Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-07-18

such like: and pieces OF rubbish and dirt
began to be thrown at me from the out
skirts of the crowd.
AT this, the drunken man, whom the
crowd had saluted by the name of
Charley" strobe forward, and pushing
his way up to where | stood, stretched
forth his hand to me. My first thought
was, that he meant to pull me down from
my chair, and the delighted audience
thought so too; but the man called out
instead, that must q shake hands with
him." which did at once; and then the
man, clapping me on the shoulder, called
out, :" Go on, good lad, and let Charley
Brown see the man that dareS to meddle
wi you"' .-. -.
''As 1 afterwards learnt, this Charley
was the terror of his neighborhood he
was the greatest fighter in the place, and
his gashed face bore many evidences Of
his pugihsm as well as ofhis drunkenness.
So his patronage at once quelled the
rising insults of the crowd, and I was
permitted quietly to finish my address.
At the end, offered to take the names
of any persons present who might be dis
posed to join the Teetotal Society, and to
my surprise-T may almost say my dis
may-the only one who offered to join
was the drunken man x Charley" |, of
course, regarded his taking the pledge as
a joke, and offered to defer it until the
following morning. NO" said he,
"now, new-I'm your man." So took
his pledge confess reluctantly, and
amidst much laughter. No one dared to
follow his example-it seemed only too
| ludicrouS.
"Well, returned the chair to the poor
woman from whom | had borrowed it,
and was about to proceed toward my
humble lodging; but Charley would not
leave me. He insisted on accompanying
me, arm in arm, across the market place,
down the high street-people coming to
their doors to see us pass, and wondering
what new mischief that drunken pest had
been brewing. Charley even insisted on
my going to his house to see his wife and
family. [ consented to go, for found
could not shake him off; and was after
ward glad ] went.
Il was introduced to the Drunkard's
| Home, and more destitute, wretched
home | never entered. Down several
steps from the street, in a house situated
| in one of the poorest districts of the
| place, | landed on the clay floor Of Char
| ley Browns hovel. his wife, ragged and
heart-broken, sat by the hearth with a
crying child on her knee, and others about
her feet. There was scarcely a scrap Of
\ tha 4 hoI
to pieces during the drunken outbreaks
of her husband, or pawned by him to sup
ply his ravenous appetite for drink. The
children were ragged and dirty. There
was no place for me to sit down upon, but
| | stood for few minutes and told the
trembling wife what was my errand to
the town, what her husband had that
night promised me that he would en-
tirely abstain from drink for the future
and, turning to him, said I-'Charley,
hope you will keep your promise like a
a man 4 will, said he; 4 am deter
mined that | will; and you shall see.' l
confess that despaired: the case seemed
SO hopeless. Nevertheless, | tried to hope,
and ] encouraged him as well as | could,
and urged his wife to aid him in his good
resolution.
| 1.-The poor woman told me her brief
and pitiful story. When she married
Charley Brown, he was the handsomest
fellow in the place, and one of the best
workmen, though rather "gav." He
was bootmaker by trade, and when he
stuck to his work he could make abun-
dant wages. But latterly he had been
making very short time, and every thing
that he made, as well as all their furniture
and most of their clothing, had gone for
drink. 1t was story similar to thou
sands more-fit to make the heart bleed.
Il took my leave, but promised to call
in the morning before leaving town. [
did so, and found Charley at his work.
He was now quite sober, and distinctly
remembered the promise of the previous
! night. He still said that he was resolved
to keep the pledge, and that he would do
| so. NV hopes about the man were now
raised though they were still very weak;
| and encouraging him to abide by his good
resolution left him.
a year passed, and | revisited the
town. OF course, my first thought was,
what had become of Charley Brown.
Often had 1 reflected about my first visit,
and my one convert and [ wondered
whether character so desperate could
by this or any other means be made good
for any thing. Charley being what is
called a notorious character in the town,
had no difficulty in finding him out,
though he had removed to another quar-
ter. | knocked at his door, and was ad-
mitted. Could believe my eyes! Was
this clean and contented-looking woman
the same whom, wretched and ragged, |
visited in the drunkard's home in -
Street but short year agos Were these
healthy children the same that I had