The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-03-14
TEN DOLLARS FOR a SOUL.
From the Richmond Dispatch.

merry one The ug.iest feature In this Whoie
struggle has been the development OF spirit OF
money making SO Unsuitable that neither PATRIOTISM,
conscience nor religion can restrain Its excesses'
nor even teach it to blush. 1t is a horrld slght,
after great battle, to dogs and swine deVour,
ing the dead; and every one feels disposed to Kill
the brutes On the spot Yet, except that they go
Oh four legs, and have no fastidiousness upon the
subject of fattening themselves on human flesh,
we see no difference between them and the two
legged animals who grow rich and pampered upon
the hearts blood Of their country II the doctrine
of RECONSIDERATION of souls were true, can easily
imagine that spectators and extortloners pass
after this life into the bodies OF those animals
which feed upon the carcases OF fallen heroes ln
a book of Judge johnson, Of South Carolina,
story is told intended to illustrate the bargaining
and avaricious traits of New England money Flowers,
which, with some notifications we may apply with
equal Justice to our own extortioners and specula
tors Henry Trevor, the hero of the book IN
question, had signed a bond with the Devil, some
thirty years before, bartering away his soul for a
certain period of uninterrupted pleasure aud pros
.perity. AT the appointed hour the Devil appears
but, upon his urgent entreatles, gives hlm respite
of four days, aud even makes him this liberal pro-
position: "Provided that you will deliver to me at
the close of the war the souls Of twenty five other
persons, l will take them a substitute for yours,
and agree to cancel your bond" Weshall now let
Trevor tell his own story
I instantly set to work and published the follo|-
sg advertisement
"Wanted to Purchase, Immediately, t1renty.fre
souls Being very anxious 10 obtain them, and
having abundance of money, the subscriber is will
ing to allow high price, and to pay the cash
down. HENRY TREVOR.
"Expectins, Of course, great difficulty in finding
will RI I Of he
day in circulating this notice as widely possible
Upon returning to MY house, however, found
several hundred persons already assembled to treat
with ME. They were all spectators, and some OF
them had made large fortunes in flour, others in
SALT others in beef aud bacon, others in wood and
ether necessaries Of life"
"Well, my friend" said l. accosting one of them,
"What will you take for your soul?"
."What are you going to do with it!' inquired
he
81 want it to 90 to the Old Boy in my place."
replied.
oh, is that all?" said he; 81 didn't know but
you wanted to melt it up in charity. Well, seeing
have no use for it, you may have it cheap. will
take four hundred dollars 10 Confederate notes, or
ten dollars in specie, for my soul"
every we'll, said |, 81 will give it to you though
I am by no means certain that not paying
more than ten times its value
"Ihe above may serve a specimen ofmy pur-
chases. l-suon bought the twenty five at prices
ranging from two to ten dollars, tho fear or ava
rice OF the seller predomnated. Towards the last,
as the company perceived that my number was
nearly made up, great competition was excited and
prices fell exceedingly. | could then have bought
many [ pleased at next to nothing. Those
who had not sold, went away bitterly bewalling
their disappointment,
"After paying to each man his money, locked
up my new purchases in safe room, telling them
that in tow days the Devil would visit them for
inspection, in order to identify them upon the con-
clusion of peace with the United States The
rogucs we're in high spirits, conscious of the in
trlusc worhlcssness Of the property they had
transferred and confident that if the Devil waited
till the end Of the war for the contamination Of
the contract, it would be long enough, in all reason,
for their purposes. They remained in their prison
"ery buslly engaged in specializing and trading
with each other, and | was informed that by night
there was not single of them who had not
made small fortune by his speculations." Upon
the Devils temperance, | met him without fear,
and producing my twenty-five substitutes, demanded
a receipt in full.
"Mr Trevor raid he, looking scornfully and
offended, 81 had better opinion of you than to
suppoee that you would attempt TO cheat in
this shameful manner. Do you think to pay your
ucDlS ~ We IN tHdt WHICH is my own property
already. This is the same as if you owed your
neigh oor twenty five CATTLE and were to 90 into
his fed and take beasts with his brand them,
and offer them to him payment. These men
all have my mark on them. There is fellow who
has made the widows and children of soldiers
starve by his operations in -four, and not one of
them but has the blood of innocence whom his ex-
tortons have muIdered--the only blood he has
sSen during the war-upon his head The tears
of misery, the dying groans they have caused,
haYe filled all hell with rapture. And besides, to
put the matter on another ground this is no com
pliance with my offer, for these creatures have no
souls, will show you"
The Devil, it is to be understood, is wonder
fully skillful chemist, and knows how to aualyze
all substances, whether material or spiritual In
few moments he erected furnace, seized one of
the spectators, and discngaced from the body that
which in these animals supplies the place of soul
1t stood up before me thing utterly strange and
indescribabe. He put it into large crucible, re-
duced it to fluid mass, and then separated the
component parts. 1t consisted of
Parts IN a thousand
Cunning, 125.
Dishonesty, 1875.
Sneakingness, l25.
-Avarce, $50
Nameless and numberless small vices, no.
Bacon and Cabbage, Apple Brandy aud
Sorghum Molasses, 235:
'"There," said the Devil, holding it up edo you
call that thing soul"
4 FURLouaH AGENT-John A. Newton, one
legged and discharged soldier, formerly of the 34th