The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1866-11-30
The Man who Getteth on a spree

The following, from the Richmond
Examiner, may possibly have som APP
plieation in this latitude:
There is a class Of men Of peculiar
habits in every community. not only
in the populous city, but in the quiet
and peaceful country village, whose
hearts are open to generous impulses,
and whose minds are not u~nfrequently
endowed with genius, at whom the
Pharisee points h efnccr Of scorn, and
for whose shortcomings and failings
society in general has but little sym
PATTY. We allude TO the habitual
spreer-the man who getteth up be-
times in the morning and cOck-taileth,
and repeateth the dose an indefinite
number Of times, until his brain
whirleth, his legs refuseth their Office,
and he sinketh down on the soft side
Of the pavement, u helpless victim 10
the wiles of Bourbon or needle gun
whisky, as the case may be. Such men
often keep sober for many weeks, and
then, under tho influence of the times,
fancied misfortune, or a wcll-hlled
purse, think they may venture TO take
one drink. 1t will dispel care, raise
the spirits, and set them on their feet
again The drink is taken, and this
drink begetteth an appetite for another.
The spirits begin to rise, and a happy
feeling of prosperity warns up the
heart. The devotee Of John Barley
corn has commenced his practice at
the bar in earnest. A party of Jolly
fellows come in, and he treated, and is
treated in return. His little pile Of
currency becomes small by degrees
and beautifully less So long as it
lasts he is generous, and never lacks
for so friends to join him in a drink.
Finally his legs begin to get drunk,
but his BRAN is clear. He knows what
he is about, and will stop when he has
got enough. Another drink, and
another, until a search Of the inner.
most recess Of his pocket fails to bring
to light another dime. He asks the
barkeeper for credit. 1--WE don't do
business in that way" is the ready re-
ply. By this time he is pretty drunk
all over, staggers out, and falling into
some friendly doorway, sinks into the
arms of natures sweet restorer, balmy
sleep" If he happens to escape the
notice Of the vigilant policeman, he
awakes at q late hour of the night,
minus hat and shoes, which have been
taken possession Of by some wayfarer
whose necessities doubtless drove him to
the act. Hatless and shoeless he goes
to his lodgings, and after q troubled
sleep wakes up with a burning thirst
He has no money, but must have a
drink and he gets it. In fact, a man
can manage by shrewd engineering to
get whisky when he can't get anything
else. The experiments OF the peevious
day are repeated, and kept up, per
haps, for u week, when the jolly chap
becomes sick, takes medicine, sees the
folly Of his course, makes marvellous
resolutions, and swears he will never
touch another drop. And, generally
speaking, he never ~does-until the
next time. Upon the least rising o.
sinking Of the mercury in the menta
thermometer, he is off again, showing
that fair promises, like pie-crust, arr
easily broken.
There are many young men Of ex
cellent business qualifications, win
will doubtless recognize their own da
guerreotype in the picture we hav,
drawn. 1t is this class who oughI
never to taste II drop. Your old soakel
can take his regular drains with no i'm
mediate %perceptible effect but it tell
on him in time, and the man with tn,
poker gets after him, sooner or later
But the young man who has acquired
a habit Of spreeing Il never drink
without getting drunk, whereby h'
loses the confidence OF his employer
plunges his family into the depths o
woe, and finally becomes an outcasr
from society, and the associate Of bum
mers and vagabonds. And, having
brought him 10 this level, we close oul
briet sermon on che man who getteth
on a apFoo.