Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-06-12
Satan and the Grog-seller.

The grog-seller sat by his bar room flre
With his feetas high as his head and higher,
Watching the smoke as he puffed it out,
That in spiral columns curled about,
Yelling his face with its fleecy fold,
AS lazily up from his lips it rolled,
While doubtful scent and twilight gloom
Were slowly gathering within the room.
To their drunken sldmbers one by one,
Foolish and fuddled his friends had gole,
To wake in the morn, to the drunkard's pain,
With bloodshot eye and whirling brain;
Drowsily rung the watchman's cry,
"Past two o'clock, and a cloudy sky"
But our host sat wakeful still, and shook
His head and winked with knowing look.
''Ha hap said he, with a chuckling tone,
81 know the way the thing is done!
Twice five are ten and another V.
Two ones, two twoS and a ragged three,
To Ea
He he it was rather good nights job,
Those fools have guzzled my brandy and wine,
Much good may it do them, the cash is mine"
And he winked again with knowing look,
And from his cigar the ashes shook;
He he those fellows are in my net,
1 have them safe and I'll fleece them yet;
There's Jones, what jolly dog is he!
And he swells the way like to see;
Let him dash for awhile at this reckless rate,
And his farm is mine as sure as fate.
"Tee, he Tee, he !" twas an echo'd sound;
Amaz'd the grog-seller looked around,
This side and that through the smoke peered he
But nought but the chairs could the grog-sellel
see.
"Ho, ho He, he !" twas cultural nete,
1t seemed to have come from an iron throat,
And his knees they shook, and his hair did rise,
And he opened his mouth, and he strained hi
eyes.
And 10 in a corner dark and dim,
Sat an uncouth form, with aspect grim,
From his grizzly head, through his snaky hair,
Sprouted out hard rough horns pair,
And iercely those shaggy brows below,
Like sulphurous fame did his green eyes glow,
And his lip was curled with sinister smile,
And the smoke belched forth from his mouth tn
while.
And how did he feel beneath that look?
Why, his jaw fell down and he shivered and
shook,
And quivered and quaked in every limb,
AS if an ague fit had hold of him,
And his eyes to that monster grim were glued,
And his tongue was stiff as billet of wood,
But the tiend laughed on, Ho, no! He, he!
And switched his tail in his quiet glee.
"Ho, no % says Nick, " tits welcome cold
You give to friend so true and old,
Who has been for years in your employ,
Running about like an errand boy;
That you're rather afraid, and it's strange to me
Do you think I've come for you never fear,
You can't be spared for long time here.
"There are hearts to break, there are souls to vii
From the ways of Peace to the Paths of Sin;
There is trusting Love to be changed to Hate
There are hands that murder must crimson red
There are homes to be rendered desoate
Inere are noPes 10 crush, unere UIs..s a--~,-
Over the young, the pure and the fair,
Till their lives are crushed by theiend-Despair
"This is the work you've done so well,
Cursing this earth and peOpling He'll;
Quenching the light on the inner shrine
OF the human soul till you make it mine;
Want and sorrow, disease and shame,
And crimes that even l shldder to name,
Dance and howl in their heliish glee
Around these spirits you've marked for me.
Oh selling grog is a good device
To make hell of paradise,
Wherever may roll that fiery flood
1t is swollen with tears it is stained with blood.
And the voice that was heard just now in praye
With its muttered curses stirs the air,
And the hand that shielded the wife from Ill
| Is raised in wrath, is raised TO kill.
Hold on your course, you're filling up
With the wine of the wrath of God your cup,
And the fiends exult in their homes below,
AS you deepen the pangs ofhuman woes;
Long shall it be, if have my way,
Ere the night o. death shall close your day,
For to pamper your lust for the glitteriDg pelf,
You rival in mischief, Our Satan himself"
No more said the tiend for clear and high
Rang out on the air the watchman's cry;
With a choking sob and half formed scream,
The grog-seller woke-twas all a dream;
His grizzly guest with the horns had flown,
The light was out and the fire was gone,
And sad and silent his bed he sought,
And long of that wondrous vision thought .