The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-02-17

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and we thought we had him sure. w
planned that after dinner was eater
we would have some light sweet win
brought on, and we would cOntrive Il
get rum enough in what he drank t,
upset him, for nothing on earth coulC
please us more than to get Jack Small
drunk, and carry him on board in tha
shape, for then we fancied that tn,
Captains favOritism would be at al
end, and that he would no longer IOoE
upon our rival with preference owe
ourselves. We had the matter all ar
ranged, and in the meantime we paiC
Jack all the attention in our power
so much 50 that he at length signifieC
a willingness to 90 anywhere to please
US, provided we would not go into any
bad place. ..
"Dinner time came, and most cap.
ital dinner we had. We had selected
one of the best hotels, for the prices
were no higher there than at places Of
lower repute, and, In fact, not so high
for these low places fleece a sailor most
numerically. The eatables were dis
patched with becoming gusto and then
the wine was brought on. ..
"Ah! what have you here?" asked
Jack, betraying some uneasiness at the
appearance of the glasses and bottles.
"Only a little new wine" l replied,
as carelessly as L could. "Mere juice
of the grape"
"But it is wine, nevertheless" pur-
sued he. ="
at isn't wine" cried Sam. Pratt,
who was one Of the hardest nuts old
Neptune ever cracked.
"NO," chimed in Tim Black, an
other of the same stamp. "It's only a
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
lit.
"No," said Jack, as the glass was
moved toward him; "if you are going
to commence thus, l will keep you
company with water while you remain
orderly, but l will not touch wine"
This was spoken very mildly, and
with a kind smile, but yet it was
spoken firmly, 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 him how innocent it was, and
how happy his social glass would make
US; but we could not move him.
"Then let him gow cried Tim, who
had already drank some. In fact, all
of US but Jack had drank more or less
during the forenoon. "Let him go
we don't want the mean fellow with
us!"
"That's it" added Sam, with bit
ter "off he goes "If he's too good to
drink with his shipmates We do not
want him."
"YOu misunderstood me-" said Jack
in a tone of pain. 81 am not too good
to drink with you, in the sense in
" hich you would take it. But 1 do
not wish to drink at all"
''TOO stingy all, said I, de-
termined to make him drink if I could
But Jack looked at me so repI Oach-
fully as / said this that wished I had
not spoken as l did.
'If you wish to enjoy your wine,
messmat"s," said Small, at the same
time rising from his chair, you can do
so, hut beg you will excuse me.
will pay my share of the expense for
the dinner"
"And for your share of the wine,"
said Tim, 'for we ordered it for you
"NO,' returned Jack, 81 can not
pay for any Of the wine"
"MeanF" cried two or three at a
breath.
"No, no, me-smates, not mean. /
will pay for the whole of the dinner
for every article you and l have had
in the house, save the wine"
And as he spoke he rang the bell
He asked the waiter who entered what
the bill was for the company, without
the wine, and after the amount bad
been stated, he took out his purse to
pay it, when Sam Pratt, who was our
acknowledged leader, caught his arm.
"No-not So" said Sam. "Youi
shall not pay for it, for we will not
eat at the expense Of one who will
sneak out OF scrape in this way. We
want nothing more to do with you,
unless you take a glass Of wine with
u.s."
Every we'll, i" said Jack; and as he
spoke ! could see that his lip culver
ed, and that he dared not speak more.
He turned towards the door then,
but before he reached it Tim Black
ran and caught him, at the same time
exclaiming:
"May be blessed if you go off so,
any way. You've commenced and
now you've got to stick it out"
This was the signal for us TO COM
mence again, and once more we tried
and urged Jack TO drink the wine;
and when we found that urging would
not do we commenced TO abuse aud
scOf. We accused him of trying to
step over us on board the ship, and OF
all other bad things Of which we ecould
think. For a while. the poor fellow
seemed inclined to let his anger get
the upper hand; but at length heI
calmed himself and stepping back t.
his chair, be said: -
"Shipmates, will you listen to NJ,
for a moment ."
/ Silence gave consent, and in a mo-
ment more lie resumed:
"Siuce matters have come to this !
pass, l have resolved to tell you what
[ had meant TO keep locked up in my |
BOSOM"
We had always thought from Jack's |
manner, that there was something |
peculiar connected with his early life, !
and we were all attention in u mo |
ment. -..
"My story is but very short one,
he continued, "and l can tell it in |
very few words. From the time oi
my earliest childhood l never knew
what it was to have a happy home
My father was a drunkard Once h, |
had been good man and a good hus |
L I L