The Sumter banner. (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, April 02, 1851, Image 1
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VOL. V. SUMT1ERVILL E, S. O.~ APRIL 2, 1851- N02.
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aT ltev. ati-nm:u c Rcaii, i- a travelling
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saMe.
The Smunvggliir,
Or Humphrey Jaokman's Last Trip.
DY TnIM nriv. J. A nOTT, AUTIl1Ont oi' "I'lz.s.uu'
.3111URAvH.
In the month of January, eighteen
hundred and -'(no matter about
the exact year,) towards the close of
a splendid Canadian winter's day,
two men, dressed in the unpretending
etolfe-du pays, were returning home'
wards from their daily labor. They
iad bccn _' rting and hewinig timber
or '. -nswhich was to be
erected :.- !wing spring on an
extensive clen hat had recently
been made up . new farm.
From the ; .0 appearance of
'the more promsineuiit figure of these
tQwo men, he mi-l't have been some
0 'orn-c- His stau
litoop, wvas abvtEnry S1 il-..
11e stood, when stray'.ned up, fiull
six feet in his stocking-Feet. His
broad shoulders-his long and brawny
>arms-his muscular neck, reveale I
b the loose collar of his red lanuel
~rt, gave promise of more than
-nmmon strength--wile the bold
outline of his high and noble forehead1,
and the decisive east of iii counten
ance, together with a quick, unquail
ing, anld penetrating eye, were un
mistakeable tokens of an active and
powerful mind, well suited for the all
but 1Herculean frame under its infln
once and command.
The other, in whom night be traced
some slight resen.blanlce to his com-l
panion, was a mnan of three or foiur'
and twenty years of age, with
nothing. in his figure or bearing, save
and except a pleasing and rather in
teresting expression in his features,
increased, if not created, by a shade
of melancholy which seemed to have
settled upon them, the cause of which
will be developed in the course of my
tale.
"So, Frank," said the elder of the
two, whom I shall call itumphbrey
Jackmnan; "when this cage is msade,
(the new house,) you'll have some
pretty bird ready to put into it, I
suppose, ehi?'
"O, yes''as the ready?, but by noc
neads unemnbarr'assed reply. "Liittle
Nelly is to keep house f'or mue-it's
all settled.' Little Nelly was his
youngest and favorite sister.
"Stuff-nonsense!' exclaimed his
icompanion. "What's to become of
lanny Reynolds? You may be
thought that I did'nt know all about
it?'
"No more you do, uncle," returned
iis companions; and then went on to
explain how that the old man wouldn't
give his consent until he had got his
house furnished, and paid off the two
instalments still due upon his farmu;
"although Fanny thinsks,' he added,
"that her father would pay one of
them himself, if I would msake out
the other, and she and her mother
would manage about the pincip~al
part of thso furniture; indeed shte's
gAt bedding and table linen and I
djon't know what besides, of her owun
already, enough to furnish two houses
such as8 we want.'
* "So then, Frank, this is the tr'ou.
ble that has beens making you losok so
downthi whle bckDutwhy niot
tell me before ehs, lad?'
of"Well, uncle, they say folks don't
feel fo syoung people incasrape
ofthis kind, arid so we thought it best
po keep it to ourselves, and to try anls
york it out in1 time. It would take ai
counple of' year's, perhaups, anid asnny
has c-mni:e 'l to wiait: but the old
man vauts her to wel that fellow,
Ned Warcap, and besides-in short,
I du nut know what to do.'
'"0, we'll nallage it, Ilever Fear,
boy.- And as you cannot get the girl
without the cash, why I must just
make one more trip, that's 111, al
though I did think niever to imake
another. Smuggling!' the oild min-ii
continuiel, as if thiniking :Ilouidl, 1
don't like it;-its not riglt, auo vt
there's no very great har:: in it, afer
all, all everyboldy practices it when
they have an opp.ortuility; s' l'il try
it oice
'1-Then let me go kith yIui,' S;Iiil
Frank, eagerly, 'and( if yiu haveI luck,
you'll make tw.o i;olple ha;py.'
'"Say three, boy, say three, mwl as
itS thie last trip I'll eVer take. , II
shall "-) With 11n0; au1-1 With Such-1 ice,
as we wnOW live, ltere's no1) tn1., to
be lo.st . sto i1 for 0--- to-orrow
Ilolillig-hire a 1inan1 to take , I
across; get yilr eVe on a
temuls, anda wait. at llirai lir'
till I collie ve to You.'
With many elxpresions of th,
deepes gratitude, Qi-'ak lalani
parted frono Ilis uncle that iii it:n l
the ehl mall turnied iito his u \armi d
Inutterigl suildry ej.culatin :,m:
thing but comlp.limemi to hose 1et
ting themnselves against lis neph.w's
"love scraip,' as lie cAlled i, intr
mingled with an ocacasioal n.
the lenigt'hoftime it, tooik thek, ;-h
a!T ra ll, l : lrat iry to r 1,
herseif to tilhe arills 4f M, t b .1
the harnly uld Fa:iler, Hunip!.ey
Jackuman.
W7hile leaving.. the' worthy Vcoul
to their reiuse. we will take 1 P:O
ing glallee :t the di:rent I. 1U!.le
few though they be wtl whdi i nylii
tale is concerned. This ist ore
nce.(.s.*a"v. ns '. i t I o I I ,
Humphirey Jackman's faim,
ratier his nephew w.ich uia et.
to it,? onl W .'.. 1!:-, hI'l heen. a t u%:-: .
as alrcauld si: u'N ti
Canada si i- . . i t n.
twenlty mi1les away rmi
'backood.'The rowlle
brallelleil Al at : l'i'..'lt ' .
the front 0r liVer r:!.' a .
above the then tflAorishing I. "I
P--. Th11is roadl, :eL ru .
aljoiIlt tell in1ILS hrick, wvs en
another rod.a~l :nrn !.
set lp ti.erv, CallV thi -! a
iers a 1: w i tsh .ta Wie
into thle n r.
oil thie (.lliaada ~. ., un 0:.
larg.Cr town -, oil the .
States side. h'le lo !e o my .
beilng iii that secti'1l o ae,
where tile great S:t. I,: : e
the linle of sepa-ationl bett -n1 b':,- ,
and 110 l ie (.lean '1 I'A 4v1er l f ! -:.
as the intelligent reli will
not ile h ecece'li. . E l
illiles in lell'll.
surmnfer lby the stillness el the . i*ie:-,
and by tile ice iul winte, a e...e 'ia.
and is si:ll cariedu.. ('n u'. 2 a
tuntionsu, certaily uno iar t.. th. h
ges ini tlle tal i ofut iuii :~
b'y the irespec'tiv\e g4'vern4 :
the silgglers al'e flun,1 al 'i
AtL the period.1 to wieb01 ini -
fers3, there wats a hea~iVy dutt ilai
doubl ied theL lpne e at wieb ii ! ch ud
prc rd int the 4tat2, he:... t .
temphtationi onl the hart 'f the ('a
ails to smullggle it acro1.ss thlin
Theli toIwn of ( )--, in the. 'ni:o
States, wats ill conseiuenceL'i4 thei I
terined to mia ke i s 1last u iiih..
his niephle w to p rocee~IdlU ht.e. , as
beeni al read y stat ed. i orde1r to ..
him iln biing~i it toi a 1ne.-4' 1
unldertak.inig mlust be left fLr the e
qjluel to udevelip.
T.1wo dayts afterthemerti
anid thle neplhewi, conlcernuiing the -l.w
scratpe' of thle latter, the lurly andu~
sta! wart siltaggle.r, Il ilgigOe
mtan, mllighlt iave beenl seenl at a sor
inl carryinlg outt bags, thle conlitenIIts of
wiihi wiould lbe ea1sily' giue-sted at hie
the iitiatedl, but1 whiebh eCr bi 1
che w : l 4j vZe ti ,I ae n . I ..:
r"ain. Uis nephew Frank, as Ie
called hiii, was there too, aiding and
assisting in loading with these 1bags,
t vo do)ih!c.sleighs at the door, to
each of which a 'span' of leggy horses
were lau-nmsed.
A light 14eal of ten himdred each.
desi:Aelyv li:ght, fI a span of' horses,
in case tthe v inighlt have to run for it,
V:as S)(ln comiu1pleted; hoids or notes
withi satifaetory endorsers, were
signiietd to) sencurc the payinent for
tie sme aI all was ready fFur a start.
N:),v, Frank,' said the old man,
-tilo youl tennis to 11iiraiml Brown's
l :n I 'id ::ive them a good feed, amid
- -n'exactly t wo hours fron this
-Iwx .1uini the tiiic, ie added, Cen
Ihli ily, 'everythin:. depends onl
this. I *Lave g&ivCn the rascally (Ali.
Cor a hin , 1F what I am up to, and I
her& re :pect u) havc a tussle with
1bia::* but la w n'1tou l vou;. so
hy:ud see to)yur team.S,
i I n r % \ill he YoiiiIS yet, oi ily
i t Ilnaphrey Jachkinan.'
V .I.. A r, he 1 1alke 1-0, :n"! in
. lour w.as trotting quietly
-1 :h it V a*0 : i: eross tihie iiver,
ill th l an moonhiht. lis sleigh, ap
S.:tiled hea ily vwith bags,
\\I <rawn IY a sp an (.If powerful
i ::a, antd he whistling un
enI'a he jogged aling, at
ti t*Wn ' where I iuipircv
J :s trill. awi the object of it
I l ~ ' t w :l!..t wiid. aiil accorl
in W i- a:attions Lad been made
vKI the ltuut enre. ataI precaution,
I- Lt reetion on' his iretirn of the
rva:yr~ tler tie St. Lawrence
I ver horne o its bosomll.
s. uiii under the shetie of t'ie
v:t-. a I: e hihr up thani where
the r A I tie river, was a
eut tC twO 1 CISOns in it,-the
ex, 11imself and a sturd.
I r INt umsculr
~ 4,. ~7 h .J e. Th
l'd a1 strikher conitrast to the
!iei IIan be-Sidoe himl.
n-' a' thw ( did in tOiusC
h0 A 'alloition essentially
- -- i i:i eannetiter as
.t , I n're fit andi'
- t s f*r nele
-I;i2li U~ Ia'I
- ~ ;I ".v :'.::11 was -
I' n- cituhld haih-l
a un ill ie w::. C Lt th at
I Ic v. Q t1
t b.. the contra.
I-10 ~ ~ he m 1re vwas a hanld
1 t. II n-,i Eto evete.t
-1 Q, in Ul, in mo ia:
o - . I U \\' i ll th -
-:ni tiii I 4jipeu A: mLiti in
th i hi hi.. h:it ini it
A -.\I A. :b a ill ,
t0 Wa ,\ert, J.a.
CC, - V*- .
. . e i i h :
1 t : Iitlo g r
1 i n ure i- ii
e in an:
- 1 I 1 i I - .1 1 . a
e .
*t I. Ii ii
a *t - hir i'.-- erre
1 . E n'l earivn.-t
t it1 - ha' uli f hi !i.e
II: . I - :i . .
.. .a b: ..i-at histoo to a
pliantly Cracked Ils whip over his
gaIlat grays, as if in' (efiaice of the
threatened anger, whel they started
oil up the rivert a plaee, which for
soine time at least kept his pursuers
at a respectifil distance.
On they went, the law bicaker
anilt the law defenderi, awd a goodly
race it was anul for a goodly stake
too. Uncle 1Iuinphrey's team was
flitnedl throughout all that country
side for speed anml bottom, anid the
excise-naln had taken pailns to secure
for that express oC(cIOnl the Swiftest
horses ie could obtain it all P
Oi they went at a fiery gallop.
The smuggler anl theo entter having
(istttee4l the other sleighs hla the
race all to thetuselves: but alter a
mile or so, the weight of the sniug
gler's l'ad, or the superior bottom Iof
the excisemian's horse began to tell,
For distance ietweci them was rapi d
ly decreasiig, ail anq the Cutter
got close up1 to the stil ehen the
uflicer called up on I l buphiby to stp;
btt lie only answere'l %y apiiVin.
the whip to his htorsc and gilvin;;g
thei an exclamation f encourwat
mnt.
Perceiving that it the smug
glers (otelininiation to to -the
last, the olicer urged rsu to
his utmost Speed and tlled in
getting abireast of the nan but
tlt,.! latter even thei \ ' h4ver
sarv was at hIs side, I C to
take the slightest noti A 'bt
1ishCd off wi itluIIt o0ico und
him.
'Now, Tim.' whis 6 eoer.
to his companion: 'no tel'
atl the min tnakin~r. Ot' of
the cutter, thre w li MaIl.
Cd sleigh behtind the
iig as he did no'
ha.- Lim.,
But biig Riu n~I tv
ne the t. : - id~
he . .onIhis
-lur tinl.; ha rh bult with
thwir sI eei Isthe; rih 1k.
lit him ck he I n t iI e :C it u . -iclN
retidI thle s hit j.rv hi I.ve
Ithe gih r ice. M ih c h vi#tonc
:15 ; In as :1.11 *UII VI
as to hiin. ai l tch- sne
iess. 11,11en raising lit. h li:tvvy \\lip
hest rocek the officer's h Nsa hich
had . . li tv hly 1.*-n,1. s.uch a1
btLl. Il Iu eC- I : i r t
f the base , : ,v I 1 e rI a Lt I-- dis
all -i t i:tL I I I: I t re
11 I NI I I
whe hihi liin ll ui Li
i t
i theyl e !1 1ii.
Lie n 1vr l i , h : t
Li ance.L. Ut Il .ui
(L at .n w in , - n .
1n 1 a 1., l.i
Li. t1 i,
'I're th et.i
sLoi b 1 uo h I n
Twice d. Ith an 2.
Il iii th ihads~ < I: LI t a
t i I i l; t ig :
,ae hln >w that i' tim i. Iu n II
is. blo wast Ii tii . u I say.il
carryV hoin; othuiki: Ii tWe r
dhnt to ni ot tl ti <I.L1 ....1.1
taverii, the party had been increased'
by the comitig up of the two sleighs
which had been left far behind at the
headlotng coinmmenceiient ofthc chase
but had overtaken them owing to the
more moderate pace at which for the
last five or six miles, they had been
travelin1g. .
The whole party simultaneously
broke out inte loud and triumphant
exclamations as they saw the hercto
fore indoinitable sinuggler givo up
the crmutest without another effort,
ant drive quietlV into the shed.
Theoflicer pluoceeded instantly to
toake a formal scizuire in the King's
namle of the teai anu load; he had
boein too well iiformet of the nature
(f its contents to think for a moment
of examining it; while 1 Iumphrey was
coolly busyi himisilf in firstening
his horses ald proviling themui with
a little hay and a warm covering.
The litter, froi their heated state,
was much needed. Ile did not utter
a single word, timl one of the men,
clapping him on ilie back, jeeringly
said to him: 'When, uncle, when
are you going to give us another
chmtice like this?'
"Better see,' ie replied, as he
turned with an aibiguous and con
temintuous smile towards his load;
better see what you've got this time,
lad.'
"\Whiat's that' exclaimed the
officer, his suspicions. already aroused
by the apathy antd uneoncerned air
and mIalmer of the suiuggler, be.
comning all but confirmed by his
snCering and contemnklituous remark;
ind springing to the sleigh, lie tore
open tile first bag ie could get hold
of, and thrust in his hand, but
instantly drew it out again with a
deep oath.
.Unelo:H brw~ rey lau gheil angi
m;'l: he heard hini
exelaim 'to his comlpal)ions:
y hiaveIs men we are are dovi ne
with a vvngeance' here is nothing but
sp-.1 ' 1- ipty all the
baes,'h.-... d. l see i there
Thite ags Were inlstantlV throwii
out of the s!i h and emprtied on the
shoW bul nut na grain c the Coltralha
:uticle was there. The officer and
Cuen looked at one anOther for an ill
staiut, with'a bhI aiik countenance.
A t lengti one of thc:n remarked, that
he wo have (tiher teais coming
ot withi the. tea, :a tl they had better
hamtsten ta.: au (;'i:ly as possible.
'Oild imuphrey is not the man to
make such a Lhual.er,' repliel the
-;s to leave US a sin.eAc chance
ne.w of Ifidi hijs tea. No, nto! l'ii
w~an-:mit you it'S as afe by ls tim111
a.; the li st Secret recesses Ilii SuOue
of the miost res'pectale inercait'
itrs ini 1' ean imake it.'
N', wonder, by the way, thant a
loor. inira iit, li~if-educated mn ii like
l' :!e lhunnihrev ;.1ackman,-.-or a
cannon. labingi far.mer, yun-mi :an
u':x'erietce'l, Ii!;e his nel'hew, l'razil~
II :iis,-shouldi think lizhtlv Cf the
ero:ne~ ta nglig tr handly vcon
sider it a cime at all, when S 1nime
Il iigins him self, a ma istrate andi a
in.:a'i of the --'d ha.ttali, .i of injiit,
:imol I:lder lv-sids--andt~ airbrothiers
*. t' ., tmn. of the La ing partners in i
u biLb firm w as a e~aaleadIer-I sayv,
whnsuch meni as the-, the first
increbants in the toun if '-, had,
uhhitut a bhtish '.n their self-satisfiedl
coute.meis, or a stainm ui! In thir
w ith th smiugd-r, byV miur-b: in-g his
e .ntrahianl :goods at ai cheaper rate
thii the ' conid loave got thema else
ubhere, and thieeby becomting par-:i
talrs Uf the s:i;:ler's profits, as
tin-y crtinly had an uindoubted
ri ~ht to do. Ilboo among thiieves:
The oPlicr kne. IOw all thI;is, as well
as the reader kniiws it now, that he
w as nit lib'elling the hIl hiardened
hyp\eilte-, whe heiI sail whlat het did
aboutt the tea bieing. safe int their
sre s. TIhere was no harm, htow
ever, ini ace lin i to hIs 1n:01 3 Sugges
tin-they Ihad to 'e tim en at ant
r~i'; si l'a' ing illd Jhunpthrey to
::th2'r upl hi~s emptyi r 1ag:, lie tur-ned
hi-; horse, andi, fllowedl by the two
seihs, diove rapidly back in the
diret2 ion of P ; and when they
tthere, the whitle town wats in a
uae oh' the most p erfect repose, and
ta traeo if the tea w as to bie found.
Fri.mkL liarrs we'nt to bed that
i .ht woih a li..hter I;ar tai hid
been his for many a long and
weary day.
Not so with the uncle. He had
been an habitual s'nuggler, it is true,
in his younger days; but had long
ngo given it up, not from a thorough
conviction of its criminality; that had
yet to be effected by a simple country
girl, despite the influential examples
of magistrates, church-wardens,
elders, and class-leaders; but from a
belief, rather ill-aefined than other
wise, that although not veay wrong,
it was not exactly right. These
misgivings-which have been before
adverted to, notwithstanding the suc
cess of his present adventure, and his
triumph over the excise officer,
still more consoling-made his pillow
an uneasy onc, and kept him awake
For iiore than half the remaining
portion of that eventful night, and he
resolved once more never to engage
im smnuggl ing again.
A certain place is said to be paved
with good resolutions; and although
some remains of one of Uncle Hum
phrey's may be found there, not
entirely obliterated by his nephew's
distress, yet, I defy the utmost mal.
ignity even of that daik spirit itself,
that presides over it, to point out the
other.
The young man's reflections when
lie awoke in the morning, with the
bright sun shining through his bed
room window full upon his face,
were very similar to those of his
uncle. One and both had been hur
ried, as it were, into the act by a
single and all-absorbing consideration
-the relief of his distressing exigen
cies. If they had been unfortunate
in their enterprise, ten to one they
had ever thought of anything but
their failure; but suocess led to re
tction--l 4he instrumentalit
apisdiot
conviction; but *e are anticipa ng.
The proceeds of Humphrey Jack
man's last trip proved to be more
abundant than even the sanguine
hopes of the young man had anticipa
ted; and before a month had elapsed
a large and merry party were assem
bled to- celebrate the nuptials of
Frank I Larris and the girl of his heart.
Were my tale a were fiction, the
wedding would be its natural and ap
proprate conclusion; but truth coin
pels ine to add, that both uncle and
nephew, although their object had
been nccomplished, were anything
Lit satijlled with their conduct in this
nefarous transaction.
"It's not right, Frank! it's not
-ight!' the old man would shake his
hCId and say to his nephew, when
they were working together in the
field by themselves. "I had fre
qluently been guilty of smuggling be
tore',' hie would add, on such occasions
"lbut they seized a pair of honrses of
of mine, worth as much or more than
all I'd made, and my conscience cried
quits with them, and I gave it up; but
this last coffence. I'm not easy in
moy minicd about it,-Frank, I cannot
sleep o'nighcts for thinking on't. It's
the devil's wages, Fiank, and can
never come to good.
Frcankh's feelin;;s werec an exact
tr-anscript of his uncle's; but what
cauld he do--miake restitution? Th'le
cmoniey was sunk ar.d not at his comn
muand. lie tr-ied to borr-ow it on
imort gage on his farm, but could not
succeed. A t length, some three or
four- yearcs subsequent to his marriage,
hcis wife's father died, and left him
amile mieancs to make restitution, and
hce did make it, with inter-est thereon,
to thme utter- acstoncishmecnt of their be
uiblered fiencd, the collector of eus
tm, n to the inftinite joy and sat
istiattio of his good uncle.
The events in this little history oc
curre-Vd many long, long years ago;
but, at the timce I am writing, Hum
phrey Jaickmanc is still living in the
enij'ymaent of halo old age, and may
be seeni any col winter's evening by
the firesid e of his nephewv, with three
or- four r-osy little cherubs climbling
ab'out his knees, andl highly bonored
andc loved is the old wan, as the
author- of all! the domestic enjoymnents
of thcat nowv happy faimily. .But not
a wvoid has ever- beenm whispered, nor
perhcaps ever will be, and 't is just as
well that it should not, concerning
H umphr-ey Jackmani's "last trip.'
At Plaquecmmines, La5., quite an amusing
scenme oc(curre~d in court. Mr.B-. the
widmvw of a celbratedt hoe of a hundred
hat, t U-s in thce Southw~et, whose pruwcss
mc acrmcc has beome famed throughout the
wor :nmd a'eare.I ini enue, to arge ti.. ow.
suit. She appeared in court .Atb b"fiate
and dirk plainly visible, and uudertadk eWr
own case in a style that frightenedl the
judge, jury, and lawyers almost into fits.
Now and then her Inail would wander very
impressively in the direction of the weap
one. It was expected she would gain hec4.
cause.
From the Chambers (Ala.) Tribune.
Shifting The Uesponsibiliy..
A Hard Shen Story.
While attending Court, recently,
in the adjoining county of Randolph,
a friend who is fond of jokes of alt
sorts, and who relates them almost
as humorously as 'l1is Honor, ,a
us the following, vouching for
substantial, e#blunar existenp ofih
parties and their present re 4-igia "
the county aforesaid-.
Brethren Crump and Noel were
both members of the Primitive Baptist
Church, and both clever, honest'men
who paid their taxes and debts as the
same annually accrued, wi*h a regu
larity at once Christian and commen
dable. If, when settlih-rg day came
round. brother Noel was 'short, broth
er Crump was sure to be in funds;
and on the other hand it almost seem
ed providential how, if brother Crum)p
fell 'behind, brother Ncel always hal
a surplus. Thus borrowing from and
lending to each other, worshipping att
the same church, and living only a
mile apart, an intimacy gradually
ripened between them; so that at last
they did not hesitate to speak in the
freest and most familiar manner to
each other, even in regard to their
respective foibles.
Now, it came to pass, that Brother
Cramp during the liveliest period of
the cotton season, drove into We
tumpka and disposed of his'erap' of
te bales, at the very fair pice of
12 1-8, et n
tion oftb
cotton, in a barrel of wcs
key; paying therefoit at the rate of
precisely two pounds of middling cot
ton for one gallon of 'ditto' whiskey.'
Of course it was 'norated in tho
settlement' that old mar Crump had
bought a whole barrel, and after a
few weeks people began to observe
that his nose grew redder and his eye
more moist. The idea that Br9ther
Crump was 'drinking too much'
diffused itself in the neighborhood,
until, as one might say, it became
epidemical. People talked and talk
ed-more especially 'what few' of
other denominations of christrians
dwelt thereabouts.
Brother Noel was 'sore troubled'
at the scandal which circulated about
his brother and friend, and especial
ly regretted the injury it brought to
the 'ciety' at Sharon. So one morn
ing, he stepped over to brother
Crump's and found the old man in a
half-doze in his little porch.
'Wor't you take a dram?' asked
Brother Crump, as soon as lhe was
aware of the presence of his neigh
bor.
'Why, yes, I'm not agin a dramn
when a body wants it.'
Brother Crump got his bottle, and
thc friends took a dram apiece.
'Don't you think, Brother Noel,
(said Crump) that sperits is a les
sin.
'Y-e-s!' responded Noel; 'sperij
is a blessin,' but accordin' to my r
tion, its a blessin' that some of us
abuses.'
'WVell now, brother Noel, dho do
you think abuses the blessin?'
'Well, its hard to say-but pe6ple
talk-don't you think you drink too
much, Brother Crump't'
"Its hard to say-its hard to say;'
returned Crumnp. "Sometimes I've
thought I was drinkin' too much
then again, I'd .think ety be not.
What is manu? A weak worrurn of
the dust! What the Lord saith, that
shall be done! So I lefb'it to the
Lord to say, whether I was geit' too
fur in sperits. I put the whole
'sponisibility on him~; T prayed to him,
ir I was drinkin' too mnuch, to takce
away my appetite for sperits!'
Ilero'lBrother Noel groaned pious
lv, and asked--'What thon, Brother
O rump?'
' And '-replied Crump-' 've
prayed that prayer three times, and
hie /hain't done it! So 80'm clear of
the 'sponsibility any way.'
'The Lord's".lll be done !' ejacu
lated Noel, and after taking another
dram ho went home, thinking all the~
way, how cleverly Brothi- Cri~
had shjfted thr reepnsi&Ot.!I