Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1852-07-29
What Will You Have?
by REV. j. W. ALEXANEER, D. +.

AFTER a days work Of calculation and
copying, was under the neces sty of wait
ing an hour in the tap-room Of tavern, 10
secure the services Of nailguard who was
TO carry parcel for my employers. Amidst
the smoke, the splitting, and the clatter of
crowd of inn haunterS, could not but find
some subjects for reflection.
The presiding genius Of the bar was .
bloated, whi,kered, young man, whom had
long known as the abandoned son of de-
ceased friend. | sighed, and was SILENT
Ever and anon, as one after another, or
Squads oftwo or three approached his shrine
to receive and empty glasses, and depos-
lte their sixpences, heard the short pre-
remptory formula of the Bacchanal minister
-" What riU you hace" Brandy? gin?
punch? What uW you harcl' And the
victims severally made their bids for a small
Ter, cocktail, sling or julep, as the case
might be. The constant repetition Of the
form in that case made and provided, set me
upon drowsy meditation on the pregnant
question, ''What will you havc?' Me
thinks | can answer the question, said | to
myself, as cast glance around the murkv
apartment. And first to the young shoema-
ker who, with pair ofnewly- finished boots,
is asking for, ''grog," What will you have?
Young man, you will soon have an empty
pocket.
There is trembling ragged man with liv-
id spot under the eyes. He is a machine
maker, and has lodging in the house. What
will you have? An! the barkeepcr knows
without an answer; he takes gin and water.
Poor man. | also know what you sill have?
Already you have been twice at deaths
door; and the gin will not drive eff that chill.
Yon will have typiUsfrer and death.
The glasses are washed out, not clcansed
in the sloptub under the bar-shcf. Now q
fresh bevy comes up, cigar in hand. Gen
tIemen what will you have? ! supply the
answer for myself The baker there will
have an apoplcry or a sudden fail in his
shop. That tailor in green glasses will
have consumption. And fear that the three
idlers in their train will have the next cpl
demic that shall sweep of our refuse drunk
ards.
Sorrow indeed am l to see in this place
MIR. Scanting, the cooper. Not to speak
OF himself, have reason TO believe that
both his grown sons are beginning to drink
He looks about him suspiciously. He takes
whisky. You will have a pair OF drunkca
sous.
Thatyoung fellow in the grcen-irock-coat,
and colored neckcloth, is musician. man
of reading, and the husband Of q lovely
English woman. He takes his glass with
the air of a Greek drinking hemlock. You
will have hGari-by0ken-lcjf.
What! is that lad of fifteen going to the
bar? He is; and he tosses off his Cognac
with an air. You win have an early dcath
The old man that toters out of the door
has doubtless come hithcr to drown his grief
His last son has died in prison from the eff,
fects of a brawl in a theatre. Wretched old
man? You will have the halter Of SUI.
eide.
| must take the rest in mass. for it is Sat.
.urday night, and the throng increases. The
bar keeper has an assistant in the person O
a pale, sorrowful girl. Two voices now
relterate the challangc- What rW goa hare
Misguided friends! am greatly afraid yol
will all have death bed wuhouf hope.
My man has arrived. As walked hom
across the common, / thought thus.
And what will he have, who day after day
and year after year, doles out the devil
bounty to his recruits, and receives his six
pences, as it were over the coffin of his vic
tins? You, hardened tcEhpter! (if memo
ry live hereafter will have the recollection
Of ycTlr triumphs and the vision Of thci
eternal results. You will have q tcrrbl
judgment, and an eternity Of such rctribu,io
as befits your life"