The Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.T. [i.e. N.M.]) 1851-1854, 1852-12-18
The Drunkard's Bible.

'Mr. President,' said short, stou,
man, with good numored conntenance,
and ford complexion, rising, as thr last
speaker took his seat, i have been a
grog. seller
AT this announcement, there was a
movement throughout the whole room,
and an expression of increased iltertsl.
'Yes, MIR. President he went On, j
have been grog.seIler, and many a
glass have sold to yuu, and 10 the Sc
cretary there, and to dozen Others t al
! see here'-glancing around " on the
company.
That's fact, brok in the President,
many "a gin.toddy and brand punch
have ! taken at your haI But times
have changed now, and We have brgol,
to carry the war into the eupmy', camp.
And our war has not been altogether
unsuccessful, for we have taken prison.
er one Of the rumssl!ers' bravrst Gene.
rails! But 60 on, frie"d ", let
us have your experience
'As TO my experience, Mr.. President,
the ex bar-keeper resumed, in rum-spl-
ling and drinking, for | have done a
great deal of both in my time, that would
BIZ rather too long TO tell Tonight and
one that | would much rather forget
than relate. II makes me ,remblc and
sick at heart, Whenever | look up, N the
evil have done. | therefore, usually
look ahead with the hope Of ooing some
good TO my fellow men.
But there is one incident | will relate.
For the last five years, a hard working
mechanic, with wife and seven small
children, came regularly, almost every
night, and spent The evening in my bar.
room. lie came to drink, of course,
and man dollar of his hard earnings
went into my till. At last he became a
perfect sot, working scarcely one. fourth
Of lns time, and spending all he earned
in liquors. His poor wife had to take
in washing to support herself and chill
dreu, while he spent his time and the
little he could earn at my bar. But his
appetite for llquor was so strong, that
his weeks earnings were usually gone
by Tuesday OF Wednesday, and then
had to chalk up score against him, to
be paid of when saturday night came
This score gradual, increased, " til
II amounted To three or four dollars over
AIS saturday nights pay, when refused
to sell him any more Ii uor until i, was
settled. On the day after | had thus re-
fused him, he came in with neat moni
ning breast pin | al once saw was worth
double the amount Of III, bill. dm not
think nor indeed cale about the QueS.
ton. whether he owned il NJ not; wan
ted my own, and IN my selfish eagerne>s
to get it, | hesllatrd not to take little
more than my own.
| laid the breast pin away, and all
things went on smoothly for while -
But he 6 adualIy y got behind. This time
he brought Inc pair OF brass andirons,
and pair Of brass candIeSticks !; | took
them, and wiped off the score against
him. Al last he brought large family
Bible, and took that thinking, no
doubt, | could sell it.
'On The Sunday afterwards, having
nothing TO do. for | used to shut my bar
on Sundays, thinkin git was not respect-
able to sell liquor, opened this poor
drunkard's Bible, scarcely thinking oI
what was doing The first place
turned TO was the family record. There
it was stated that upon a certain day, he
had been married to Emily -. | had
known Emil - when | was a young
man, very well, and had once thought
seriously of offering myself 10 her in mar
riage. ! remembered her happy young
face, and seemed suddenly to hear tone
of merry laughter.
'Poor creatnrep Isighed involunts-
rily, as thought Of her present condi-
tion crossed mymind--a and with opea.
SAINT feelings turned over another leaf
there was the record of her four chill.
dren: the last had been made recently,
and was in the mothers hand.