Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-25
Gales aud Sketthfs.
THE BOTTLE.

Tom Barnaby was not MEMBER OF any
temperance society whatever. and had no
dislike to the taste of liquor. Not that he
was a drinking man. Oh. dear. no Never
was drunk in his life; never even slightly
overcome BY liquor. Rur still-well still,
every now and then a nice glass Of some
thing comfortable struck Tom in a pleas
ant light. and he generally took it when 1t
did.
Tonight it was cold and chilly and
gloomy, and the wind ratified the shutters
and crooned down the chimney, and made
a banshee of itself along the street; and
Tom. who was not very fond OF reading,
could not lose himselfin book or magazine
and there was no one to talk to, and the
resolution above recorded seemed to be
the most natural thing in the world.
"A glass of something comfortable. "
said Tom. land biscuit, and then I'll
turn inn
Then Tom went to the closet to look for
a vessel in which to bring the necessary
LIQUOR for the comfortable something
from the corner store. and spied on an up
per shelf green bottle. with fat body
and a long neck, which had nothing in it,
and smelt OF nothing, and he set it upon
the table, while he stirred the fire and put
the kettle on. that everything might be
ready on his return.
Mrs. Tom was absent from home, and
Tom was keeping house for himself. He
was on his knees before the stove, raking
it,when he heard q groan. twas faint.
far-awav sounding groan; but it had such
a ghostly sound that he started.
whats that ?" he cried; and some
thing answered:
"Only me-"
And jumping to his feet. Tom Barnaby
stood staring about; for there was moth
ing in the room that ought to have had a
voice but himself-not even kitten or a
canary bird.
"Who is mep" cried Tom.
Tom ought to know" said the voice.
And this time Tom saw it came from
the green bottle. -.
Hanged if it isn't the bottle ~ said
Tom. lis it spirits. or what?"
And the bottle answered:
Eyes. worse luck. 1t is spirits. Bad
spirits. too. Gin. rum and brandy
whiskey and alcohol"
"Oh, that kind !" said Tom.
Us. Sdlu tuc UOtllc. TlNC uCNHo.
I've been possessed by them all. Years
and years they led me such a life that !
wished was smashed; years and years
until your wife got me and put blessed
vinegar in me. Nice. sharp. respectable
vinegar, that never did worse than give
some poor cabbage eater the collie. And
thought l should end my days as a de-
cent vinegar bottle, and here am-going
to have one of the devils back, know.
Oh. what did that dear woman 90 away
forp Why did she go''
Tom, who had grown used to the phe-
nomenon of a talking bottle. and did not
mind it at all by this time, nodded his head
sagely.
Right there" he said. Its exceed
ingiy uncomfortable to have wife away,
but you are very foolish to talk as you do.
What harm is there in a moderate drink?
All you'd hold wouldn't harm a fly.
You've been listening to teetotallers."
81 haven't been listening to anybody"
said the bottle. I've found my own con-
illusions. There was time when l
thought as you do. 1t was when was a
brand new bottle. with gilt label, Best
Holland Gin on me, and my owner,
the liquid dealer. took me out of my
case and handed me over to Jack Bar
ker who had just finished painting the
store.
Here. jack says he, this will help
you keep Christmas
." Thank ye,' said Jack and off went
under his arm,
'And there, in bright little room, with
Il pretty wife and nice old grandfather
and two cunning little babies looking on,
he opened me.
What nice smell!' said she-the
pretty wife.
''And then he made some stuff with
lemon and sugar. and they all drank some ;
and the babies looked at the light shining
through my green sides and the gilt label
on me. And the old grandfather said the
drink had gone to his head. and he should
have to be carried up stairs, and they
laughed at that, because it was such q
good Joke.
II liked myself then and what was in
me.
Before was empty the first time,
felt pleased to be such favorite as was.
"Ah. dear. was filled up again and
again, and again; and after a while be-
gan to see things changed about me. The
wife's face was not so bright; the old
grandfather never laughed; the baby's
toes were out; and one day Jack stag
gered in. took me up, drank the last drop
from me, and tumbled into chair. The
wife began to cry.
"'Oh, Jackp says she. oh, Jack! how
hate that dreadful bottle! We were so
happy before it came into the house,
''She blamed me. but knew it was the
evil spirit in me that she meant.
you've lost your place. jack says
she. Everything has changed. You
don't care for the children. It's all that
bottle
but Jack was too tipsy to care what
she said. He staggered over to the table,
took me by the neck, and carried me to a
liquor store. There they put another
devil into me. That one drove the furni-
ture out OF the house bit by bit it was
pawned.
Then they left the house itself and
were in cellar somewhere. She took IN
washing; some of the money she earned
went for more evil spirits to fill me.
Didn't |. loa,h myself? One night sal
on the table and saw the old grandfather
lying dead and Jack drunk on the floor al
the foot of the bed. Didn't l loa,h my
self? tried to topple off. but couldn',
manage it. If ever bottle did desire tc
smash itself. did.
(Tc be continued)