Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-06-02
TIE TWO DaaUERREorYpEs

TIE TWO DAaUERREoTYPEs.
CHAPTER I. 'arE
Jim Scroggins, though in the main an
honest, peaceable, quiet, harmless fellow
had beastly habit of getting drunk
whenever fit opportunity presented it.
self; and, unfortunately, because "where
there's will there's a way" the oppor.
tunities were both fit and frequent.
Jim owned comfortable homestead
that he had almost paid for. Mrs. Scrog.
gins was " real worker" and no doubt
did her full share in buying the home
stead. She was endowed with a great
deal of energy, good judgment, and peo.
pie were so malicious as to say she was
the smarteSt man of the twain.
Be this as it may, Mrs. Scroggins
was an industrious woman, and took a
good deal of pride in the little place
which had been bought by their mutual
industry-and the thought of having il
wrested from them by q cold.hearted
creditor, was in the highest degree disa.
greeable; but to such q. calamity her
husbands infrmity, as the good min.
lister of the village called it, seemed to
point.
The habit grew upon him, as it almost
always does upon those who are in the
habit OF imbibing too freely. The mis-.
cries of the drunkard's wife had been too
often presented to the good woman s un.
derstanding, to be regarded as simply
creations of imagination, and she looked
forward with alarm to the prospect OF
enduring them, and losing the little
place.
But what could be done She had
exhausted her eloquence upon the infat.
uated man, without producing anything
but temporary effect. She pointed to
him kindly, the inevitable effect of his
indulgence, and Jim promised to do bet.
ter; but alas for the vanity of human
expectations, he got tipsy the very next
day.
Then she appealed to his love of money;
to his satisfaction in being the owner OF
a cottage and ten acres of land, and
warming up with the importance Of the
subject, declared that size would not en-.
slave herself any longer to pay for the
place, and then have it taken away from
them to pay rum bill.
Jim listened to the good DANES elo.
quence, and, as usual, promised to do
better; but also, as usual, he came into
house, the very next day, tight as a fid-
|dle-string.
Mrs. Scroggins was in despair "what
70 do she didn't know" as she expressed
it to Parson Allwise, who was sympa-
thlzer with her in distress. She had en-
treated, she had scolded, she had threat.
ened, all to no purpose. What could
q body do?
Parson Allwise himself, though he
made it point not to interfere in the
domestic affairs of his parishioners, was
at last moved to try his powers of per.
suasion on the poor fellow.
But Jim, unfortunately for the success
OF his appeal, had but poor opinion Of
ministers in general, and of Parson All.
wise in particular and as good as TOLD
the worthy Pastor that he had better
minC his own business. s..
Mrs. Scroggins was shocked at the
boldness Of her spouse in answering .
minister Of the Gospel in such pointed
manner, and was led to believe that ths
case was now hopeless indeed.
Put woman's s wits are equal to almost
any emergency; and though she had con.
fessedly given Jim over to the tender
mercies of the devil, she could not heir
thinking it would be q coed thing if ht
could only be saved from himself.
One day, a circumstance seemed to con.
Spire IN favor Of an experiment which
had suggested itself to her fertile brain
and she Immediately carried it into effect
with the most happy success, as the Sc.
quel will show.
CHAPTER Ii.
Jim had been cleaning out the pig pen
and as the operation was rather disa.
greeable one, he had fortified his olfacto.
ries by drinking an inordinate 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 cleaned out, but Jim
was in condition which better fitted
him to occupy it than the neat, white.
doored kitchen of his cottage. But Jim
did not realize this unpleasant truth, and
leaving his shovel and hoe in the sty,
staggered to the house. s .i.. ... :
. He was sight to behold" as Mrs.
Seroggins told the minister. The job hs
had just completed was essentially Q
dirty one, and Jim, as we have remarked
being prudent, be had prepared himself
to perform it without any detriment tc
the neat garments he ordinarily wore
He was dressed in ragged suit Of
clothes, and on his head rested shock.
ing bad hat, with the crown stove In
and the brim half torn of. As the liquor
began to fsddle him, he moved it ovel
from its perpendicular position, so that
it rested quite jauntily on one side of hi.
head. .s-A:ai 'ls-&,z -.ssg ,s a.. ..-
Jim settled himself heavily in chai,
by the cooking stove, looked silly, ant
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