Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-05-12

Keeping Tavern Down Below;

IL Ah1 a.
there was a tavern-keeper by the
nsu,o Of Ball. He was an easy. well to-do
sara of man, who had a great longing to De.
r;ch. He had not always been a publican
wien he started in life he was a farmer, ana
10 still kept his farm and raised most OF
the articles from it which he wanted Tor
family use. AS this farming brought him
in very little ready money, be took 1t INTO
his head to try some other way OF adding
70 his income.
He lived on the Corners, near the meet
mo house. and while the store, and the
Blacksmith shop, and the post office and a
dozen other establishments were rlghtthere, Il
tbov had no tavern. Mr.: Ball was tempted I
TO hang out a sign, and add the allurlDg
vords. 9 Entertainment for man and beast"
witch was common on a tavern sign In
that part of the country, signifying that So
Der people and drunkards could both be en-
, tertaiued there.
He thought there was no harm ID selling
nm. especially as he was a member OF the
Church ne kept a bible in his bar, and
often talked to his customers of the bless
cdaess If religion, and the value of the
hone of heaven which he had INDUCED IN
ever since be was a boy. 1t was Squire
Balls custom, (for he was a justice OF the
peace. and therefore called the Squire by
. every body,) it was his custom, | say,
10 close his bar-room at ten o'clock
every night, unless the run of business at
The bar made it expedient to dispense with
he custom ; but on ordinary occasions be
as wont to shut up at ten, and when all
...g gone, he would take his Bible, and
ru. q "a chapter, and then he would kneel
..su aud pray with so loud a voice that he
C,uIl he heard by the n~eighbors for q con
elder .la distance around so that he was
sure they knew he was a praying man. He
80 aIamo for this, and as 1t was known
t..t he prayed in the bar-room, where he
syld bis rum, it was reasonable to infer that
.4e squire was a very conscientious man IN
a~uajuess. Certainly, he would not pray IN
LIS bar-raom, and so loud too, unless he
Il. red God, and meant to keep his COM
ina adments.
One night there was quite an atray In
.tIg sources bar-room. Some CT HIS Gus
tOl.Grs were more than usually excited
Two of them were so drunk that be put
th3m out Of the house, and when they
ought 70 return he drove them off with his
horse whip. And those who were Dot quite
orunE, were ever. the most tuT hGl2nt.
TTeY fnaTry proceeded from Ioua w~s-1ve
lighting, and one of them was beaten so
oily that they were obliged to carry him
home helpless and bleeding.
1t was nearly midnight before the room
yes clear, and the landlord had more thirst
Tr LIQUOR than for the Bible or prayer, when
sEs house was still. He would have gone
of to bed as soon rs he had locked up, but
the force Of habit is as strong sometimes IN
go1d as evil, and he could not be easy at
aeart if he should neglect his chapter and
his prayer. So he took down the book,
and opening it at random, he read the chap
Ter hich contains these words, "No drum
kard shall inherit the kingdom of God"
They seemed to slisten as he read them,
those words did. What did they mean
He had begun to think over the drunk
ards whom he bad known, and who had
died. He called up their names; he began
10 grow confused in his memory, and to
hcIo himself on 10 the work he had under
taken, lie took down the book of DIR. and
Or in which he had for years kept a ruu-
hin. account with his neighbors. There
we're many who had once stood in his bar.
and DOW they were in eternity. They had
died drunkards. And the Bible told him
they had not gone to heaven--they mus
be in hell He looked over the list, anc
asked himself was this man a drunkard
hua his man Aud Mr.. Ball wouid try
49, r~ecoilcct how they looked the last tlal'
ratv were in his bar; and enc after auoth-
er they would come back to his memory
aud soon q whole group Of them was there
q 1orrid group dead druukards for h
had seen them all dead.
And now, when they rose to his vieg
they seemed to come FROM the grave au'
from hell they laughed fcrcely and swor
t. ffibly, nd roarcd'as if they we're beast
-. 9cse. They wanted something 10 drink
,.a would have it and when the SOUR
demonstrated with them and told them tina
taa. mad been drinking already, and tia
be never sold liquor to men after they ha
enough, they leaped TO the bar aud helpe
themselves; and one Of them lcape
ssuido the shoulders of the landlord, an
another threw the Bible at his head an
then they made. a great uproaT, like tn;
which had marked the early Tart of tt
evening, until the Squire rose up In wratI
az, ordered them to quit the house. In
s.autly they rushed upon him like SO mar
osv.ls, and seized him in their arms, ar
ak d him as they bore him away, bow /
would like 20 keep a tavern In Hett
fore ,he had time to recover nlnseI
$50 N oil