Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-11-09
O NJ NJ nitations.


To the Editor of the Spirit oftLe Age, Raleigh,
~. CT an one of that vile class of whom
you say so many hard things, to wit IA
LIQUOR SELLER. / have been a constant rea-
der Of your paper for nearly a year, sent to
me by you at the suggestion Of some Ofhcious
person Of the village where | live. When |
received the first number | felt ~insulted, and
was disposed to return it to you with an in-
sulting letter. After a nights sleep upon it,
however, / concluded | would let it come on,
and use it as a means of exciting some mer-
riment when my customers came in. / men
toned the matter to my family, at breakfast,
and my wife and daughters said, bring it
to us if you will not read it, we will. So
every week | would carry it home, but some
how, in spite of myself could not help taking
n peep into it to see what you had to say
about liquor sellers.
After | had been carrying it home awhile,
my daughters would venture to read to me
from it some of the interesting pieces it con-
tanned not bearing on the subject of Temper
ance, then they would read some ofyour Tenn
perance Stories, and occasionally some Of your
own pieces about the evils of intemperance,
but always carefully avoiding anything about
liquor sellers. | finally said, one night =
Well, you have read me all that fellow says
cON AAdNOA NtAhhCIcB " z AO hCdA hAdbO
he says about me, the liquor-seller. My
daughter, a beautiful girl of sixteen, blushed
up to her temples, which | confess irritated
me considerable, but l smothered my feel
ings, as she said-Well, father, here is a nice
piece headed A friendly Appeal to Liquor
Sellers. And she read it, and when she got
through raised my head, and there was wife
and daughters (for l have more than one)
and son, a curly-haired boy Of twelve-all
of them staring right at me, looking for all
the world as though they thought that ought
to stop me. l felt fretted, and rose and
walked to the cupboard and drawed out my
bottle but after pouring out a drink, l felt
n kind of choking sensation, such as / had
never felt before. | poured the liquor back
into the bottle, and determined right there l
would never drink another drop.
l said nothing, but my family looked hap
pier as they saw me turn away without
2 taking a drink. This frctted me again,
for l had never been q drunkard-never
4 was drunk in my life. Still l said moth
t ing, nor did they. On going to bed l
! became more firmly fixed in my determine
4 ton to drink no more but this did not quiet
: my conscience began to feel that | was
doing worse in selling liquor to others. l
tried to quiet my scruples by arguing that l
= did not keep a doggery-I was engaged in
the honorable business of merchandising,
and only kept liquor for the accommodation
of my customers-it was not for the profit l
realized from it's sale, not at all that was
e no hindrance in the way of my giving up its
n sale, but would not my customers desert me
unless | kept that, for their accommodation
and convenience. Thus | reasoned with N.Y.
n self for days-when the next number of the
e Spirit of the Age came, it had a searching
article about Liquor Sellers saying many
hard things of the traffic and those engaged
,r in it. got very mad, and said some hard
things of you, back again: That night got
to thinking again, when my conscience said
20 to me, if you are the innocent person you
- seem to persuade yourself you are, how comes
,r it you get so mad, and take all to yourself, as
~ though it was intended especially for you ?
This was a question | could not answer-for
! | still felt l was the man aimed at, as well
as the dOggery keeper who was selling it for
IN gain.
Well, Mr.. Editor, 1 have not given up en-
tirely the sale of liquor, for fear it may iniure
Is my business in other respects; nor have I got
'e clear of some of the hard shots I have re.
ID ceived from your long-tom. / want to give
ve up the sale of liquor, for my better feelings
tell me to do so; but | am afraid love of gain
. will prevent me. 1t is a respectable, Lawful
business, and | can't exactly see how the
of business is disreputable, although | admit j
10 is degrading. If it was against the laU fol
me to sell it, | should feel no hesitancy il
abandoning the trafic-and | wish we haC
such a law to force me to do that which
.eu feel l ought to do, but have not the mora
py courage to do. l tell you, judging by myself
1I- thousands sell now who would gladly qui
ca it, if it was placed under the ban of the law
You always strike the nail on the head whe
Hr- won anv M e. Ill z-.- e L 4
sea liquor seller. Nothing else will do for hin
- / have penned these lines in all truthfl
Oh candor, and given you precisely how l al
situated and influenced. / am no grog-sho
rer- keeper I'm a merchant, but keep liquor
vo- my store-and can't get my full consent
give it up-l wish | could. On your list
subscribers at -, you will find the nan
I'M d.. l suppose the time for whiC
lig- some one else paid for it, has expired, as
oI have not received it for the last three week
Enclosed l send you $3.50 for which plea
continue the paper to me. If you have
mind to correct this imperfect scroll and p
nan 1T in your paper, you may do so by Withhold
girl ing my name; and / have no doubt many
Raj liquor seller will see his own character ]
Elected by the likeness / have given. l a
! ~ no christian-I wish I was, for l could CT
ally on God for grace to help me do my duty
and the matter for how a christian can S
is liquor by the gill or barrel, l can't see.
l beg leave to subscribe myselfa c%onvictt
but not reformed LIQUOR SELLER.
lair-
THE above is a bona fde letter received
this Office, which we submit to our read
boso without comment. 1t contains food for mt
0,lv wholesome reflection. Read it, every liq,
seller in the land, and ponder on its char
t%eristic truths. We hope our correspond
will be able soon to report himself not o.
reformed" but totally disenthralled fr
'ded the ignoble traffic. -ED. AGE.
lore, -