The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-07-26
MPrse LuneA.,
BY MRS. NELLIE H. BRADLEY.

of this stree lunch,n said Clement
Wilson to his companion.
''What go into whisky-shop for |
lunch
"'Not for Joe, not for Joe,
No, 10, no, sir! not.forJoe, sir ="
And be shook his head very decided
ly.
'But, Joe, lisa very nice saloon,
not at all like the rest of the low
places about here; where's the harm?"
You are right my young friend,
said the bar-keeper, who had heard
Clems last remark. We keep first
class establishment, and the very best
people patronizc US. Walk in; now
do"
"Nyill you walk into my parlol?
said the Spider to the Fly, sung
out Joe derisively. mo.
thank you, Mr.. Spider. Come on,
Clem; I'm ashamed to be seen loaf
ing in front of a liquor-shop, par
| ley-vooing with rum-seller."
And am ashamed Of you for be-
ing SO rule and ill-mamcrcd.H eX-
claimed Clement. .'You can do as
you please, but I'm going in Aud
In he went. while Joe went on hi way
yexed and sorry.
! Clement found the lunch of cheese,
crackers, and pickles very good; but
on !, oking around, saw that every one
had a gllSs of some kind of liquor, and
1t occurred to him. for the first time.
that all who partook of the lunch were
expected to patronize the bar. Now.
he had never drank any thing III his
| life except wine, and that not very Of
ten. bnt he thought it would appear
mean not to do rs Others did; so, in Il
low voice and wiiha flush of shame,
he called for Il GAS Of ale. and paid
for it. lie did not intend to drink it,
but only to sip very little and leave
the rest: but, somehow, before he Ind
| finished. his glass was empty, and his
head, uacu>tomel to even this light
stimulant, felt decidedly queer.
A. he went out. there was Il tri-
umphant smile on the bar-keeper's
face.
Free lunch is a fine bait for young
sters. and they get to be very protita-
bic as they grow older" he said to his
clerk with u chucklc and a grin.
"We've got the old topers safe enough,
and it's the young chaps we must at
tend to, or these teetotal fellows may
get ahead of us.
Clement get into the habit of drop
ping in to ''free lunch' very often, in
company with boys who We're evil as
sociates; and Joe heard him spoken of
as "going down-hill," and being n
fast boy" and he felt sorry enough
for his old playmate.
Joe was a very fearless boy, though
but sixteen, and lie resolved that he
would try and do something for Glen,
if possible; so one day he marched
into the saloon, and walked up 20 the
bar as boldly as if everything belong
ed to him. There stood Clement and
several others, munching cheese and
crackers, and drinking something that
was certainly not water.
| A poor, misunderstanding man,
with ragged clothes and red eyes, who
looked hungry and wretcled enough.
put out his shaking hand, and eagerly
seizing piece Of cheese and a
cracker, began to eat Eayenously.
''Sce here, old dead-beat. do you
think I'm going to board you for moth
ing?" asked the slloon-kecper.
This is the third time you've been in
and helped yourself to lunch without
spending cent at the bar. | guess
You haven't got any thing to eat at
home, have you?" he continued, with
a hateful sneer.
NO, I've got nothing to eat at
home,n answered the man. sadly.
1--WE not even got home. slept in
a wagon last night. A year ago.
had home, and friends, and enough of
everything; but | commenced taking
free lunch here, and washed it down,
first with ale, then beer, and, after
Willie, with brandy and whisky. until
at last it wasn't the lunch but the ltq-
uor came for, and now you see what
am. I've spent hundreds at your bar.
and now you begrudge Inc a morsel of
bread and cheese. People who eat
free lunch will find itawful dear in the
end, and think I'd starve before I'd
eat here again" And the poor,
wretched drunkard went away hungry
and miserable.
'You sec now what all you free
lunch fellows are coming to-" spoke
out Joe mantully; and I've come to
tell YOU" turning to the bar-heeper,
''that if you don't stop selling liluor
to boys, III have you arrested, for you
know the law forbids it,
IF you don't leave quickly, I'll
help you out with the toe ofnly boot"
yelled the man.
''Mr. Spider, I'm sorry to see so
many poor flies caught in your web;
but here's one intends to get out
before it's too late, don't you Clem:"
And, taking his friends arm, they
went out, leaving the man swearing
and the lunchers laughing at Joe's saiI-
cy eoolness.
The next day they went by the sa-
loon both singing sauclly,
"lvill you walk into my parlor?
said the Spider to the Fly"