Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-01-01
speak. his large, coarse hands wander.
ing TREMENDOUSLY about:

speak, his large, coarse hands wander
ing TREMENDOUSLY about:
"Oi hain't no bloomin' temperance
horator, and mayhap OF hain't no right
to speak ere; but OF got somethin' to
saigh, and Oi'm a-goin' to saigh it.
"Parson, e says. Is it wisky, or no
wisky in this 'ere clubT II We hask
me. witch We don't, then no wisky, says
OF. and if We hask why. look at me!
Once OF could mine more coal than
hany man in the camp; now OF hain't
fit to be sorter. Once OF 'ad some
pride and hambition; now OF 'angs
round a-waitin' for some one to saigh,
ERE. Billy. ave summat.' Once OF
na1e good paigh and sent 1t 'ome reg
ular to my poor old mother. She's in
the wukus now, she is. Oh hain't sent
'er hany for year and 'alf. Once
Billy was good fellow and 'ad plenty
o. friends; now Slavin ITSELF kicks I'm
bout, e does. Why? Why?" His
voice rose to shrek. Because when
Billy lad money in is pocket hevery
man in this bloomin' camp as meets
VII e1S ASNCAy So1 dC4 ullO, Oily,
wat'll We ave? And there's wisky at
Slavin's, and there's wisky in the
shacks, and hevery 'oliday and hevery
Sunday there's wislzy. and Wen We
feel bad it's wisky, and Wen We feel
good it's wisky. and heverywhere and
Railways it's wisky, whisky, whisky! And
now ye're goin to stop it, and 'ow?
The manager, e says picters and mag
azines. 'E takes is wine and is beer
like gentleman, e does, and e don't
ave no use for Billy Breen. Billy,
'e's beast, and the manager e kicks
I'm bout. But supposin' Billy wants
to stop bein' beast and starts a-tryin'
to be man again, and wen e gets
good an dry along comes some un
and says, 'Ello, Billy, ave smile?' it
hain't picters nor magazines 'ud stop
I'm then. Picters and magazines!
Gawd 'elp the man as hain't nothink
but picters and magazines to 'elp un
wen 'e's got devil hinside and dev-
IL houtside a-shovin' and a-drawin' of
IN down to ell. And that's Were Oi'm
a-goin' straight, and yer bloomin'
league, wisky or no wisky, can't 'elp
me. But" and he lifted his trembling
hands above his head, eff We stop the
wisky a-fowin' round this camp yell
stop some O. these lads that's a-follow-
in me ard. Yes, you, and you, and
your And his voice rose to a wild
scream as he shook a trembling finger
at one and another.
"Mon, it's fair grewsome tae hear
him." said Geordie. "He's no. canny."
And, reaching out for Billy as he went
stumbling past, he pulled him down to
a seat beside him, sayin: "Sit doom,
lad; sit doom. Well max a mon o. We
yet" Then he rose and, using many
RS, said, "Maister Chairmon, a. doot
we'll just haze to gle it up"
"Give it up| called out Nixon. "Give
up the league?"
INA, ma. lad, but just the wee drap
whusky. It's nae that guild anyway,
and it's a terrible price. Mon, gin We
gang tae Henderson's in Buchanan
street. in Gleska, We ken, yell get mair
for three an saxpence than We wull at
Slavin's for SIS, an it'll mo- pit ye mad
like yon stuff, but 1t gangs doom smooth
an saft-like. But" regretfully, yell
no can get it here, an I'm thinkin' I'll
juist sign yon teetotal thing" And up
he strobe to the table and put his name
down in the book Craig had ready.
Then to Billy he said: "Come ava, lad!
Pit yer name doom, an We'll STAN by
ye."
Poor Billy looked around helplessly,
his nerve all gone, and sat still. There
was swift rustic Of garments, and
Mrs. Mavor was beside him and, in a
voice that only Billy and I could hear,
said:
you'll sign with me, Billy?"
Billy gazed at her with a hopeless
look in his eyes and shook his little
head. She leaned slightly toward him,
smiling brightly, and. touching his arm
gently. said:
Come, Billy: there's no fear" and in
a lower voice, "God will help you"
AS Billy went up, following Mrs. Ma
vor close, hush fell on the men until
he had put his name to the pledge.
Then they came up, man by man, and
signed. But Craig sat with his head
down till touched his shoulder. He
took my hand and held it fast, saying
over and over, under his breath:
e9Thank God! Thank God!'
And so the league was made.