Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-11-18

and seized him in their arms, and asked a
him as they bore him away, how he would t.
like to keep a tavern in Hell. b
Before be had time to recover himself, or r
indeed to get his breath so as to be able to a
speak, he felt himself flying through the air b
onthe fiery wings of steeds, and then down, v
down they sunk, sunk, with his bar-room q
company, till at last, after an hour of rapid /
travel downward, he suddenly pitched into
a world of darkness so black that he could |
feel it. And strangely enough, he could {
see that this dark world was inhabited, fer ,
the people were like so many flames NOV
ing madlY amid the dismal gloom and he
could hear chains rafting as the people
crowded along, so that he was soon con-
WINGED that he was in the world of despair.
Here he was to keep a tavern.
The old customers who had brought him,
had been sent as a committee to find the
right sort of a man to keep tavern Ia hell;
for they often declared there was no man
doing so good a business as Squire Ball, or
who had so many qualifications for the high
honor of being the landlord of the hosts Of
the prince of darkness.
He was instantly and duly installed in
Office, and commenced dealing out spirits
to the spirits in prison. But his surprise
was great, and his confusion truly pitiable,
when he recognized in every customer that
came into his bar the faces he had known
in Kingston, and all of them his neighbors
and their families.
cha! Squire Ball, is that you p said a
fierce looking man who came for a drink
"wben did you GOMEZ"
The squire perceived in the newcomer
a man to whom he had sold liquor for ff-
teen years, and who had died in the pecr
house. He was a sober industrious man
when the landlord Of Kingston first tempted
him to taste a dram, and his progress il
the downward road had become sure and
rapid from that day.
Next came a female fury, a lost woman,
a wild spirit who flew at him as she entered
his infernaltavern, and reproached him as
the cause of her ruin and that of her fami-
ly.
But for you,' said she, in a clear voice,
that pierced his ear like a knife, sbut for
you l might be an angel in heaven, and
now | am a demon in hell. You made nv
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,
aud he tried to find some words of excuse,
but in vain. At last he thought of his
Bible, and gathered courage to say:
Didn't l often tell you that you must re-
pent of your sins, or you would never go to
heaven ?
Yes, l know you did, and | have heard
you praying half a mile off but what good
do you suppose the preaching or praying
of a rum seller would do Ali YOU wanted
was to get the money for your liquor, an d
it was nothing TO you what became of the
souls OF your customers. But | am glad
you are here at last. l never wanted to
see any body here as much as you. Die
you bring your Bible with you, squire ?
NO. said be, 4 came away with a great
hurry. Indeed, [ had no thought of coming
at all, but was seized in a moment when /
had no expectation Of being summoned
l away, and was brought'her against my
3 will ; | do not see why | was wanted here.
| 'Why you were wanted You were wan
l ted that you might see the fruits of you
/ doings, the end of your labor; and tina
G you might feel the fires you have kindle,
= for the souls you have destroyed. Yoo
s have come to your own place, and you Wi
c know what it is to be an agent of the Dew
n on earth, and his slave in hell. [ am ola
e you are here
It While this Wretched woman was ravin
n and cursing, a troop of spirits rushed int
n the Internal tavern, and whom should th
70 astonished publican behold but the COZ
l. pany who had been at his tavern in Kin!
ston the day before and among them
u the head were the two whom he had drive
S. away from his door, after they had becon
- SO drunk that he could not bear them an
1T longer. In they came, reeking with IL
y fumes of the still, and raging with tt
is madness Of the pit; and as they entere
tc they gave three cheers for the landlor
- that made the whole region of darkne
to ring with horror.
SO why, you are here before u.s. cried o.
m of them.
Caught you toe! said another.
This is the place for you and your blu
rst ness
en- you'll make money here, and get D
in your own coin,' said another.
nut And SO they went on jeering him I'm
in his wrath was kindled beyond measu
at and he began to storm in reply. And tn
nd they laughed.
nd Why, you can't hurt us. We have
ter good a right here as you, and if you wi
lrd to have it all to yourself, we only wish y
ley could. But you sent us here, and now
ose must have your company!
The squire sunk down with shame a
nix remorse. He saw his own work. Th
1ad were his victims. Once they we're
gan neighbOrs, honest. industrious men, III
to they began to frequent his house, and tt
ler-. they grew worse and worse, till they
and came quarrelsome, noisy, profane, Sabba
I'M breaking men, and now they we're in h
and he among them, where he deserved
bar, be.
had Then the spirits of all the men WI
him he had murdered by selling rum, c:
lust thronging around him, and he wished
and he was blind, SO that he could not
lrd! them, or deaf, that he could not hear tn,
try but when he shut his eyes he could
lime them still, and he could hear them W