Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-02-13

| year.
But Snap, Notwithstanding his good humor,
was unquestionably tired, and he longed for
his own cozy room and warm sheets. Now
! Snap was bachelor, and had a room all to
| himself in a little corner of his great store
| house, down on the frozen dock of Mammon-
opolls. 1t was queer place, but Snap liked
1T, and taking all things into consideration. it
was very comfortable room. Snap had been
making up accounts, balancing his books and
setting matters straight for the coming year,
and any man, whoever he may be, who has
spent day, long, lonely day amidst books
and papers, will be tired when the sun sets,
ana when he has finished his supper and sits
down before his cozy fire. Snap felt it, and
having experienced it, felt for his hat, and
wrapping up once more, darted back to his
old Storehouse.
The door creaked as he entered, and the
wind gave him a parting touch and whirled
off down an alley. He shuddered, but up he
went up, up, up, long flight of stairs
through another door and there he was in his
private sanctum. A negro boy was crouched
upon the hearth before blazing fire with a
broom at his feet, engaged in counting over
the contents of little brown network purse
which he held in his sooty hand Snap en-
tered, but the Ethiopian philosopher heard
him not.
Two-tree-no, dat's a sixp'nce-wen,
wo-fve-humph, Sam, dats a bad quarter
talnt good, no how Ten-twelve, dar fif
teen cent mo- an Cat make dollar, no. dat
ar slxp'nce trouble me | wonder eff dat ar
a bad quarter, don't care, spend it anyhow :;
dollar an two, dat ar make, le' me see five
and slxpnce won't fotch, no how! Well, I'll
heV-le' me see agin, now-two dollars wild
a bad quarter an nasty sixpnce what won't
fotch no how, | kin fix him Dat ill make
somcthn' about-lor, marse Snap'
w hat are you doing, you black rascal |?
Only countin' my money, sahr
w hat do you keep all that money for :?
christmas, sab. Merry Christmas marse
Snapr
Snaps Ill humor had returned, for the wind
had blown his hat off twice, and fat man
with his arms full of toys had iostled him,
and came near knocking the breath out of
hlm, that the rough wind had suffered to re-
main.
Ought he growled, get off, you black
SScoundrel; Leave now! Come, put, or Pll
help your
Yes, sab" chuckled the darkey, as he
snatched his broom and hastily retreated.-
But before he had totally vanished he paused
and scratched his wooly head.
'Marse Snapr
nat viii you have now, you ugly lump
OF charcoal? asked Snap, turning iercelr
@S;TT6p0se L ken nave to-morrow
of, you scoundrel, or I'll let you have
these tongs.'
Snap growled as the darkey shut the door
and retreated down the steps. Then poklng
the fire, he pulled off his boots, drew on his
slippers and his wrapper, rolled his easy chair
before the hearth and sat down to muse.
small flame from gas light above shed a ray
sickly and feeble upon the man of business,
as buried in a reverie he allowed his hands
to cover his face, and sank deeply into his
cushioned chair.
Rapl rap! rap!
Snap wasn't afraid of ghosts! Not bit of
it. But he started from his chair to know
what that rapping meant. He searched the
room, looked under the bed, in the closet, be-
hind the table, yet there was nothing to be
seen. The door was fastened and the window
shutters were tightly closed. Snap said it
was nothing but the wind and sank again in
to his chair and his deep reverie.
-Pnpro rev. 3'q.e dnn. oo~lo -'---,-'---
Snon looked around once more, but could see
nothing whatever. But the sounds were too
Main to be misunderstood, and he arose and
rnhesitatingly unlocked and opened the door
vet no visitor made his appearance; then ne
nnfastened the window with the faint hope
| that It might be some spirit of air that was
| knocking for admittance from the cutting
! blasts Of the wind without; but no; dark
ness there and nothing more So Snap re
turned once more to his chair ana MS iefeii0
Rap! rap! rap!
The spirit-if it is possible for spirits to b.
so-vas getting mad. Well, so was Snap
And muttering something about there oen
charmed number, he opened nelghoorln
door and peered aaxiously about IN ms WOO
room. But nothing save great load OF WOO
was to be seen. Snap muttered humoug
closed the door, returned to his room-an
there stood his visitor-the very one who ha
knocked so Justify for admittancc. Ihere
stood before the fire with his great bony hane
behind him, and CHASTITY grin upon his FAC
His nose was all blotched and red, his ey
we're bloodshot, and upon his forehead w
horrid cash. His clothes were all tattei'
and to Snaps vision presented hlmseii rs
most terrible spirit--the most terrible Oh
snirits So horrible was the spectacle th
Snap had very little desire to know where
came from and how he got into his PRIV;
room.
,Ua! ha ha!' laughed the spectre, as
eve caught that of the horrlhed snap
W trans6xed to the floor in amazement
; sHa ha! ha!' mechanically laughed on
L now little recovered from his stnpor' !.
, A merry Christmas! continued the spi
: sWho-who are YOU? enquired Snap.
t oh! Pm an old friend
d The devil you are!
c No the devil amt but one OF his pr
: ministers
o Who are YOU :? thundered Snap.
|, Your name is Snap, amt 1t ?
j, Yes
r You are wholesale liquor dealer?
c, Yesp
lh Importer of wines?
y I 'YeSr
at 'Rrandies and the like?
ld 'Yesp
cd Then you ought to know me!
y Tell me-who are.you
ut .Tm the spirit of wine
Id .Whewr ehistlcd Snap, log and IN an
at mcnt the de-uce-you-are
ar rrhc deuce amp grinned the spirit
mt 'What do you want with me
or 'fve come to report!
X. Report
lite sYesr
led Explain yourself!
Dw, cNeU this then, Mr.. Abraham Snaps,
fel or and importer of liquors, wines, etc
les, 6f Bacchus Street, Mammonopolls.
ite- has commissioned me to night to visl
nld and show YOU the vast amount OF goo
hen have dore for him, listen; tonight my
ren, spirits shall attend you. It's now ten o.
's00 at eleven, twelve. one, two and three