The moon sheds a pale light over the city as the two chivalric
gentlemen, having rejoined and sworn to have revenge, are seen entering
a little gate that opens to a dilapidated old building, fronted by a
neglected garden, situate on the north side of Queen street, and in
days gone by called “Rogues’ Retreat.” “Rogues’ Retreat” has seared
vines creeping over its black, clap-boarded front, which viewed from
the street appears in a squatting mood, while its broken door, closed
shutters-the neglected branches of grape vines that depend upon decayed
trellice and arbors, invest it with a forlorn air: indeed, one might
without prejudicing his faculties imagine it a fit receptacle for our
deceased politicians and our whiskey-drinking congressmen-the last
resting-place of our departed chivalry. Nevertheless, generous reader,
we will show you that “Rogues’ Retreat” serves a very different
purpose. Our mob-politicians, who make their lungs and fists supply the
want of brains, use it as their favorite haunt, and may be seen on the
eve of an election passing in and out of a door in the rear. Hogsheads
of bad whiskey have been drunk in “Rogues’ Retreat;” it reeks with the
fumes of uncounted cigars; it has been the scene of untold villanies.
Follow us; we will forego politeness, and peep in through a little,
suspicious-looking window, in the rear of the building. This window
looks into a cavern-like room, some sixteen feet by thirty, the ceiling
of which is low, and blotched here and there with lamp-smoke and
water-stains, the plastering hanging in festoons from the walls, and
lighted by the faint blaze of a small globular lamp, depending from the
centre, and shedding a lurid glare over fourteen grotesque faces,
formed round a broad deal-table. Here, at one side of the table sits
Judge Sleepyhorn, Milman Mingle, the vote-cribber, on his right; there,
on the other, sits Mr. Snivel and Mr. Keepum. More conspicuous than
anything else, stands, in the centre of the table, bottles and
decanters of whiskey, of which each man is armed with a stout glass. “I
am as well aware of the law as my friend who has just taken his seat
can be. But we all know that the law can be made subordinate; and it
must be made subordinate to party ends. We must not (understand me, I
do not say this in my judicial capacity) be too scrupulous when
momentous issues are upon us. The man who has not nerve enough to make
citizens by the dozen-to stuff double-drawered ballot-boxes, is not
equal to the times we live in;—this is a great moral fact.” This is
said by the Judge, who, having risen with an easy air, sits down and
resumes his glass and cigar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account