Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-03-28
How Brother s'ramp shifted shE
Responsibility.

brothers Crunp and Noel were
members of the Hardshell Baptist
! Church in Alabama, and both clever,
honest men; who paid their taxes and
debts, as the same annually accrued,
with regularity at cnca Christian
and commendabie. If, when scttling
day came round, Brothel Noel was
short OF funds, Brother Crnmp was
almost sure 10 be able to supply him;
and on the other hand, should Broth
cr Crump fall behind Brother Noel
woud be found to have surplus.
Thus, borrowing lroa, aid lending t
each other, worshipping at the same
church. and living II mile apart, an
intimacy 8 adaaiy ripened between
them Of such II nature that they did
not hesitate to speak in tie irahkest
and most familiar manner TO each
other, even i'll regard to their re-
spective ioibles.
Now, ii c;;m4 10 i2ss that Brother
Crunp, during the llyeiie.t rol.ic'i oi
tic cotton season, drove into WetGnp-
KIT aid disposed OF his "crap" Of ten
bales at the very fair price Of fifteen
cents pound. 1t was more than he
had ozpectad, anil as The world VAS
easy with him. lie deiasn.na;l TO i'll
vest, and did actually spend portion
of the proceeds Of thesale Of his cot
ton, in barrel Of whiskey.
Oh couse it was narrated around
the settlement" ..het old Crump had
bought whole barrel. and altar a
few weeks people began TO observe
thpt. his nose grew redder and his
eyes more moist. The idea that
Brother Crump was drinking too
mucl. soon diifused itself in the
neighborhood, until. as one might say
it became epidemical. People talEcd
and talked and talked--more espe
cially those few OF other denomina-
tons of Ciristjans who lived there
about Brother Noel vas sore
troubled" at the scandal, and more
especially regretted The injury it
brought on the Hard Shell Society of
Sharon. So, resolving on little
friendly talk on the subject, he step
ped over to Brother Crumps one
morning, and found the cid man in Il
joze in his little porch
Won't you take dram?" asked
Brother Crunp, as soon as he was
aware Of the presence OF his neishbor
"Why yes; l don't care if | do
I'm not agin dram wien body
wants it. .
Brother Crqmp soon handed out
his bottle, and the friends TOOK . dram
apiece.
Don't you think, Brother Noel, ;"
said Crump, "thatsperits is a blessn ?'
Yes replied Noel, "sperits is
sartinly ablessln', but one that me OF
us abuses
"No doubt Of it Brother Noel; but
pray, who do you thinI, abuses the
blessin p
"Well, it's really hard to say-but
people will alk::-don't you think,
now, that you drink a little too much,
Brother Grump:'
"Well, brother l have had my
thoughts on the subject returned
Crump. times I've reckonc that |
was drinkin' too freely, and jhcn
I'd think may be not What is man?
At best but poor weak worrum OF
the dust So l left it to the Lord to
say whether ] WAS goin' too far in
sperits: | put the Whole 'sponsibility
on him:--I prayed daily, beseeclnn
him that, if l was drinkin' too
much, he would demonstrate it by
t5iin' away my appetite for sperits. !"
Here Brother Noel groaned very
piously, and asked" What then
Brother Crump?"
"And I've prayed that prayer for
three weeks, and he hain't done it !"
replied Crump, so reckon I'm clear
Of the 'sponsibility, any way"
"The Lords will be done !" ejacu-
lated Noel; and after taking, another
dram, he went home, thinking all the
way how aptly Brother Crump- had
shifted the responsibility.