had a surplus. Thus borrowing
fiom and lending TO each other, worship
ping al the same church, and living only
mile apart, an intimacy gradually rip
ened between them so that at last they
did not hesitate to speak in the frees!
and most familiar manner to each other,
even in regard 10 their respective fol-
bles.
Now, Il came 10 pass, that Brother
Crump, during the ~liveliest period Of the
cotton season, drove into Wetumpka aud
disposed Of his scrap OF ten bales, at a
very fair price Of ~ 10 cents per pound.
II was more than be expected, and as the
world was easy with him, he determined
to invest and did actually invest a portion
cfstl,e proceeds Of the sale of his cotton,
in a barrel Of western whiskey /; paying
there for, at the rate Of, precisely. two
pounds Of middling cotton for one gallon
Of "ditto" whiskey.
or course it was "norated in the settle
menf" that old man Crump had brought a
whole barrel, and after a few weeks PEG
pie began TO observe that his nose grew
redder and his eye more moist. The
idea that Brother Ciump was ''drinkin:
too much difused itself in the neighbor
hood, until, as one might say, it becamI
epiaemical. People talked and talked
more especially "what few" OF othe
denominations Of christians dwelt there
abouts.
Brother Noel was ''sore troubled a
the scandal which circulated about hi
brother and friend, and especially regre
ted the injury it brought TO the ''ciety
at Sharon. So on morning. he steppe
over TO Brother Crump's and found tn
old man in a half doze in his little porch.
"Wou't you take a dram :" aske
Bother Crump as soon as be was AVA
Of the presence Of his neighbor.
"Why, yes. I'm not agin a dram whe
body wants it,"
Brother Crump got his bottle, and Il
friends took a dram apiece.
"Dcn't you think, Brother Noel" sa
Crump, "that sperits is a blessin'."
"Y-e-s!" responded Noel, "sperits i
blessin', but accordin' 10 my notion, IL:
blessin' that some OF US abuses"
nWell now, Brother Noel, Dho do y
think abuses the blessin's"
"WelI, its hard 10 say-but people t;
-don'i YOU think you drink too nut
Brother Crump!"
'Its hard % say-its hard to say"
turned Crump. 'SometimesI'v thous
Itr7sa drinkin' too much-then agin, !
think nsny be not. What is MANI Awe
,cuyyum Of the dust! What the LIZ
saith, that shall be done So | left il
the Lord to say whether | was goin'
fur in sperits. put the whole spo,
5iRty on him l prayed to him, eff y
drinkin' too much, 10 take aWay my aF
tite for sperits."
Here Brother Noel groaned piou:
and asked-sWhal then Brother Cruz
tAnd"-replied Crump- I've pr
edthat PRAYER three times. and HE Hal
poNE 1T. SO I'm clear Of the sponsit
~, any way"
THE Lords will be done!'' ~eiacula
Noel. and after taking a 'other dram
we Il home, thjnking all the way. i
cleverly Brother CrumP had shifted
rs,pongibfIti