The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-01-03


There's a pretty bad case of what drink
will do with a man." he said keeping his eve
lXed on tho new arrival. There's a man
Who is as bright and smart a fellow as you'd
meet in a days march. He's utterly lost
trough drink, though. He's mighty handy
elbow with his pencil, and does something IN
he line of designing, | think He writes, 100,
good many of those queer patent medicine
advertisements. He can't keep anv situation,
cut he frequently gets specialoruerS, and then
ne makes d hatful of money. HeH spend II
Ill in a twinkling drinking himself and treat
ng others, Perhaps couple OF nights later
he'll sleep in bar-room chair because ne
hasn't got enough money to pay for his lodg-
ing. It's surprising how liberal he is with his
money in treating and how stingy he is in 9TH
er ways l once knew man ask nm Tor a
quarter to get a meal with. He refused, but
offered the man a drink. The other fell
thing better. took the drink. They got
blind drunk. This man must have spent over
a dollar on the other fellows drinks and yet
he would not give him ten-cent piece to GET
meal with. Did you ever notice that man
who bushes always likes to have some one 10
drink with him?
This fellow is now trying to get the bar
tender to accept those wooden socks he Just
taken out of that parcel for a drink. now
perhaps you'd like to know the history OF
those socks. Well, they were knit for him by
his mother-such q nice old lady! fancy
the trouble the poor old soul must have
had to make those socks and now TINS
fellow wants to trade them Just for one
drink. know all about it, because he lodges
lust at present up stairs, and l WIS at the
desk when she brought n lot OF things Tor
him this morning. / met him in the saloon on
the corner trying to dispos& the e-,-
OH This ' conyeas Shitle ag Sen Clay
and the young man ended by the former i'm
patiently transferring the paper parcel to a
receptacle behind the bar and passing over
the whisky bottle The young man filled his
glass almost to the brim. The bar keeper
whisked the bottle angry off the counter
why don't yer swaller the botte2' he
snarled.
| The young man assumed conciliatory
smile, and hastily escaped to a side table with
! the precious draught.
1t was now long past midnight and yet the
| bar-rOom was in full activity. Parties of cal
| rousers sat at the various tables, few play
! ing cards, others noisily merry. The two pool
| players were still at the game. Luck was
| lentlessly turned against the brownmus-
! tached man; he was losing game after game
in succession His face was flushed with an
! ger and drink. All his natural good humOr had
! disappeared.
Suddenly the door of the "Family Entrance
! was opened and the pale-faccd wife again
| beckoned to her husband to step into the hall
way and speak to her. He obcyed the sum
| mons, leaving, in his mpatience 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, angriy:
" What brings you here again?'
"Oh, Will" exclaimed the wife, aren't you
| ever coming home"
Not till get good and ready"
But, when the child is sick and am so
| lonely"
Don't bother me- Get out-go home"
| you've been drinking too much, viii.
| Come with me, do. Remember there's the
| doctor bill and the rent, too, coming due in
a few days"
Curse you; will you, get out of here?"
The man, furious at her persistence, raised
his hand menaciugly. The wife needed not
the threat. She again began to plead. He cut
her short
$50, I tell you"
"But, will"
''Won't you go"
"For 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
lips to stanch the blood and looked up at him
with a pittful 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 much longer. AS
soon as he had lost the game he threw down
his cue.
81 don't feel like playing any more" he
cried, I'm going over to Long Johns place;
there's some boxing going on there ton light
| and feel like taking it in. Besides, l expect
| 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 meI'
The other, flushed with liquor, eagerly as
scented.
"watson's 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,
" with charge against them on the blotter
ranging all the way from simple 'intoX,' or
assault to murder. All! drink is a 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 evils of intemperance as
he toyed with his freshly PINNED glass. With
out apparently being in the least conscious
| of the inconsistency between his actions and
| his words, he went on with relation which,
| in 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
the text. 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, one of those squalid Mulberry
! street dens-drink' $ lowest levels-where tho
| Unsuitable thirst of the drunkard is panOered
| 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
= low did this happen?" asked the Colonel.
| Mother and Mrs. Council quarreled and
| got to fighting, sir, answered the child THE
| looking-gass and the table and the clock is
| broke too"
Just as thought" muttered the Colonel.
| How much?' asked the bar-keeper, taking
| the broken pitcher.
| FIlit fun" replied the child
| The Colonel was about to speak again, but
was interrupted by the noise of three men
| seated at IA table a short distance away These
| three persons, who had drunk themselves into
| a beStial state of intoXication. rose unsteadily
| from their seat and INDUCED in boisterous
| horse-pay They amused themselves by re-
peatedy knocking hats from each others
| heads. Finally one of them, q callow youth
'DarGlS out vi hrs teenS I'm ypT MS own nat on
the ground and jumped ION it until it was
crushed into a limp and shapeless mass. Then
he sat down and his mood softened.
YOU'RE a gentleman JIM" be hiccupped,
addressing his companion I'm gentleman.
Jacks 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.
| Fiji EN- up again." was the only response
he made.
Then he became sickingly sentimental. He
threw his arm around Jacks" neck and wept
drunken, maudln tears He became almost
hystercal. The spectacle was an abhorrent
one. Utterly Disguised the Colonels com
panion hastily Withdrew.
Outs de the air became pure and fresh and
cool. after the cammy atmosphere of the
saloon. The city was asleep on tho bosom of
night. The great marts of commerce, the vast
| avenues of trade, the halls of Justice, cduCa-
! tiOp science and tbp nTtS the noble iDStit1tp