Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-29
Dra.anflr bn-

the landlords manner. Presently, how
ever, abe returned and in a supphcating tone
said, "Oh please sir, father says, do let hum
have it only .for this once; he won't ask for it
he's going to job on Monday, and he Gays he
does spend all his ready money here when he's
got it" ''Well, tell your father to come and
spend bis ready money again, for he'll get
was considerably lowered in my estima-
ton, not 30 much by his refusal as
by his coarse manner of refusing, and turning to
me he added, half apologeticslly, as If ashamed
of his conduct 1t don't do to be too soft
hearted sir, to keep tavern l assure you-'
No" said |, shortly, :. suppose not" For
some time after this stood soniking my cigar IN
silence till my attention was drawn TO Young
girl of shout eighteeI who came up to the bar.
She was very thinly clad, and by the hectic flush
upon her cheek should immsgine that consunlp
ton had marked her for its own " Do
let me have quartern of gin, she
Monday do, there's good fellow, for I'm
desperately cold" Can't do it, said the land
lord, "its against the rule, and you know it.
" Well, she said lyon might do it for me at all
eyents You know what lot of money I've spent
in your house, and if you only knew how cold
was" "Don't matter, he answered, live
made the rule and wont break it for you nor
anybody else" SO you won't then, won't you.
YOU sneaking thing" she said almost choking
with passion and striking the counter with her
small bony fist; ''then I'll have 1t in spite of you.
I've got something left to pawn yet, and il
pawn my last rag I'd have it now, il l never had
any more" It's you, she continued, "yes its
you and such You that have been my
ruin, and the ruin OF thousands more
too, and its such us, such As
me mean that keeps up In your piide both
YOU and yours. Its our foolish pennies you fat
ten on and if We spent thousands in your house
you'd kick into the gutter when our money
WAS gone, En- you sneak. you have done 1t, you
know You have ~ and with this she bounded on
,,,t., fle oil ha1 slle
3 string of yltuperation coming from lips OF one
80 young, ond me, too, who still bore some
slight traces of early mental culture, and from
whom every yestige OF beauty had not yet lied
While / was deeply pondering on the sceuer
that had Witnessed that evening, and yainly
suggesting to myself remedy after remedy for
the insane desire of mankind TO dry up the dif-
ferenl sources of happiness placed within their
reach / was startled by the reappearance OF
the young girl, who advanced TO the counter
with 8 defiant air, showing pawn-ticket
| in Que hand and shilling IN the
other. Now give me q quartern OF gin' what
do you think OF that Eh I'm welcome enough
now am not, said she displaying the shilling
which the landlord took without word and i'm
mediately handed her the gin and si1pence
change Rapidly drinking the first quartern
| she called for second one which was also
served her. "Will you give me another, she
asked before touching it. "Yes, of course" said
the landlord, 'if you've got the money to pay
for it, not without" ..,a .,Ah " replied
|
wouldn't You, if l had the money to pay
| for it? Noindeed you've seen the, ,lsst you'll
| ever see of my money, land swallowing the gin
At single drsught she at once quilted the
i place. As the evening advanced the bar became
| more and more crowded and by half past eleven
| there WAS scarcely standing room in any portion
Of it. Many OF the later arrivals were showily
dressed girls, some of them extremely youthful
in appearance, and evidently, already under the
| influence Of drink. Within few minutes OF
twelve the calls for g another glass became SO
numerous that the large staff behind the bar
were totally unable to keep pace with them,
and people jostled each other in wild dispair
lest they should not get served with that . one
more glass before the neighboring church
clock chimed out the fatal hour of midnight,
| when it would be . too late. One might well
have imagined that they were fighting for life at
the scene of some dreadful shipwreck when the
clocks measured sounds rung ont on the still
night air. The gas was suddenly turned down,
aud the noisy crowd hustled into the street,
where it congregated in little Knots to discuss
the " situation and left it to its own rehec
tons, perfectly satisfied that | had seen quite
enough for my money at the :. Golden Gate"