The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-05-19

s... .., =.
vas the worst of the ten plaques.
T.e a.tr9yi ns angel at midnight fiapped
yer the land, and there was one
81 Zach house. L~amentation and
r4.sg aai We through all Egypt.
-.rsying angel has fled the earth.
.ar worse las come. He sweeps
s e tat-c cities. 1t Is the DESTROYING
. ..t -trong drink. Far worse deyasta-
81 wrought by this second than by the
r. aAr calamity III America worse than
NIFTY ia Egypt. Thousands Of the
Sab billions of the slain. No arithmetic
.Blate their number.
t..- upon a time four fends met in the
-tF,grId. They resolved that the people
e. r Garth were too happy, and these
t.#r Intervals came forth to our earth on
. of mischief. The one fiend said,
e. take charge Of the vineyards" An
a,H laid, III take charge OF the grain
Another said, 'Ill take charge of
tle 3aIry." Another said, "IIl take charge
.ttae music" The four fiends met in the
great sahara desert, with skeleton fingers
e.3tyAei each other in handshake Of fdel-
itg kissed each other SOodby with LID Of
Blue flame and parted on their mission.
Tie liehd Of the vineyard came in one
sight morning amid the grapes and sat
down IN a root Of twisted grapevine in
sheer di.couragement. The nend knew
bRt 4J3N " dtil!u0C III III ara, OK.
through it, how to damage the world.
Tie grapes We're so ripe and beautiful
and luscious. They bcwitched the air with
Weir ~WeetEes@. There seemed to be so
ouch health in every bunch, and while
t4e tend eat there in utter Indignation
and disappointment he clutched a cluster
and squeezed 1t in perfect spite, and, 10!
lis hanl was red with the blood of the
vineyard, and the iiend said: That re-
binds nae Of the blood Of broken hearts.
l.,strip the vineyard, and I'll squeeze out
ultae juice II the grapes, and I'll allow
'he juices OF the grapes to stand untilthey
rot. aud Iii cali the process fermenta-
ton. And there was q great vat pre-
pared, and people came with their cups
and their pitchers, and they dipped up the
blood Of the grapes, and they drank and
frank and went away drinking, and they
drank until they fell in long lines ofdeath,
70 that when the lend of the vineyard
wanted to return to his Rome in the pit
De stepped from carcass to carcass and
walked down amid i great causewsy Of
tie lead.
Then the second fend came into he
ErainfieLd. He waded chin deep ami the
harey and the rye. He heard all the grain
talRin5 about bread and prosperous hus-
tahdry and thrifty homes. He thrust his
long arms into the grainfeld, and he pulled
VI the grain and threw 1t into the water,
and he made beneath it great fres-hres
lighted with a spark from his own heart
aAt there were a grinding and a MASKING
anl stencil. and the people came with their
hotties, and they dipped ~ the fiery liquid.
hh4 they drank, and they b.asphemed, and
t.eE staggered. and they fought. and thcv
riatei, and they murdered, and the tiend OF
'aeilt. the iiend of the grainfeld, was so
i.as-ea wish their behavior that he changed
#l~ '.>tt"uee rom the nit to a whisky bar
t tud there he sat by tho door Of the
1Ha-ao'e laughing in high nerriment at
tl"ta.uIht that out of anythin" so harm
ass as the grain of the field he might turn
t.- Ear|d into a seeming panicmonium.
iae seud Of the dairy saWthe COWS om-
s- me from the pasture field, full I'd
.@rai. and as the maid MIXED he said, Ill
q spoil al that mess, III add to it
LitiIE. sugar and nutmeg. and I'll stir it
A.4 10 milk punch, and children will drink
N.l some OF the temperance people will
-sta. Il. and ii con do them more harm
give them a headache. and then I'll
ab"3 them ever to the mere vigorous tiends
q ~ satanic dtlegation.' And then the
n'4l If the dairy leaped upon the shelf
ana 1auced until the long row OF shining
4lAtahS almost quaked.
Lac iend of the music entered q grog-
$3.50 and there were but few customers.
t.#i4iG lew customers, he swept the cir.
Ell. Tie city, and he gathered up the
1aN#ai instruments and after nightfall he
@-~A".ci a hand. and the trombones
f" and the c,mhals clapped and the
Arat and the huCies called and tn.
a eroYded in. and they swung around
eltE dance, each one with a wiDeglas:
land, and tho dance became wilde
stronger and rVu:her. ultil the room
tHi the glasses cracked and the fiooI
81, NAai the crowdd dropped into hell.
+-a the four tlends-,he tlend of tn
l and OF the crainiield and Of III,
and ~ the music hal back Z
Me. and they held high carniva
their work had been so we'll done
'stA rose from his throne and an
's mat there was no danger OF til,
: redemption 30 long as these fOu
1#uti fav such tax to the diabolic
- ta.A all the demons and all the sprite