The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-08-30

Jonas Teachout. whose barn faces the
highway a mile outside Of this town,
allowed the circus wagon to paste up
pictures on three sides Of the buildin.
How many tickets for the circus he
got In exchange / do not know, and it
has nuthin to do with the question.
What I'm sayin Is that them pictures,
in my solemn belief, shocked the NOR
ais Of this community fur worse than
as II ten saloons had been opened in
the town. The circus wagon is ag'in
apprOachin. 1t is creepin along in its
sly. insiduous way, leavin the blight
Of destruction in it's path, and if sun
thin amt done Jonas Teachout's barn
will ag'in be enwrapped in the allurin
colors Of vice and degradation. 1 move
that it IS the sense Of this meetin, and
Of the community in gineral, that 10.
mas be struggled WITH
1T appears to me-" says Deacon
Spooner as Moses sat down, that a
pint has bin made. When Moses talks
Of allurin colors Of vice and degrada-
ton, l seem to see before me them pic
lures OF wilnen jumpin through paper
hoops However, I'd like to hear from
Silas Lapham. | reckon he's interest
I'd in the moral welfare of this COM
munity."
Il amt blamln Jonas tall" says ST.
las. He got - deadhead tickets fur
the use Of his barn, and don't believe
anybody was the wickeder fur it. If
man can't gaze at circus pictures with
out goin away and stealth a barl Of
soft soap. then he amt no man. Did
any wife run away from her husband
because Of them pictures? Did any
husband clope with the hired gal be-
cause Of them?'
"That's Il pint. and | says it's a
pint" cXclaims the deacon as he hus-
ties about. Them circus pictures was
on that barn fur two months, but what
family was busted up through their in
fiuence! It's fur Moses to specify
wEar vice got its tochOld."
Il amt sayin that any fam'lles was
busted up" continues Moses. but I'm
talkin bout the gineral influence on
glneral morality. A circus picture is
nuthin but picture. but it suggests
lemonade and peanuts and whisky and
poker and bein out late nights. They
are like pizcn ivy. You come across it
in the woods. and it is fair to look up
on. and it seems to be rooted in inno-
cence and thrivin in morality. You
handle it. and you begin to itch and
scratch and find yourself pizened. Like
| hydra headed sarpint, it lays in wait
to work destruction to the unwary. l
hope this meetin and this community
air with me and that it will be decided
to wrassle with Jonas Teachout"
"Moses didn't seem to make a pint
| on the peanuts and Lemonade" says
the deacon as he scratches his ear,
"but he was powerful strong on that
pizen ivy bein rooted in innocence. |
kin almost see whar circus pictures
might influence me to so home and
pound my old COW with sled stake if
she didn't keep her tail still while
was milkiD, but I'm willin to hear more
arguments. Enos Williams, you driv'
by that barn twice day all summer.
HOW did them pictures affect you?"
Not much different from a huskin
bee." says Enos. 81 didn't feel no
feelin's Of wickedness stealth DER me.
but did sort Of make fool Of myself,
! found soft spot in the barnyard and
tried to turn a handspring, and fur
about two hours they thought my neck
was busted. I'm thinkin that hard cider
has more .gineral influence on gineral
morality In this community than cir
Gus pictures"
ITS pint" shouts the deacon as
he waves his cane on high: "it's a
pint nobody kin git over! It's hard
cider that's backin vice all over this
county and h'fstin innocence over the
fence whenever they meet However,
1t may be that circus pictures also
have their influence. Moses, have you
got any more argymentsT
"Of what use?' says Moses as he
| heaves 4 sigh and turns away. Wasn't
Sedan warned? Did Sedan heed it?
| When vice stalks rampant through ev-
| cry household in Jericho and innocence
Is driv' to the fields to sit under q
blackberry bush and weep, then re-
member what have said here tonight
l amt denyin that hard cider is blunt
IN our morality, but when you add clr-
Gus pictures to hard cider what do
You dog
Yes, Sedan was warned, and Sod
am fell says the deacon as he shakes
his head. but I'd like to hear from
Lish Billings on this matter"
Its purity late" says Lish.
How purity late?"
| why. Jonas has rented his BARI
| ag'in aud got 81 daadhaa1 ticEatc and
here's one he give me. How's that fur
p'int:"
The meetin stood appalled, fur min.
1t, and then Deacon Spooner looks
around and says:
Jonas has got 20 tickets left, and
that means he has 16 more to give
away outside his family. Fellow coun.