Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-12-15
From Arthur's Home Gazette.
WHAT HAPPENED TO
10 E BA R X E r.
A MAINE LAW ARGUMENT.
By 7. s. ARTHUR.

"Don go out Joe," said Mrs. Barker,
as she saw her husband take his hat and
shove of quietly towards the door.
I'm not going to stay long" g. =,
And as Barker said this he giied from
the room. Mrs. Barker followed quick
ly, with the purpose Of arres,:ng his
progress and bringing him back into the
house.
Now, Joe Barker was very weak :
minded man; one of those innocent,
harmless creatures, who are their own
worst euemies, and as matter of course,
enemies to the peace of all with whom
they have intimate relations. He was
very good -natured, even when in liquor;
and, what is more remarkable still, good
natured under the sharp words of his no,
over-patient wife, who never failed in
her duty towards him, so far as reproof
and angry invective were concerned.-
There was no lack of occasion for these,
in the almost daily defeciions of Bar
ker, whose temperance resolutions, when
IN sight of dram shop, were strong as
threads of wax in furnace heat
Mrs. Barker. as Just said, followed
quickly, in order to intercept her hus-
bands movements. She knew, very
well. for what purpose he was going on,
after supper. There was only one a,
traction stronger than home for him, and
that was the tavern. When Mrs. Bar.
ker passed forth and stretched oui her
hands to grasp the form of her weak
husband, she clutched but the empty air.
Anticipating this very movement, Joe
had sprung away with nimble feet the
instan. the door was closed behind him;
and was far beyond the reach of his
wife's intercep.ing hands, when she
made her appearance.
'.ls'nt it too muchl" exclaimed Mrs.
Berker. as she wen, back into the house,
alter satisfying herself that Joe was fair.
ly beyond her reach. "Iie's got his
whole weeks wages in hls pockets. and
ten TO one, if he doesn't get rid of nearly
half OF il before he comes home.
wish every tavern in the State was burn.
ed down. and every tavern-keeper in the
peni,en,iary--and it would be so. before
long, ii | had my way! It's no better
than robbery TO take the money of a
half innocen. like him. IF had only
been in time to stop him and get his
money out of his pocket"
Ms. Barker was both vexed and
grieved; so much so, that she sat down
and wcpt.
Ia the meantime, her husband made
his. way TO the nearest tavern, which was
not very far off. Poor Joe Barker!--
The words of his wife. when she called
him "half-innocen.." nearly expressed
the truth. His intellectual range was
very low. He could read-early drill.
ing in the district school mad accomplish
ed for him that Inuch-but his ability TO
read was rarely put to any good use
Newspapers he saw now and then a. the
tavern, but he never found much in them
beyond vulgar anecdo,e, that interest.
ed him. OF the history Of current e..
vents, he did not understand sufficient to
encourage thought in that direction. In
fact, general knowledge as to what was
passing in the great world around him,
was as much hidden from his dull eyes,
as If is were in sealed book. He
worked at his trade. that of cooper,
very much as horse goes round in a
mill. He had learned how 10 make q