The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-12-26

desk when she brought lot of things for
him this morning I met him in the saloon en-
the corner trying to dispose of some OF the
other things while ago.
This conversation between the bar-keeper
ana the young man ended by the former inn
patiently transferring the paper parcel to
receptacle behind the bar and passing over
the whisky bottle. The young man filled his
whisked the bottle angriy OF the counter.
snared
The young man assumed conciliatory
smile, and hastily escaped TO a side tab ? with
the precious dFaught-
1t was now long past midnight, and vet the
bar-room was in full activity. Parties of ca
rousers sat at the various tables. a few play
ing cards, Others noiSily merry. The two pool
players were still at the game. Luck was re-
lentleSsly turned against the brown-mus-
tached man: he was losing game after game
in succession. His face was flushed with an
ger and Brink. All his natural good humor had
disappeared.
Suddenly the door of the Family Entrance
was opened and the pale-faced wife again
beckoned to her husband to step into the hall
way and speak to her. He obeyed the sum-
mons, leaving. in his Impotence. the door half
open behind him. From where the Colonel
and his companion sat, the two figures could
be seen and their conversation overheard.
The man began, angrily:
" What brings you mere againT
"Oh, VIII exclaimed the wife, "aren't you
| ever coming homer
| Not till get good and ready
but, But when the child is sick and am so
Don't bother me. Get QUO home"
| You've been drinking too much, viii.
| Come with me, do. Remember there's the
doctors bill and the rent too, coming due in
/ a few days"
Curse you; will you get ont of here?g
The man, furious at her persistence. raised
| his hand menacingly. The wife needed not
the threat. She again began 10 plead. He cut
her short.
go, I tell you.'
"But. Will"
won't you go"
tFor PHYS sake, listen"
Blinded with rage the man brought down
/ his hand with cruel force upon her face His
+ fingers struck her lips. cutting them against
| her teeth. She staggered under the force OF
| the blow. She put her handkerchief to her
I lips to stanch the blood and looked up at him
/ with pitiful look in her brown eyes. He
/ seized her by the shoulders and pushed her
/ toward the outer door of the hall She made
/ no resistance. She walked off, holding her
| handkerchief to her face with a dazed and
/ helpless air.
| The husband returned to the pool table, but
| the play did not continue muca longer. As
| soon as he had lost the game he threw down
Il don't feel like playing any more" he
| cried. I'm going over to Long Johns place;
there some boxing going on there toni light
/ and feel like taking it in. Besides, expect
i to meet Watson over there. He's been talk
| ing against me and I'll either make him take
back what he's said or I'll break his internal
neck. VIII you go with mey'
The other flushed with liquor, eagerly as
| scented.
''Watsons a dirty loafer, he replied HE
wants good licking. I'll go with YOU"
| Gulping down another drink, the two started
| out.
They'll wind up in the station-house, likely
| as not" remarked the Colonel, musingly.
4" with q charge against them on the blotteT
| ranging all the way from simple 'intoX, or
assault to murder. All drink is terrible
| thing"
Then, this old topper, whose system was so
| thoroughly soaked with liquor that drink
| seemed to have no effect upon him, began to
| discourse upon the OWLS of intemperance as
| he toyed with his freshly primed glass. With
| out apparently being in the least conscious
| of the inconsistency between his actions and
| his words, he went on with relation which,
| i'll the vivid experiences it embodied, was as
powerful an indictment against alcohol as
| could well be framed
The Colonel stopped speaking. He might
| well have continued, with his own case for
| theteXt Here was an old man, gray and
| wrinkled, every cent of whose meager earn
| ings was offered up on the shrine of rum. and
| who was slowly drifting into the hospital, the
asylum, or one of those Squalid Mulberry
| street dens-drink'S lowest leVels-where the
| Unsuitable thirst of the druukard Is panGered
to with liquor at three cents per can.
! As the Colonel raised his glass; the little
girl with the large pitcher again appeared at
! the Family Entrance"
The pitcher was broken. Part of the handle
was missing and large piece was Clipped out
of the spout.
:. How did this happen?' asked the Colonel.
Mother and Mrs. Council quarreled and
/ got to fighting, sir, answered the child. 1.-The
| looking-g glass and the table and the clock is
| broke, too"
just as I thought" muttered the Colonel
How much? asked the bar-keeper taking
the broken pitcher.
! Fllit full, replied the child"
| The Colonel was about to speak again, but
was interrupted by the noise of three men
| seated at q tables short distance away. These
three persons, who had drunk themselves into
a beStial state of intoXicaton. rose unsteadily
| from their seat and INDUCED i'll boisterouS
| horseplay. They amused themselves by re-
peatedly knocking hats from each other
| heads. Finally one of them, Il callow youth
barely out of his teens, threw his own hat on
the ground and jumped on 10 until il was
| crushed into a limp and shapelcss mass. Then
he sat down and his mood softened.
| Fs"You're a gentleman, Jim,' he hiccupped,
addressing his companion. I'm a gentleman.
Jacks Il gentleman, cursed if he isn't"
This inane utterance he repeated over and
| over again. The bar-keeper came forward and
| requested him not to speak SO loud.
''Fill EN- up again, was the only response
he made.
Then he became sickingly sentimental. He
threw his arm around Jacks neck and Wept
drunken, maudlin tears. He became almost
I hysterical. The spectacle was an abhorrent
/ one. Utterly disguised the Colonel's COM
panion hastily withdrew.
Outside the air became pure and fresh and
| cool, after the clammY atmosphere of the
| saloon. The city was asleep on the bosom of
| night. The great martS of commerce. the vast
! avenues of trade, the halls of justice eduea-
| ton, science and the arts. the noble institute
! across she way, the churcheS-all were de-
! serted, silent and dark, the saloons only were
| in fully activity. Drink, relentless potentate,
was alone exacting from its slaves unceas;ng
| service.