The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-21
KEEPING TAVERN Down BELOW
or, SQUIRE BALL AND ms CUSTOMERS.
In the town of Kingston, and State of

a great longing to be rich. He had not alway
been publican I; when he started in life he was
farmer, and he kept his farm and raised most q
the matters fIom it which he wanted for f,mil
use, AS this farming brought him in very littl
ready money, he took it into his head TO try som
other way Of adding to his income.
He lived on the Corners, near the meeting
house, and while the store, and the blacksmith
shop, and the post oidce, and dozen other estab
llshments were right there, they had no tavern
Mr.. Ball was tempted TO hang ont sign, and ado
to the alluriRg words, Entertainment for mar
and beast" which was common on tlyern slgr
IN that part of the country, signiying that sober
people and drunkards could both be entertained
there. ..- ....
he thought there was no harm in selling rum,
especially as he was member of the church; he
kepta Bible in his bar and often talked to his
customers of the blessedness of religion, and the
value OF the hope of heaven which he had INDUCED
in ever since he was boy. 1t was Squire Balls
CUSTOM (ior he was a justice of the peace and
therefore called the squire by everybody il was
his custom, say, TO close his bar-room at ten
o'clock every night, unless the run of business at
the bar made it expedent TO dispense with tho
custom; but on ordinary occasions he was wont tc
shut up at ten, and when all were gone, he would
take his Bible and read chapter, and then he
would kneel down and pray with so loud voice
that he could be heard by the neighbors for @
considerable distance around; SO he was sure they
knew he was praying man.. He got name for
this and as it was known that he prayed in the
bar.room, where he sold his rum, it was reasona
bic to infer that the squire was very conscen.
tlous man in business. Certainly, he would not
pray in his bar-roOm, and SO loud too, unless he
feared God, and meant to keep his command
ments
One night there was quite an affiay in the
har-r nf
more than usually excited. Two Of them were
SO drunk that he put them out of the house, and
when they sought to return he drove them off with
a horse-whp And those who were not quite so
drunk, were even the most turbulent They
finally proceeded from loud words to fighting, and
one of them was beaten SO badly that they were
obliged to carry him home helpless and bleeding.
1t was nearly midnight before the room was
clear, and the landlord had more thirst for liquor
than for the Bible or prayer, when The house was
still. He would have gone off to bed as soon as
he had locked up, but the force of habit is as
strong sometimes in good as evil, and he could
not be easy at heart If he should neglect his chap
ter and his prayer. So he took do wn the book
and, opening it at random, he read the chapter
which contains these words "No drunkard shall
inherit the kingdom of God" They seemed TO
iglisten as he read them, those words did What
did they mean? ..,. rl....... "' ~.
he ndu peBul 10 Inlnk over the drunkards
whom he had known, and who had died. He
called up their names; he began to grow con.
fused in his memory, and 10 help himself on in
the work he had undertaken, he took down the
book of DIR. and Or. in which he had for wears
kept running account with his neighbors. There
were many who had once stood in his bar, and
now they were in eternity. They had died drunk
ards. And the Bible told him they had not gone
to Heaven-they must be in He'll He looked
over the list, and asked himself, Was this man a
drunkard? And this man? And Mr. Ball would
try to recollect how they looked the last tima
they were in his bar; and one after another they
would come back to his memory, and soon a
whole group of them was there-a horrid group!
dead drunkards! for he had seen them all dead
And now, when they rose to his view they
seemed to come from the grave and from bell
they laughed iercely and swore terribly, and
roared as If they were beasts let loose. They
wanted something to drink, and would have il
and when the squire demonstrated with them,
and told them they had been drinking already,
and that he never sold liquor TO men after they
had enough, they leaped to the bar and helped
themselves; and one Of them leapcd astride the
shoulders of the landlord, and another threw the
Bible at his head; and then they made a great
uproar, like that which had marked the early part
of the evening, until the squire rose up in wrath,
and ordered them TO quit the house. Instantly,
they rushed upon him like so many devils, and
seized him in their arms, and asked him, as thev
bore him away, how he would like I'd keep
tavern in Hell.
Before he had time TO recover himself or indeed
to get his breath so as to be able t. speak he felt
himself flying through the air on the fiery wings
Of steeds and then down, down they sunk-sunk,
with his barroom company, till at last, after an
hour Of rapid travel downward, he was suddenly
pitched into a world Of darkness so black that he
could feel it. And, strangely enough, he could
sec that this dark world was inhabited for the
people were liko so many flames moving madly
amid the dismal gloon; and he could hear chains
rafting as the people crowded along, so that he
soon was convinced that be was in the world of
despair Here he was TO keep tlvcrn.
The old customers who bad brought him, had
been sent as a committee to find the right sort Of
a man TO keep tavern in Hell; for they often
declared there was no man doing so good 4 busi-
ness as Squire Ball, or who had so many qualica.
tons for the high honor Of being the landlord Of
the hosts Of the prince of darkness.
lie was instantly and duly installed in office,
and commenced dealing out spirits to the spirits
in prison. Bot his surprise was great, and his
confusion truly pitiable when he recognized in
every customer that came into bis bar the faces
he had known in Kingston, and all Of them his
neighbors and their families.
looking man, who came for a drink " when did
you come"
The squire perceived in the new conner a man
to whom he had sold liquor for fifteen years, and
who had died III the poor-house. He was a sober,
decent, industrious man when the landlord Of
Kingston first tempted him to taste dram, and
his progress in the downward road had become
sure and rapid from that day.
Next came a female fury, lost woman q Wild
spirit, who flew at him as she entered his internal
tavern, and reproached him as the cause of her
ruin and that of her family.
But for you" said she, in shrill, clear voice,
that pierced his ear like a knife, "but for you |
might be an angel in heaven, and now avn de-
m in he'll You made my husband a drunkard,
and now we are both Of us here"
The squire was speechless What could he say
His face blazed red with shame, and he tried Il
find some words of excuse, but in vain. At las
he thought Of his Bible, aud gathered courage t.
say; -....-,. ,.' ...#
"Didn't | often tell you that you must repent o
your sins, or you would never go to hcaven7"
yes know you did, aud Iahave heard yo,
praying half mile off; but what good do yol
suppose the preaching or praying Of rum.selle
would do? All you wanted was to get the none
for your lquor and il was nothing to YOU wha