Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-07-15
Tfss Two DagucrrcOtypes.
CHAPTER L.

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CHAPTER I.
| jim Scroggins, though in the main an honest,
peaceable; quiet, harmless fellow, had beastly
ha bit of getting drunk whenever fit opportunity
presehted itself and, unfortunately, because '@hete
there's will there's *ay;" the opportunities were
both ct aid frequent.
jim owned a comfortable homestead, that he had
almost paid for Mrs. Scroggins '' real work
err and doubt did her full share in buying the
Homestead She was endowed with great deal of
Energy, good judgment, and people mali
cious as to say she was the smartest man of the
twain.
Be this as it may, Mrs Scroggins was an indus
tirous woman, and took good deal of pride in the
little place which had been bought by their mutu-
al industry-and the thought of having it wrested
from them by od+hearted creditor was in the
highest degree dsagteeable /; btt to such calami-
ty, her husbands infrmity, as the good minister of
the village called it, seemed to point.
The habit grew upof hitn as it almost always
does upon those who are in the habit of imbibing
too freely. The miseries of the drunkards wife had
been too often presented to the good wbmans Under
standing to be regarded stnply creations of i'm
asnation, and she looked forward with aari to the
prospect of enduring them, and losing the little
plate.
But what could be done ! She had exhausted
her eloquence upon the infatuated man. without pro-
ducing any thing but temporary effect. She
pointed to him, kindly, the inevitable effect of his
indulgence, and Jim promised to do better butt
! alas for the vanity of human expectations he got
tipsy the very next day.
Then she appealed to his love of money-tU his
satisfaction in being the owner of cottage and ten
acres of land, and warming up with the Importance
Of the biect declared that she would not ensave
herself any longer to pay for the place, and then
have it taken away from them to pay rum bill,
jim listened patiently to the good damB's elo
quence, and as usual promised to do better ; but
also usual he came into the house the very next
day, tight fiddle string.
! Mrs SCrOrpinS WAS in deSnair hat to do she
didn't know she expressed it to Parson Allwise,
who was sympathizer with her in distress. She
had entreated she had scolded, she had threatened
and all to no t1urboss "What rould body do o.
! Parson Allwise himself, though he made it a
point not to interfere in the domestic affairs of his
parishoners, at last moved to try his powers of
| persuasion the poor fellow.
| But Jim, unfortunately for the success of his ap-
peal, had but poor opinion of ministers in general
and of Parson Allwise in particular and good
as told the worthy Pastor that he had better mind
his own business.
! Mrs Scroggins was shocked at the boldhess of
her spouse in answering minister of the gospel in
such pointed manner, and was led to beev5 that
the case was now hopeless indeed.
! But Woman's wits equal to almost any emer-
gency; and though she had confessedly given Jim
over to the tender mercies of the devil, she could
not help thinking it would be good thing if he
could only be saved from himself.
! One day, circumstances seemed to conspire in fa-
vor of experiment, which had suggested itself to
her fertile brain, and she Immediately carried it into
effect. with the most happy success, the sequel
will show.
CHAPTER iI.
Jim had been cleaning out the pig pen, and the
operation rather disagreeab1e one he had fUrti.
fled his oactories by drinking an inordinae quantity
/ of vile New England rum
The filthy stuff happily, did not take effect on his
brain till the job was done The pig pen was clean
ed out but jim in condition which better fitted
him TO occupy it, than the neat, white-oored kitchen
of his cottage. But Jim did realize this unpleas-
ant truth. and leaving his shovel and hoe in the sty,
staggered 10 the house.
90 He was a sight 10 beholdn as Mrs Scroggins told
the minister. The job he had just completed was es-
sentially dirty one, and Jim, We have remarked,
being prudent he had prepared himself perform il
without any detrient to the neat garments he ordina-
rly wore. He was dressed in ragged suit of clothes,
and Oh his head rested shocking bad hat with the
crown stove in, and the brm half torn off. AS the
liquor began TO fudd!e him. he moved it over from his
perpendicular position, that rested quite auntly
on one side of bis head.
Jim settled himself heavily in the chair by the
cooking stove. looked silly, and seemed disposed to
address himself TO slumber his ustia resort when in
ebriated.
Mrs Scroggins was mad at first for it was only
the day before that Jim, for the hundredth Time had
promised never to drink another drop, not even in
case of sickness.
But what was the use of getting mad with such
a poor silly, imbecle thing as he was at that mo-
ment. He was not in condition to appreciate n
regular matrimonial blow up, and she wisely resolv-
ed to reserve the walls of her wrath, to be poured
out at a more convenient season.
She looked at him and thought of losing the little
place-of penury, degradation, and the poor house
lucky thought arose, like the Phoenix from the
flames, out of the contemplation of the dark pic
turej and after few moments deberaton, she
put on her bonnet and cloak and hurried over to
the village not half mile distant.
For week previous, young daguerreotypst, with
portable saIoon-a kind of overgrown omnibus
had been deghting the villagers by giving them the
sembance OF their faces, at prices varying from nine
shlngs to three dollars head depending on the val
ue of the case
All the people in the town had been daguerreotyped,
and the omnibus man was the most popular person in
the village All the danes and maidens had been ta-
KEN and every Jonathan and Jehia who could boast
OF Susan, a Ruth, or Sally, taken with her by
his side in the picture, his thrown lovingly around
her neck, and looking unutterably affectonate.
l But Mrs. Scrogglns was not sentimental; she had
gotten over all that long before Jim took to drinking
She proposed TO put the skill of the daguerreoypis to
more practical use than that of getting the good will
of a lover
She entered the saloon, and though her heart did
beat little at the degradation of exposing her domes-
tic matters TO entire stranger she demeaned herself
with all the hrmness becoming the trying occasion.
Fortunately for her all the people in the town had
|" been taken :" and it dry time with the artist
lin few words possible she stated the case to him.
and the young gentleman readily promised co.opera.
tion
Taking his apparatus under his arm, he accompa.
:, MED Mrs. Scroggins to the cottage where Jim was
sleeping off the effects of the vainous New England
The inebrate sat in precisely the same position in
which his wife had left him. He was asleep in a
high backed chair, which kept his head up SO tina,
every thing was favorable to the sitting
In a TIce. Jim ScrO0pns' old hat raoood IL o}ha