The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-12-27
WOODSFIELD MONROE COUNTY OHIO DECEMBER 27, 1865


wanted to visit the churches and such |
like places, and to please him we agreed
to go with him if he would go aud take |
dinner with u.s. ne agreed to this at
once, and we thought we had him sure
We planned that after dinner was eaten
we would have some light, sweet wine
brought on, and we would contrive to get
enough rum into what he drank to upset
him, for nothing on earth could please us
more than to get Jack Small drunk, and
carry him on board in that manner, for
we fancied that the captains favoritism
would be at an end, aud that he would no
longer look upon our rival with prefer
ence over ourselves. We had the matter
all arranged, and in the meantime we paid
J ok all the attention in our power-so
much so that he at length sisnifed a will
lingness to go anywhere to please us,
provided we would not go in any bad
place.
"sAh! what have you here?' asked
Jack, betraying some uneasiness at the
Appearance of the glasses and bottles.
"fOnly little new wine, replied, as
care,essly as I could. Mere juice of the
grape ,
.. But it is wine. nevertheless pursued
he.
"t'It isn't wine, cried Sam Pratt, who
was about one Of the hardest nuts old
| Neptune ever cracked.
"sNo,' chimea in Tim Black, another
of about the same stamp. Its only
little simple juice. Come, boys, fill up
'..The glasses were accordingly filled,
Sam Pratt performing that duty, and he
took good care that Jacks glass had a
good quantity of sweetened rum in it.
"'No,' said Jack, as the glasswas NOV
ed towards him; 'if you are going to COM
mence thus, 1 will keep your. company
with water while you remain orderly, but
will not touch wine.'
'This was spoken very mildly and with
kind smile, but yet it was spoken firm
ly, and we could see that our plan was
about being knocked in the head. We
urged him to drink with us-only one
glass, if no more. We told how innocent
| it was, and how happy his social glass
would make US; but we could not move
him.
"'Then let him go!' cried Tim, who had
already drank some. In fact the whole
of us but Jack had drank more or less
during the forenoon. Let him go. We
don't want the mean fellow with us!
"Thats it., added Sam, with Al@bittel
'off he goes. IF he is too good to drink
with his shipmates, we don't want him.
"'You misunderstood me, said Jack III
a tone of pain. I am not too good tt
drink with you, in the sense which yor
take it.. But I do not wish to drink a
4 ALL
"'Too stingy-that's al, said I, deter
mined to make him drink if / could
But Jack looked at me SO reproachfully
as l said this that l wished I had no
spoken as I did.
eff you wish to enjoy your wine
messmates, said Small, at the same tim
rising from his chair, you can do SO, bu
I beg you will excuse me. / will pay m
share of the expense for the dinner
"And for your share of the wine
said Tim, for we ordered for you
"tNo,' returned Jack, Il can not pa
for any Of the wine'-
"'Meanl' cried two or three at
breath. -.
s.'No no, messmates, not mean. | vii
pay for the whole of the dinner--for ev
cry article you and l have had in th
house, save the wine" ae.
, 'sAnd as he spoke he rang the bell. H
d asked the waiter who entered what was tn
bill for the company, without the wine,an
i after the amount had been stated, he too
out his purse to pay it, when Sam Pratt
who was our acknowledged leader, ,caugh
his arm.
"'No-not so,' said Sam. you sha
u not pay for it, for we will not eat at th
expense of one who will sneak out OF
: scrape in this way. We want nothin
more to do with you unless you take
9 glass of wine with u.s. r
4"'Yery well,' said Jack; and as h
9 lspoke L could see that his lip quiyere'
a and that he dared not speak more.
u "He turned toward the door then, bl
! before he could reach it Tim Black ra
and caught him,at the same time exclain
< ling: a
k .sMay I be blessed if you so off S
7, any way. You've commenced, and mo-
It you We got to stick it out!
ct "This was the signal for US to con
l. mence again, and once more we tried
b. urge Jack to drink. the wine; and whit
III we found that urging would not do,
nr commenced to abuse and scott. We
r cused him of trying to step over us
re board the ship, and of all other b
NJ. things cf which we could think. For
lie while the poor fellow seemed inclined
h let his anger get the upper hand but
at length he calmed himself, and steppi
le back to his chair, he said: g
ds "'Shipmates will you listen to me
We a moment?'
en- sSilence gave consent,and IN NONE
e. more he resumed:
I'm GsssSince matters have come to this pa
mis- L have resolveahto tell you what | b
i'd meant to keep locked up in my bosom
ZEN .sWe had always thought, from JAG
ed manner, that there was something pei
he liar connected with his early life, and
We we're all attention in moment
by "tMy story is but short one, he c,
bed ltinued, and I can tell it in very
sek words. From the time of my earli
six childhood I never knew what it was
on have Happy home. My father wa