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or,;
TOTAL ABSTINENCE ADVOCATE.
VOL. I.]
County Washington Total Ab
stinence Society.
OFFICERS. '
Dr. Joseph A. Eve, President.
Col. John Milledge, "j
Hawkins Huff,
Dr. F. M. Robertson, Vice Presidents.
Dr. I. P. Garvin,
J. W. Meredith, I
"VVm. Haines, Jr. Secretary if- Treasurer.
managers.
James Harper, Wm. F. Pemberton,
John G Dunlap, VVm. O Eve,
Jesse Walton, A. Phillips,
E. E. ScoPield, Dr. Benjamin Douglass,
James Godby, J. L. Mimms.
From the Plain Dealer.
Ijftnj'y Mahoney’s Temptation.
an Tbi'sv story.
" Och Hiurder! Biddy Cassidy, you’re coming
it over ®e too strong intireiy. Can’t you be
temperate, Biddy, with that sweet tongue of your
own, and let a poor divil of a 1 Joy have a little
time to draw his breath? We’re not going to
fall out about the matter of a glass or two of a
cowld morning, acushla! and the wind tearing
away through every hole in this ould coat of
mine, and making me feel for all the world like
that rag of a man stuck up on a pole in a coin
fi. Id to frighten the crows. Only look at me.
Biddy, and putting your hand on your heart, like
an honest man as you are, tell me in the face of
thui beautiful sky, (for the divil a thing else, :
barring myself, I’d have you look at,) would you
have me any worse than i am? Would you
have this poor heart of mine, bruised and battered
as it Las been hy them two black eyes of yours;
would you have it, darling, shivering with the
cowld, too, and not a drop of the “crature” to
kindle one spark there? Ah, then, Biddy, its
you know what 1 have suffered for you;
how I love you, and how many and many
* time This very winter, i’ve pawned toe »«j
ibrogues off my teet, and a new Dublin hat into
the bargain, to be able with a few dacent boys to
drink your health. Yes. Biddy, to drink your
health, and long life to you and all belonging to
you; and maybe I didn’t feel like a Prince every
time the boys shouted “ Biddy Cassidy forever!”
and the very floor shook under the table with
the whacking of the quarts and pints. Arrah,
Biddy, you’re too hard intireiy. I’ve drank my
brogues over and over agin for you. I’ve drank
my Caroline hat, fur ami all, for you; and I’ve
drank, Biddy, my silk waistcoat, and would have
drank my coat and— but where’s the use in talk- i
ing— what would I not be willing to drink for!
you ?’’
“Larry,” said Biddy, who was just a plain
country girl with a reasonable share of good
sense, and who had, as will be seen, as much re- j
(ar<l for Larry as he had for her, though they {
twfsied much in their way of shewing it, “don t
Jfink at all: don’t put another glass to your lips;;
jgMown to Donncrail to-morrow, and ask Father
■Rhewtogive you the Pledge; and that will
TWnd every hole in your coat and light a tire in
your heart that will warm you all over, forever
and a day. I would rather have “ how are you 1
this morning Biddy, or good evening to you,dar
ling,” said in an easy natural way, and the
words coming right up of their own accord from
your heart, than a thousand loving healths to me,
ever so ardently drank. Can’t you love me when
sober? Must you goto the public house before
you can think of me ? Is there any thing in the
whiskey so like your own Biddy, as you often
call her, that you are as well satisfied with one
as the other? Where are your eyes, Larry, and
your senses going ? Have I ever cut your head
at a Fair, or laid you in the mud on the road,
when you ought to be asleep in your bed ? Have ;
I sold your Cow and your three Pigs, and the tine
old Sow, thai your mother left you, God be with
her, ami have I made your little farm look so
comfortless and dreary, that even a poor bit of a
sparrow can’t find straw enough in the barn yard i
to build her nest with? Think, Larry, of the j
last words of you; poor dying mother when she i
called you to the bed-side, and holding you by ■
the hand, with her eyes, that were closing for-1
ever on you and the world, fixed on her only son,
and talking still with them when her lips were
no longer able to move”—
“ Stop, Biddy,” cried Larry, running his hand
across his eyes, “ stop, not a word more or you’ll
kill me dead. I’m off to Donnerail to-night, and
I’ll foot it every inch of the way and never give
up till I’m at the door of the holy father. Never
fear me Biddy, darling, I’ll be a man to mv word, j
and when I’ve taken the pledge tell me now, —
once for all, am 1 to have yourself into the bar
gain ? Tell me that Biddy, and wish me God
-speed on the wav,” “ Here’s mv hand,” Biddy
AUGUSTA, GA. SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1843.
replied, frankly and firmly in his, “ and
may 1 to see the coming Sunday if my
name onlvjust as long "as You
please arilHplonger.” “ That’s enough, dar
ling, that’^TOough;” and away went Larry,
bounding like a deer over an adjoining lence,
and was soon on the road to the town, which
was about twenty miles distant.
There was no thought of preparation for the
I journey ; he had caught the right spirit, and ra
ther than run a chance of its cooling down, he
took to his heels just as he was, But Larry had
to meet with many temptations on his way ; and
were it not fortlie very strong resolution he had
taken and the love he bore t he girl he left behind,
he might have fallen before he reached the middle
of his journey.
There was a favorite house of his about a mile
from where he left Biddy, and as he approached
it he felt some doubt on "his mind about the pos
| sibihty ol passing it. He saw, too, an old boon
companion ot his, one whose company beyond
ail others was the most seductive, and to pass him
by, be feared was a work calling for all his cour
age and determination.
It was now about the time when the laborers
were returning trom theirdav* work. The even
ing was cold, and a glass oH( Mountain Dew
was proof, in the opinion oTCiany, against the
chilling influence of the wind which blew hard.
Accordingly our hero met .more than one ac
quaintance on his route, who severally gave him
an invitation to drink. “Larry, come in and
take a drop or two at the next house, ’twill warm
your heart this cowld evening ” —“ Larry, you
divil, who’s purshuing you, who are you running
a race with !’’—“ Tairanagers Larry, you’re on
your high hoise rather late <n the day; won’t
you stop and take share of a naggin to grease
your four bones on the tramp ?”—“ Has Biddy
Cassidy given you the sack, Larry, and is it on
your way to Ameriky you are; won’t you take a
parting glass with a body before you cross the
water?” To all these salutations the devoted
Larry made no reply, but pushed on at a rapid
rate, looking neither one side nor the other;
keeping Ills iiilmfo «/• firmly flxCcJ on r’avtirr
Mathew and the Pledge, and still feeling the
impress of Biddy’s warm hand in his own, with
her touching appeal still ringing in bis ears. Had
he been shot out of a cannon he could not have
gone on in astraighter line or with more irresist
ible precision, until at last he ran full plump
against his old friend Tom Donovan, whose per
suasion he feared most of all, and who wickedly
crossed the poor fellow in the road. “ Tom,”
cried Larry, sternly, “ let go a me, or by all that’s
sacred I’ll knock you down, hould off a me I say
ar”—and with the threat he gave the obstinate
Donovan the foot and laid him sprawling on his
back; then mounting a friend’s horse, which
stood luckily at hand, he was galloping some 50
yards ahead before the other could recover him
self, and crying to his prostrate foe, whilst he
flourished his caubeen in the air, “ lie there, Toni,
my boy, till 1 send for you.”
The evening soon wore away and night came
on, but the inoon and stars shone brightly and
lighted him on his Pilgrimage, whilst the beast,
as if conscious ofthe despatch and design of the
rider, proceeded at the height of his speed with
out the aid of whip or spur. As for saddle and
bridle, he had never been used to cither, and was
as well satisfied to dispense with both as Lurry
was, who considered himselfvery fortunate to be
able to reach his destination in any plight. His
course was onward, no matter how fast or in
what condition he went. He saw nothing in
the distance but the Priest, and recollected noth
ing of the past save Biddy’s earnest injunction,
which he was determined at all hazards to obey.
He was now within a mile of Donnerail, a
pretty town in the Co Cork, where the day be
fore some hundreds of the peasantry had taken
the Pledge. His heart beat quicker as the town
seemed to draw nearer,, but at this interesting
point his horse became suddenly quite restive,
and refused to advance one step farther. Larry
tried all means-in his power tocoax him or fright
en him into even a walk, but all his efforts failed;
the jaded animal would turn up a narrow lane
which led to a house some hundred yards from
the road, from which could be distinctly heard
the sound of violin and bagpipe. The poor
horse was hungry, and here was a stable in
which he had many a time been fed abundantly
on the best of oats, and-no considerate man could
blame him for having a disposition to make a call.
“ Och raurderanouns 1” cried Larry, “ I’m beat
now, ther’s a dance above in Tim Brien’s, and if
I stop there’s no telling what may happen Dar
by, my bouchil, just only lave me in Donnerail
yonder, and tliedivil a man of me but will let yon
come back again to Tim Brien’s as soon as you
plase.” But Darby took the affair without any
further ceremony into his own hands, and spring
ing over the gate galloped into the farm yard,
with Larry on his bark
No sooner was the rattling ofthe horse’s hoofs
hrard outside of the door, than some halt dozen
ofthe company, who were, it is to be supposed,
about this time pretty mellow, ran out to welcome
the late comer. Poor Larry was of course drag
ged by main force to the ground and hauled most
good-naturedly into the house, where he met the
host himself, who was notoriously a hard drinker
and one ofthe most hospitable men in the Coun
ty. The usual salutation took place, and all
seemed delighted at seeing him. The spirits was
forthwith placed before him and the virtual Mi
thewite enjoined to drink a bumper to the long
life and happiness of Tim Brien and his whole
family. Here was a posdr, and to get over it was
an ordeal through which Larry’s well-known
intemperate habits and great fondness for convi
viality appeared to himsrlfncxt to impracticable.
He was “ fairly botheud” and out of breath too,
and out of the elbows, and out oi gear in all re
spects for such an occasion. Wfiat was to be
done? He came unexpectedly, and was there
fore the more welcome. The persons present
were all his intimate acquaintances, arid many of
them his strong friends and relations to boot.
To insult the Landlord, to whose house he had
come in such a disrespectful trim and uninvited,
which was worse, was more that? his good man
ners could brook. So lie determined, at least, to
put the glass to his lips, and appear to do what
his heart was firmly set against, when Mrs.
Brien most fortunately caught his eye, to whom
he bowed most graciously ami insisted, as a point
of good breeding, on first shaking her hand.
Gently pushing the boys to on 3 side, he made bis
way to her, and assuming an air ol modest con
fusion lie dropped the glass on the floor and paid
his respects. Home looked on this little incident
as a piece of finished gallantry; a few attributed
it to awkwardness; but it mattered nothing to
him what they thought, provided he escaped from
tasting the whiskey.
But the lady ofthe house was not satisfied to
allow Larry to be deprived of his drinltaMpecial
ly when she was certain he purposely (HPngaged
his right hand by flinging the glass on the floor,
it* imlti to Mutt auO jncsst'lil Ik wllUUj
to her service.
She, therefore, with great good humor and a
kind of patronizing condescension, which knock
ed Larry all to pieces, (for our hero, with all his
firmness, was indeed a modest and yielding man,
like all his genuine countrymen, in the presence
ofthe fair sex,) insisted on his taking a tumbler
of Punch with herself; some that her own fair
fingers had mixed of the choicest mateiials.
•‘Ah, then, Mrs. Brien, ’tis yourself that knows
how to make Punch to the life—hot, strong and
sweet, just the sort for the ladies, God biess them.
May lie you’d be good enough to just touch the
tumbler to your own two lips and give it the fin
ishing stroke.” “ I have done so already, Larry,
but I will, to accommodate you, taste it again,”
when she did so, and returned it with the request
that he would pronounce his opinion on it.
“ Pronounce my opinion on it!” said Lan-y with
astonishment, “after its going within a whisper
of your own sweet breath, with all these bfigtit
eyes of the young Colleens around us shooting
their glances into it, and the stuff that it is made :
of, the rale Ennishowen itself! Pronounce my I
opinion on it!—l might as well undertake to pass ;
sentence on the warm milk from a Kerry Cow,
or find mud in Kilkenny’s pure strame. But
whilst 1 have the glass in my hand, I would like
to say a few words in the shape of a speech on
this same Ennishowen, if it would’nt he too much
trouble for yourself anil the other ladies to listen
to me.”
“ The speech of Larry,” cried a dozen voices;
“ we must have the speech—hush ! hush !” and
one end ofthe spacious room was forthwith made
still for Larry and his audience, whilst the re
mainder was occupied by the dancers, who were
“ footing ” in elegant style to the stirring tune of
“ The Wind that shakes the Barley.” But
Larry’s voice was soon high and strong enough
in the earnestness of his cause, to drown the
music ofthe Bagpipe and Fiddle, and gradually
succeeded in drawing the attention of the whole
company to himself. It was proposed by some
arch lads to place the orator upon a table and
have a ring made, with the girls in the centre, so
that all might conveniently see as well as hear
him. Accordingly the persevering Larry was
mounted over their heads with one consent,
when, with more order and satisfaction than be
fore. he gave honest vent sentiments.
“ Boys,” said Larry, assuming all the air and
digni'y ofwhich, considering his inexperience in
public speaking, he was capable, “ I am not
bould enough to condemn the rate ould potteen,
or the Ennishowen, or any of the native home
born whiskey of this Blessed Island, and the sky
over it; for we all know that Saint Patrick him
self kept a Distillery of his own in the town of
Inniskillen, and may be you’ll be telling me that
he did’nt know how to brew the rale thing, and
may be we ought’nt to follow his example; but
the rale thing is not, now-a-days, to be tnumk;
the recait is bat, foi purshuingto me if the Saint
did'nt take it with him, and who had a better
right to it. We have as little, I repate, of the
ancient, genuine Ennishowen—a liquor that ixf
oulden times, in the days of Brien Borboino,
Kinn of all Ireland, and the Apostles, was sanc
tified above all others—amongst us, as we have of
patience and harmony or the other cardinal vir
tues, under the rascally contamination; yes, con
tamination I say, of the dirty wash--wash, noth
ing else, which they give us at this present
writing. We have been imposed on too long.
Mrs. Brien you are an innocent woman, but a
victim, you believe that ysar Punch is pure and
without adulteration; but you are desaived, as
thousands of other dacent ladies have been be
fore you. Ever since poor Ould Ireland was
knocked in the head by that thieving king that
came over here from England, when all our pos
terity, God be with them, were little gossoons not
bigger than this receptacle for poison, which I
hould in my hand, the murdering Sassanachs
have been destroying by inches every good thing
we have in the land; and to kill us entirely, they
have mixed our drink ; yes, mixed our drink—a
hathenish practice, and every mother’s bowl of
this respectable assembly knows the same. Does
one of you ever remember being drunk and
breaking one another’s heads in tne day of our
Patron Saint! Who amongst you Can call to
his recollection that he ever bate his loving wife
alter drinking even fifteen tumblers of whiskey
Punch, when King Oncill was alive! Do 1 hear
a voice say Ido ! No, bad luck to the one I Asy
Mickey Gaffney ! hould off the tail of my coat!
it's ragged enough already the Lord knows. I
want none of your nudging cither; I can see
where I iyn and forninst whom I’m sneaking
much better, peihaps than some of you who have
been dipping in the Punch jug to-night. It’s
nothing new for me to stand on a table and ad
dress the company neither. But let me stick to
the subject and I’ll be obliged to you. Pay at
tention all around now. Has’nt an ancient
UiaVir.ia.i „aiu iii black and while that Irish
Whiskey was “ mate, drink, washing and lodg
ing,” when the distillery in Enniskillen was in
full blast! Arrah, darlin, it was for a man that
was hungry and thirsty and tired after a hard
day|s work! There was a nate cut-and-come
again piece of furniture for you. Well, now, I
appale to any body in his right sinscs here before
me, not forgetting those of the company who are
making themselves so busy with the calves of my
legs behind me, and I also appale to eveiy lady
present, who has ever stirred a tumbler of Punch
with her little finger, to say whether we resarve
the same usage from it now- t-days. Is it mate
to us! No! for the longer the bottle has a
hiding place in a poor man’s house, the sooner
every cow and pig and cock and hen leaves hi*
premises.—(Applause amongst the women—
“ troth you never said a truer word in your life,
Larry”—“ The divil a lie in that same Larry
boy.”) Is it drink to us! No! one noggin of
buttermilk, or a handful of spring-water, is worth
the whole of Cork full of it, for all the good it
does, is it washing to us! No! unless you call
tumbling a poor fellow into the mud and daubing
him with dirt from head to foot, washing. Is
there any lie in that Kitty Fagan, you who
knows nothing at all about it! And as for the
lodging, boys jewel, is’nt the unfortunate rascal
who loses his balance and reckoning, on the
strength of it kicked out of every house where
there s a bed to be found! It’s high time for
every mother’s sowl of us to be opening our eyes.
It is whiskey—but understand me, I don’t mane
the good stuff that blessed Saint made. It is this
dirty whiskey that’s the ruination of our country
from Coleraine all the way down to Bantry Bay.
It is the picker of our pocket, the destroyer of our
;eace. It sets the husband against the wife, (ap
probation from the women,) and the wife against
the husband, (counter approbation amongst the
men,) and it sends many an honest boy across
the wide ocean to a foreign land to struggle and
die amongst strangers. It fills our jails with our
brothers and our fathers, and -ends many and
many a broken-hearted mother to her grave years
before her time.”
Here the Piper struck up, without orders, an
old air, called, “ I’ll follow my own Vagart O,”
and was as peremptorily struck down himself
vith a lick in the side of the head from a convert
that stood near him. But so absorbed were the
majority in the speech, that the rogue’s interrup
tion was scarcely perceivable. Larry proceeded,
gaining courage at every word.
I’ll not mention how Pat Mulvanny got his
two eyes cut at the last Fair, for it would’nt bo
civil to remind him of it and be present to aight
with us. I’ll not say a word either about the way
Jim Reilly broke his neck on a Sunday, riding
the bay mare k ovcr an Iron gate, for Jiin is not
here to listen to me Nor a word either about
[No. 24.