The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-03-19
Old Jack Logan.

Old Jack Logan was "tOper." A topper
is one who drinks whiskey-I came near
saying "one who drinks TOO much whiskey;"
but just happened to think one who drinks
whiskey at all, drinks too mach, for no good
ever yet came of drinking the nasty stuff.
As was saying, old Jack was a topper.
he lived in a miserable howell on the out
skirts of the village of Beanyille, People
say that he once lived in a respectable house,
and had nice farm, and that then his fami-
ly had plenty to eat, and drink, and wear.
But Tin Sloper came to Beanville and
opened saloon, and that was the "begin,
ming of the end. Jack first made the ae-
quaintanee of Tim, then of his saloon, and
then Of his bad whiskey. This first took his
odd change, then his dollar bills, then his
dimes, tens, tweDties; then his cows, sheep,
horses, furniture, house, and finally the farm,
and then Jack and his poor family were
worse than beggars.
At FIRST Jack only called into the saloon,
as he was passing, to see Tim, and have a
few friendly words with him. After he took
to drinking, in the beginning he only stopped
when he had occasion to pass that way
Then ne took to spending rainy days there
when he couldn't do much at home. 1t
wasn't long, however, before his business
was totally neglected, and his money, and
stock, and house, and farm all gone, as l
told you before.
It is thus that sin grows. First it is a
little thing. Jack fell into bad company,
and gradually contracted bad habits, until
he was ruined. If he had never seen TIN
Sloper, or any of his kind, be might have
been a happy, prosperous man to-day, in
stead of the degraded, drunken sot that be
is. And his poor wife might have been liV-
ing in her own home, with peace and plenty,
instead Of being compelled to earn the scanty
living she gets by washing for other people;
and her dear little boy and girl, Neddie and
Susie, instead of the old rags that they are
compelled to wear, might have had nice,
comfortable clothes.
Jack sometimes got into scrapes that
would have been funny if they had not been
50 bad. One night he went home from the
saloon so drunk that he did not know much.
Daring his absence his wife had moved his
bed into another corner of the room, and in
the place where it had stood she had placed
a large tub filed with water, ready for wash
ing next day. Jack knowing nothing of the
change, and but little about anything else,
pulled of his clothes and jumped into the
tub. Tae sudden cold bath brought him to
his senses, and he was not long in discover
ing his mistake.
Another night he started home rather
drunken than usual. When near his hut he
stumbled and fell, and being too drunk to
get up, he lay there and went to sleep
Daring the night friendly hog came along
and lay down beside him. Presently Jack
put out his hand, and feeling the hogs long
bristles imagined himself sleeping with one
of his {" chums" and said; "Say, Bill, when
did you shave last2
Boys, learn lesson from this. Keep out
OF bad eOmpany-avOid the society of the
bad, or you will soon learn to act like them.
Keep away from drinking and gambling sa
looms and YOU will not be likely to become
such men as Jack Logan Little SOa0sr.