Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-11-22

| tncy hai uoHc iHe young man du lnIuS-
tice. True, they often heard of him in
the village, where he continued his
drinking and fighting; bat. altbouob
the nearest way would have led him by
Mr.. Thompson's house, both in going
and coming, he always crossed the prai.
rie some miles above, and never came
near the place.
Mr.. Thompson, who had once been 4
kind husband, an indulgent father. and
man of good habits, disappointed bv
repeated failures in business. and vexed
by poverty, had, of late years, taken TO
drink, and now was little better than y
common drunkard. His wife and
daughter had persuaded him to move
from Iowa, hoping, when his old associ.
atlons were broken up, he would do
better IN Nebraska, and make their new
home a happy one. For a time their
most sanguinc wishes seemed about to
be realized. The farm they had taken
up was good one, the crops were
abundant, and all seemed to promise a
happy future. Mr.. Thompst II had left
off drinking entirely, and was acajn the
kind and affectiOnate husband and IA
thcr of former years. The happiness of
this little family was unbounded. when.
in an evil hour, a cloud darkened the
bright sunshine of theic rude c,ttare
and finally burst in a destroying storm.
| \ man named Cook opened a travellers
rancho, or hotel. near Mr.. Thompson's
and between this man and the farmer
there soon subsisted the warmest friend
ship. Night after night Mr.. Thomp-
IL 70 l.
society of bad men until hesmall hours
of the morning. The wife and dauph-
ter, alarmed for his safetv, rcdoubled
their eifJrts to make his home attractive.
and resorted to every womanlv device
to keep him with them: but, despite
their eXertions, he spent more than
half his time at Cooks.
For long time he resisted every tomp-
tation to drink but 1T length the evil of
keeping bad company became apparent,
and one night Mr.. Thompson came home
to his family reeling drunk. His down
ward course was now rapid he was
drunk every day; and to the vice of
drinking he soon added that of gainb-
ling. The land on which he lived was a
homestead. ard the title could not be
perfected for five years, so he could not
gamble it away: hut, one by one, the
horses, cattle, and farming implements
were put up and lost, until ut last all
that was left were two horses, Il wagon,
and harness.
Among the persons who visited Cooks
was person called Long Ned,-a flash
lly-dresScd individual, an ex-stagc- dri-
yer, drunkard, a gambler, and an I'M
principled scoundrel. Ned had won
most of Mr.. Thompson's stock and mon
ey, and was now waiting to finish up his
devilish work by taking the last thing
the poor man had. He had not long to
wait, for, one evening, Thompson, with
his team and wagon, came over to the
rancho. and after sundry drinks had been
taken, Ned proposed to plav for the
team and horses. At first Thompson
refused, saying it was all he had left,
and he meant to keep that; but drink
or two more, and the exhibition by Ned
of a hundred dollars in money. changed
his mind, and he sat down at the fatal
table he was so sure he could win this
time, and then Ned said he wished he
would, for he wanted to see Mr.. Thomp-
son get back some of his property.
In one hour the last horse was gone,
and Mr.. Thompson rose from bis chair
and staggered to the wall, where he
stood with his head hanging upon his
breast, pondering his misfortunes, and
realizing at last that he and his family
were penniless, and he had not even the
means OF getting home. Ned came up,
and slapping the farmer familiarlv on
the shoulder said: "Come. cheer up,
old fellow, and let us take drink
Thompson moved mechanically to
bar, and, filling his glass to the brlm.
drank it off. Again and again he drank
and at each swallow of the vile stuff,
seemed to grow more desperate. He
was now maudlin drunk, and Ned led
his victim to. one side, and said he had
long wanteda wife, and, as Mary was a
fine girl, he would like to marry her.
He really sympathized with Mr.. Thomp-
son in his losses and, as it was the
custom in new settlements for men to
buy their wives from the Indians, he
would put up all he had won of Mr..
Thompson against Mary. At first the
f,rmer was shocked and surprised but
the more he thought of it, the more
reasonable Ned's proposition seemed to
be, and after another glass, he sat down
and staked his own daughter on hand
of cards. Ned won, and the farmer
burst into tears. The gambler made
light of the matter, md assured him, if
he had lost daughter, he had won a
son-in-law. Again and again they drank,
anil, Ned calling for bottle of whisky.
the two got into the wagon and started
for the farmers home. On the road,
Thompson drank heavily from the bot
tie, so that when they arrived Mt th;
farm, the farmer was so drunk he had tC
he helped ont of the wagon. 1t was
very late, but the wife an1 daughter wa.
still up waiting for his return, and Mar!
was clad in a neat white muslin dress
; which made her look charming. The,
were both much surprised to see stran
ger with Mr.. Thompson, but received
him kindly, thinkingsno doubt, he hat
merely come to 800 M Thompson sai'
home.
4 Ned turned out the team.- bis team
I-and then entered the cabin. He wa
- repulsive-looking fellow at best but
that the night wind had puffed ant
ekSSh3p bloated faee, he Looked per
~ -. lixing Nh bIeared eye