The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-05-26

"CoME, Jake, do let me have just one
more drink-one more, and I'll 90 home
i s'pose I'm wanted therer'
Thus, in thick and husky voice plead
gray-haired man, at the bar of one of
our hotels-one very popular among visi-
ting merchants and transient sojourners,
as it is kept, and well kept on the Euro
pean plan.
The old man amid the blotched and
wrinkled burrows of his face, in his erect
carriage, and in his language showed evil
dent signs of having once been gentle
mana man of position and intelligence.
His thread-bare garments, not ragged,
but in places darned and patched, showed
lingering tokens of decency, and told, too,
of some tender hand that even in poverty
cared for his personal appearance.
The bar-keeper who looked to be too
much of man for the station which he
occupied, said in o kind tone:
"You had better not take any more,
Judge-you will feel better without it,"
"Only just one drink" said the old
man." one more, to steady my nerves,
and I'll go home--Jane's sick, and I'm
wanted therer'
"You have too much on now, for q
sick-room," said the bar-keeper, still
kindly. "Let me advise you to go home
nowp'
"See, here's the money" said the old
man, laying down quarter of a dollar.
Z" l don't ask you to trust me"
Then he added, soto voce-" they
gave it to me to buy medicine for her
with, but l don't believe in so much doc
tors stnff-it's killing the grip
81 don't wish your money. You can
have no more liquor here tonight, Judge
I've said it, and tits rs good as sworn
top replied the bar-keeper, firmly.
"Then, curse you, I can get it some
where elsew said the old man bitterly, as
he turned away and left the hotel.
"Was not that Judge -?' asked
a gentleman who had observed this scene
from across the bar-room.
at is the wreck of Judge -..' re-
piled the bar-keeper.
GOOD heavens! When I last saw
him, he stood as high as any man in this
city. was here to purchase goods, and
having been swindled by an auctioneer,
had business with him. How he is alter
edw
eyes, sir-he has been going down
very fast. 1 never give him liquor when
1 can help it; but as he said just now,
he can getit elsewhere; and such poison,
too, as will hurry him off faster than the
liquor we keep"
"You do not drink, I perceive?"
"No, sir; good bar-keepers seldom do.
Like physicians, they know the effect Of
their own medicines, and distrust them
When they see, day after day, the wrecks
of men once wealthy, honorable, and in
telligent, staggering before them, or hear
the maudlin follies of drunken men ia
decent garb, they are led to reflection, and
shun the danger-even as a mariner
| avoids the reef on which he sees piled the
shattered hull and broken spars of a ship
once strong and beautiful"
"True-true, but it seems impossible
to realize that Judge has fallen so lowF
said the gentleman, and he turned away
"I'l find it elsewherem was the cry OF
the poor inebriate, as he left Is
Hotel.
And he did. But little way down
| Chatam street, be entered narrow and
dinpy bar-room which was full of stitfiing
tobacco smoke, and called for whiskey.
"Let's see the color o yer money first.
No thrust it the word wild mem said the
shock-headed Milesian behind the dirty
shelf designated as bar.
For a second the eye of the old man
flashed as if single spark of the fire q
his lost manhood was struggling III
through the ashes of his ruin, then be put
his tremulous hand in his pocket, ant
drew forth the quarter.
Give me back the ehange.' SAID he
as he filed the thick bottomed glass OF th'
eroegery to the brim; give me back thu
change; want it for medicine"
"There's no medicine like whiskey, ole
man-mind that now" said the bar-keep
er, as he very unwillngly counted on
twenty-five cents, for this was thlee-cen
poison shop!