Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-06-21
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Written for The Spirit Of The 4ge- Raleigh.
H0RA ACE EST; OR
The Effects of One, and the first Glass. I"
In pleasant part of the good city of
B, in the State of Ms situated a
small wooden building, and from the hand
some sign painted on white ground in
large, black letters, passer by would sup
pose it to be carpenters shop, which in
deed it is.
On pleasant day in the month of June
there might have been seen in the interior
Of this shop at work at different benches
several men, one Of whom we have to deal
with more particularly than tho others and
whom for want Of better name we will
call Horace West. From his appearance
one would suppose him to be about the age
Of twenty-five years, he is of the medium
height, has a fine, handsome, intelligent
and manly countenance, and is dressed in
suit Of genteel working clothes, in which
not a-patch or tear is to be found heseems
to be intent upon his work, and for q while
we will leave him so, and call the attention
Of the reader to another building, destined
to figure some little in this narrative. On
the opposite side of the street in which the
shop alluded to above is situated, and but
a short distance off, stands small drink
ing establishment, more vulgarly and ap
propriately called grog shop. The land
lord Of this place is one Of that class oi
men usually called economists, but who are
in reality, mean, stingy and close6sted, anC
as is generally the case with such men
cares not how much the families and friend
of his customers suffer, so that he but get
for an equivalent to the poison poured dowl
their throats, their hard-earned money; i
indeed it is hard-earned, which is not al
ways the case, but it does not matter witt
him how it is earned so that he gets it iron
them. This house is generally resoEted t
by the lowest class Of people, as well a
confirmed drunkards, and there is continu
ally in his employ acertain number of me
whose business 1t is to get persons to visi
there with them, and men who have neve
entered place of the kind, and who reall
detest the landlord of this place, who's
name is Munson, are sometimes enticed t
go there with the ostensible object of ge
ting perhaps dinner, and with the prom
ise that the landlord shall have no intel
course with them, while there when the
are once gotten there the work of seducin
them from the path of temperance is con
pleted in a scientific manner by the lant
lord and his emissaries, and the downfa
and ruin of those Il o-erring men accom-
plivhecl ir elTc-'cnd. 10 short CF1fs pIac
bears the significant title Of the "Devil
Den" and is just such place, exclusive {
the fire and birthstone, as his Satanic Ma
esty mag be supposed to inhabit.
Having now drawn the attention of th
reader to this hell on earth, we will retur
to our friend, whom we left industriousl
at work in the carpenters shop near by
We find him as we left him-and while b
is engaged at work, one of the men to whor
we have before alluded approaches hi
and enquiries the time of day. After lool
ing at his watch he politely answers
i" 1t is now FIVE minutes past twelve"
"Time for me to go and get my julie
then," is said in answer, thing which
was in the habit of doing every day.
Come, walk over to Munson's and tal
OuG WIN AlNg uAnuCI blllG Will uOb UG lOl
coming now, and it will whet your apI
tite so that you will enjoy your meal mu
the better"
| am obliged to you Tom,' replies We
'but you are aware that never indulge
any thing Of the Sort
so I am West, but want to enjoy [
pleasure of drinking with you, and besid
one glass will not hurt you why, l take
morning, noon and evening glass, regular
every day, and sometimes an intermodii
one merely to oblige friend; you
that it does not affect me, so come along
No. firmly answered his companic
though it may do me no harm to take c
glass, it will to take more
Meaning by that, l suppose return
Tom as he was called by West that J
can't take glass now and then without
coming drunkard. thought you had m
command over yourself man, or, may
that pretty wife of yours las made J
swear out against an occasional glass
No answered West, though for
sake, still decline going with you
another reason is that Munson is a |
Nuuih 4 w uOb llht nave hO dcuudluld
with him and cannot say why do not
him, but there is something in his cou
nance that deters me from seeking his
quaintance.
well if that was all the objection
had to going with me l should not find
very serious one, and could soon remov
for there is another place not far from h
where we can go to; so come along if
are going, for | am losing time in stant
here arguing the case with you replied ]
No, | cannot 60, said West.
Well if you are determined not t
with me, l must 60 alone suppose,
turned the companion and friend of "
Saying which he turned away from
young man, and left the shop with
steps for the public house near by.
As soon as he left the shop the "
man began to ponder over the invitatio
had received, to take glass with his fir
He tried to Danish the subject fror
mind, but do what he would it still i
dedupon his thoughts. He began to I
that one glass taken occasionally woul
do him any harm, but that on the &C
ry a cool mint-julep on such warm
that was, would serve to revive exha
nature, and enable him to work more
rously after it. Then again he '
think that if he erred from the stl
paths of virtue and morality in that
glass; for up to that time he had been
ly temperate, that the consequences
be awful to contemplate, and his