Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-12-15
Living Pictures.

Intemperance is one of the worst evils
that ever cursed nation. All other vices,
taken In the abstract, are nought 10 com
pare with it. Let a sturdy mechanic
whose family subsists by his daily labor,
take to tippliDg and spending twenty or
thirty cents each day at the Grocery, and
the future course of that man may be east
ly predicted. His habit will so grow up
on him that he will take home a bottle of
liquor each night, frequently in the place
of provisions for his family. By and-by,
she becomes habitual drunkard, and in a
few years the green grass grows upon his
grave!
Those in higher life are generally more
moderate in their drinking. They drink |
purer liquor, imbibe first from habit, then |
from sociability, and when you see them
slipping through stores and unfrequented
alleys to get in at the back door, you may
know that they are getting to love liquor
too well to be trusted with it in the dark
They generally take enormous drinks of
the pure brandy or fine whiskey, aud count
the hours, the slow moving hours, with
anxiety that must elapse between drinks
They must then hatch up an excuse for 60
ing into the grocery, as in village a man
is watched closely in all his moyements.-
Have you seen Ralph Longworth? 2 says
Bob Sh ,rt. " [ have not" answered by
stander. 81 expect he ID at McDanieps
grocery, and l shall go there to see him, he
promised to pay me some money this morn
ing and I must have it." So, in goes Bob,
in quest of Ralph, who has not been in the
village for several days. Bob is very hap
py 10 finding the coast clear, and takes two
drinks and makes his exist at the back
door, as he hears the voice of his uncle
calling to him from the front street.
Another class of young men who are too
prudent to go into groceries in the day
time, makes it convenient to meet in the
back room of Longbottle's law office. Now,
Longsottle is one of the cleverest fellows
in town. He is the only son of wealthy
father and practises law merely for past
: time. But the way be loves good Mon
ongahela and Otard, is no body's business
but black Johns who brings in the willow
covered demijohn, filled with the overjoy-
full, every time Mr.. Longbottle sends out
| .
the young bucks about town know how te
gain access to his Office by side door, ano
when they are fairly assembled Bill Handy
is stationed at the door to be a sort of tile
for them, with the promise Of the leaving
of the feast. After the two first two O
three drinks the boys all get merry anI
Bill Handy, in washing out the glasses ha
managed to get drunk before his time, an,
actually thinks be is as good as any man il
the house, and refuses to wait upon then
any longer. By-and-by, the fiddle
brought out and Longbottle discourse
some of the sweet music, which the bran
8 dy has mellowed into linked sweetnes
: long drawn out" and all the boys feet III
: set in motion. Whether they all sleI
| with Longworth, or not, we have often see
! six of them leaving bis Office in the mor1
$ ing, not forgetting Bill Handy, who WI
- hard to move from his place by the doc
e long after the bells had rung for breakfas
0 Drinking becomes so fashionable in sou
2 small towns, that the most respectable
/ the citizens are not ashamed of imbibin
e whenever it is convenient. Members
& the Church, sturdy farmers, physician
n lawyers and merchants, will often walk
- and arrange themselves along the count
:, and call out to Uncle Dick Turner to gi
g them some of the best liquor in the hous
d Of course, Uncle Dick obeys in doub
n quick time, and in order to keep the crov
y in his Grocery, he has been known to tire
e, to several bottles of champagne. Uns
=, Dick, after getting the good townsm
Re nearly drunk, would often bring out SOL
g rattle, and upon more occasions than or
ir Joe Ligion, "a member of Bethel Churc
ut took chance and won the prize WI
f. Church do you belong to, Joe 2 said Blau
er book, as he planked up another dollar
i fill the pot. Il belong to Bethel, but, bo
& don't tell upon me, for Gods sake, wor
ID not have brother Dennis to know it
fifty dollars These are only few
is the many scenes one may witnsss every d
an in the year in village. They become
as frequent that they cease to be wondered
ID. Some Of our readers will recognize {
t. scene, as they are not unnatural nor ov'
be wrought.
let ---'s.s"-----