The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1860-02-07
A Nautical Bender.
At a dinner sea captain told the fol

At dinner sea captain told the fol-
lowing story:
Ladies and gentlemen, whom i was Sec
ond mate with Capt Brown, / went up
town and drew my pay for the voyage
just completed. Falling in with some
shipmates, we went into grogshop and
treated all round, SO that each of us, had
at least, half dozen glasses Of brandy
slowed away before we separated. l
intended to 90 on board again, and remain
by the ship, for ! had agreed to go
another voyage in her What became Of
me during month afterward, I cannot
recall even at this day. Ionly rememb Der
having been bundled neck and heels out
of house and picking myself up from
the gutter. 1 fancied that / was in the
Internal regions, surrounded by fends
that were tearing the very flesh from my
bones. They seemed to enter my mouth,
nv ears, my eyes; / felt them feasting on
my heart, | heard them screaming in my
ears. taa a By H
Burning, at the same time, within
and without, rushed to the wharf to
jump overheard; but they held me back,
and threw me down upon doorstep in
Commercial-street, telling me that they
intended to keep me there, and pick my
bones bare, and then burn me to ashes.
1 cried for help, but they laughed at me;
I tried to rise, and they held me down; |
shut my eyes that l might not see, and
they tore them open; Icould do nothing but
suffer; 1 had even lost the power to kill
myself Words cannot describe my suf-
fsrings. About daybreak man who
came to open the store, upon the door
step of which l lay, raised me and seeing
my condition, advised me very kindly to
go home, and never drink any more rum,
but get religion. told him to 60 to
h-ll and staggered across the street to
reach the wharf with the intention of
jumping overheard; but again the fiends
threw me down and laughed at me- /
felt myself moved from place to place,
and every one who moved me gave the
same advice-not to drink any more
rum. In my heart | wished them all
roasting. At last relief came. A man,
who had been sailor took me by the
arm and led me into grog-shop.
He said to the barkeeper-"Brandy
your best" and handed me glass; but
my hand trembled SO much that l could
not hold it, He then placed me on q
chair, and poured the liquor down my
throat, but up it came again through
mouth and nose, all over him; my stomach
would not receive it. Next he poured
water into my mouth, and seeing that it
remained down, he nearly filed another
tumbler with brandy, and made me take
it by mouthfuls, till it was all slowed
away. In an instant the fends vanished,
the warm blood coursed through my
veins, my sight was clear my step firm,
l was a new man. My friend-for such
l shall always regard him-took me to
the Mariners House, then kept by Mr..
Broadhead, and in few minutes had
me naked in the bathroom. He first
gave me warm bath, washing me with
his hands, and then nearly sent the soul
out of my body, by letting fall a cold
shower upon me.
sprang fathom out of the tub, and
would have throttled him; but he stepped
out Of the way. After thorough rub
down, he had put me in bed, then went
out and brought me more brandy with
laudanum in it, which he made me drink
l slept nearly forty hours, and though
stupid when | awoke, yet felt refreshed.
My friend called to see me, and gave me
half dollar to taper off with--that was,
to take an occasional glass Of grog if |
felt I could not do without it but thank
God, the appetite for rum was gone, and
here "(drawing the half dollar from his
bosom which was suspended round his
neckby aribbon)" is my tapering off token.
He called frequently afterward to see me;
and his parting advice was--"When you
want to drink rum, fall down upon your
knees and ask God, for Christs sake, to
protect you; this you will find better
than signing any pledge" And he was
r;oht