American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-04-17
THE DRUNKARD'S BIBLE.

TIE DhUNhAhDo BIBLE.
"Mr. President said short, stout man,
with good -humored countenance, and horid
complexion, rising as the last speaker took his
seat-ssI have been a tavern-keeper."
AT this announcement there was a movement
through the whole room, and an expression of
increased interest
EYES, Mr.. President" he went on, g / have
been tavern-keeper and many glass have
sold to you, and to the Secretary there, and to
dozens of others that | see here"-glancing
around upon the company
"Thats fact" broke in the President;
"many gin-toddy and brandy-punch have
| taken at your bar. But times are changed now,
and we have begun to carry the war into the
enemy's camp. And our war has not been al
together unsuccessful, for we have taken priso-
ner one of the rumselers bravest generals /.
But go on, friend W, let us have your ex-
perience"
As to my experience, Mr.. President, the
ex-taveri. keeper resumed, in rum-selling and
-drinking-for | have done good deal of
both in my time--that would be rather too long
to tell Tonight and one that I would much
rather forget than relate 1t makes me trem-
BILE and sick at heart whenever look back upon
the evil have done. l therefore usually look
ahead with the hope of doing some good to my
| fellow-men.
| But there is one incident will relate. For
| the last five years Woodworking mechanic,
with wife and seven small children, came
regularly, almost every night, to my tavern,
and spent the evening in my bar-room. He
came to drink, of course, and many dollar of
his hard earnings went into my till. AT last he
became perfect sot-working scarcely one
fourth of the time, and spending all he earned
in liquor. His poor wife had to take in wash
ing to support herself and children, while he
spent his time and the little he could make at
my bar. But his appetite for liquor was 50
strong that his weeks earnings were usually
gone by Tuesday or Wednesday, and then l had
to chalk up a score against him, to be paid off
when Saturday night came.
This score gradually increased, until it
amounted to three or four dollars over his Sa-
turday nights pay, when refused to sell him
any more liquor until it was settled. On the
day after | had thus refused him, he came in
with neat mourning breast-pin, enclosing some
hair-no doubt, thought, Of deceased rela-
tive. This he offered in payment of what he
owed. / accepted it, for the pin | saw at once
was worth double the amount of my bill. did
not think, nor indeed care about the question,
whether he was the owner or not; wanted my
own, and, in my selfish eagerness to get it, |
hesitated not to take little more than my own.
| laid the breastpin away, and all things went
on smoothly for a while. But he gradually got
behindhand again, and again | cut off his sup
ply Of liquor. This time he brought me pair
Of brass andirons, and pair of brass candle
sticks and l took them and wiped off the score
against him. At last he brought large family
Bible, and took that too-thinlSing, no doubt,
could sell it for something.
On the Sunday afterwards, having nothing to
do, for | used to. shut my bar ON Sundays,
thinking it was not respectable to sell liquor
opened this poor drunkards family Bible,
scarcely thinking of what l was doing. The
first place | turned to was the family record.
There it was stated, that upon certain day
he had been married to Emily -. l had
known Emily ---, when | was q young man,
very well, and had once thought seriously of
offering myself to her in marriage. / remem-
bered her happy young face, and seemed sud-
denly to hear tone of her merry laughter.
"Poor creaturel' j sighed involuntarily, rs
thought Of her present condition crossed my
mind-and then with no pleasant feelings |
turned over another leaf. There was the record
of the birth of her four children; the last had
been made recently, and was in the mothers
hand.
never had such strange feelings as now
came over me. / felt that | had no business
with this book but tried to stiie my feelings,
and turned over several leaves quickly. As
suffered my eyes to rest upon an open page,
these words arrested my attention:
"Wine is mocker, strong drink is raging
whose is deceived thereby is not wise"
This was the subject that, under the feel
ings | then had, wished to avoid, and so | re-
ferred to another place There ! read,
"Who hath wo? Who hath sorrow? Who
hath wounds? Who hath babbling? Who hath
rcdness Of eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine, AT last it biteth like a serpent-it sting
eth like an adder
l felt like throwing the book from me; but
once more / turned the leaves, and my eyes
rested upon these words ....
"Wo unto him that giveth his neighbor
drink that puttest the bottle to him and
makest him drink"
] closed the book suddenly, and threw it
down. Then, for half an hour, | paced the
room backwards and forwards in state Of mind
never before experienced. had become pain
fully conscious Of the direful evils resulting