The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-06-27


fore magistrate and sworn on the holy
eyang, lists mover to touch or taste intoxi-
eating drink.
seem to see him now, pale with grow
ing excitement and unusual abstinence, with
his hands lifted as in thanksgiving and
prayer. apparently willing to die rather
than 90 back to the old degradation OF the
cup, while lis audience was thrilled as he
shouted ont his JOY at RECONSIDERATION, land
thanked Gud-now with streaming eyes
that he was free forever from a drunkarG's
death. it seemed to me that the poem OF
n. P. Willis was written expressly for
Marshall, the victor over self, as he quoted
and acted it
Then dash the briming cup aside.
And spill its purple wine,
Take not its madness to thy lip,
Let not its curse be thine.
'Tis rich and red, but grief and woe
Are hidden in its rosy depths below.
Or again, in sad emphasis:
Within the goblet's crystal deeps
stinging serpent unseen creeps,
There's not bubble on its brim
That does not carry food for him.
Or, in very rage and scorn.
hate, abhor, destest the smell
Of this dark beverage Of hell.
Sometimes for three months this ecstacy,
and inspiration would last, and then the
Feed Of artificial stimulation for so over
wrought condition would return, and
s"Tom,'' s'Od Tom," 'Poor Tom," as men
called him, would be drunk again.
Once Henry Bascomb, IL. D.. the able
and eloquent Bishop ofth Methodist church,
saw him leaning for support against the
outer walls of a Methodist chapel at night,
and said in bitter jest, not knowing him:
81 suppose you are Methodist from your
attachment to that building ?"
II lean that way, Bishop said Tom, in
his best Congressional manner; ''give (hic)
me your arm and I'll see YOU rs far as my
door," and the Bishop did.
Prof. Shannon, since President Of the
Kentucky University, and now CT St. Louis,
once thought to reprove him as he stagger-
ed up the steps CT the Harrodsburg court
house, 'sOh, dear. Mr.. Marshall, he began
''drunk again!''
s.Never mind" said Tom, $50 am 1" and
he went in, and. holding himself steady by
a table, made speech that saved man
from the gallows
Like Daniel Webster, who once soaked
up pint of brandy in loaf of bread and
then ate the bread, being retained in case
during the trial of which he had promised
not to drink anything, Tom Marshall was
brilliant in his cups, and only t the heel of
a weeks constitutional did he ever get so
obvious of facts as to make the following
story OF tie Bttterton House possibility.
Tom had gone to his room, after lecturing
a group OF medical students on the vice of
drinking, but soon came out, partly dressed,
and called excitedly. for the landlord. That
large gentleman, responded, and tom said !:
.sAin'5 respectable 'nough to have a pri-
waite room. What dye put that Teller in
there with me for?'
ut is. a strictly private room, Mr.. Mar.
SHALL" said mine host.
s.laint so-feller's in there" Tom per-
sisted.
The landlord went to see, and Tom hold
ing his arm soou had him in the middle of
the room, opposite large and handsome
mirror. .'Theie,' said Tom. ''told you so:
see him yourself Cont you? Don't think
am drunk now, do you? Two OF 'en. by
George! One enough like you to be your
brother, aud 'totlr one the drunkest, silli
cst-lookng fools ever did see!" Marshall
when sober, said that the whole thing was
made up to tease him, which was not i'm
probable, save that his tendency to shoot
made Jokes about him very like torpedo war
fare, i. e., dangerous to the holder.
A cd story is told of George D. Prentice
OF the Louisvil Courier Journal, of which
Henry Watterson, the Kentucky Congress
man, "with one eye and a new baby" a.
his servant once described him, is now editor
and who has recently rrade fame by saying
| on the. Silver Bill, "Universal suffrage car
make soft soap legal tender il it has &
mind to-,
When Geoge D. Prentice arrived in louis
vile, it was not as a brilliant young journal
list, looking for position in which to shine
but as drunken loafer, utterly uucertai,
about place in which to sleep. In thi
condition he met and made fiien'ls with
fellow who was as near a tramp as any ex
listed in t. at day, and who was known as
''stroilng tinker" or travelling member o
tin pots. They made day of it, the ex
tent of the funds they both had, and sucl
credit as they could get, at the risk OF boot
applied to their coat-tails. Night came OF
and George D. Prentice bewailed his LAWS
and open drinking, which had left him with
out the means to get bed. The tinker sail
with the lordly hospitality of very tips
man: You shall 60 home with me-,
George assented to his "comerlongerme,
and arm in arm they started for thei
s'home." The man seemed to know wher
he was going, and soon reached an obscur,
street. not far from the Ohio river. He paus
ed at shed, let down bar, and again mum
bed out his word, which could be divide
in ''come-' er -long-er-me." Then he at ono
rolled over the bar and fell into some straw
and Prentice following, there were som
small sqaeals and some loud and angry grunt
as Of disturbed swine.
Prentice shook his friend, who was al
ready asleep, and said: ''See here. is thi
your home?''
Eyes, sir ee,' said the sleepy tinker.
SIT sounds and smells like a hog pen,
said. the haIf-sobered Prentice.
"What-er that-tlley'll have to stand IT.,
said the fellow. who then went to sleep.
Prentice was still too drunk to know no.
to get out again, but he lay and thought
His thoughts were: s'Here am |, a man
good education, and of good parents, an
well brought I'm. have been enjoying my