The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-11-06

squire Brcct inclined his head slightly
us if to admit the correctness of Joe Dgg's
position.
81 believe cv'ry word the gentleman has
said" continued the drunkarl, "and-'
here he paused long enough to let an ex-
citabic member exclaim, "Bless the Lord ~
and burst into tcars-"and he could have
put it all II good deal stronger without
stretchn' the truth. And the sorrcr of u
drunkard's home can be talked about till
the dictionary runs dry and then ye don't
know nothn' bout it, But hain't none of
we ever laughed bout locking the stable
door after the boss is stolen2 That's Just
what this temperance meetin' an all the
Others comes to.
A general and rather indignant muir
mur of dissent ran through the audience
'Ye don't believe it," continued Joe
Digg, "but I've been a drunkard an I'm
one yet, an ye'vc all got sense enough to
understan' that | ort to know best about
it."
"Will the gentleman have the kindness
to explains 2" asked the lecturer.
-"EE'2l coming to it, sir, eff my headll
see me through replied the drunkard.
"You folks all b'leeve that its loving Ii
quor that makes men drink it; now faint
no such thing, l never had a chance to
taste fancy drinks, but know that ev
cry kind Of liquor l ever got hold Of
was more like medicine than anything
nice
Then what do they drink for p de-
mInded the excitable member.
"I'll tell you," said Joe, "if you'll have a
little patience. have to do it in my own
way, for | amt used to public speaking.
You all know who | am. My father was
church member and so was mother.
Father done days work, fur a dollar'n
quarter day. How much firewood and
clothes and food dye suppose that money
could pay for? We had to eat what come
cheapest, and when some of the women
here wuz sittin comfortable o nights, a
knittin' and sewin' and readn', mother
wuz hanging around the butchcr-shop,
tryin' to beat the butcher down on the
scraps that wasn't good enough fur you
| folks. Soon as VIC young uns wuz big
enough TO do anything we wuz put to work
Eve worked for men in this room twelve
an fourteen hours day. | don't blame 'em
they didn't mean nothing out Of the
way-they worked just as long Themselves
and so did their boys But they alters
had something inside to keep em up, and
] didn't. Does anybody wonder that when
| harvested with some men that kept Ii
| quor in the field, and found how it helped
me along, that took it, and thought twas
regular blessin9 And when | found
| twas II hurting me, how was l to go to
work and give it up, when it stood me
instead Of the eatables didn't have and
never had neither2"
There's lots of jest sech folks, here in
Backley, au' ev'ry where's else,-people
that don't get half fed, an do get worked
half TO death. Nobody means to buse
EN-, but they do hev hard time of it, an
whisky's the best friend they've got"
81 work my men from sunrise to sunset
in summer, myself" said Deacon Towser,
jumping up, san I'm the first man in the
field, an the last one to quit. But don't
drink no liquor, an my boys don't Meth.
err
"But We don't start in the mornin' with
hungry little faces Il hauntin' yc-ye don't
take the dry crust to the field for yer own
dinner, an leave the meat an butter at
home for the wife an young uns. An
We go home without bein' afeared TO see |
halt-icd wife draggin' herself aroun' among
a lot of puny young 'uns that don't know |
what's the matter with 'em. Poor human |
bein's sometimes reaches a pint where
they can't stan no more, an when its wife |
an children that brings it on, it gets
man awful"
"The gentleman is right, have no
doubt" said the chairman, $50 far as a |
limited class is concerned, but of course no |
such line of argument applies to the ma,
jority of CASES. There are plenty of we'll |
fed healthy and lazy vOuno mon hon1;n,r |
ABOUT the tavern IN ms very village"
u know 1t, SAID Joe Dlgg, land want |
to talk about them too. l. don't want to |
take up all the time OF this meetin,' but |
youil all low l know more bout that tav-
ern than anybody else does. Their is lots |
OF young men hanging aroun' it, an why, |
cause It's made pleasant for EN-, an its
the only place in town that is. I've been |
faithful attendant at that tavern for nigh |
onto twenty year, an | never knowcd Il |
hanger-on there that had comfortable
home OF his own. some OF them that don't |
new TO 60 TO ped hungry hcv scoldin' or
squabblln' parents, an they can'tgo visi-
tin, an hear line music, an see nice things
OF every sort to take their minds off, us
some young men III TINS meetin' house can.
But the tavern Is allus comfortable, an
thet Schei"hy soihcpouy 10 sing song
and tell Joke, an they commence goin'
Their more for pleasant time than for
drink, at tust. Theirs lots Of likely boys
goln' there that wish d stay away, an
I've often felt like tellln' 'cm so, but what's
the usef Where are they to go to ?"
"Fhey ort to lice from even the appear
ance OF evil" said Deacon Towser.
"But where be they to flee to, Deacon 2
persisted Joe Digg; would you like 'em
to come visitin' to your house 2"