The Lights and Shadows of Real LifeArthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)
General
The Lights and Shadows of Real Life
Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)
Conduct of life -- Fiction; Temperance -- Fiction
One week from that night, at about nine o'clock in the evening, as
old Mr. Gray was passing along one of the principal streets of the
city where the occurrences we are relating took place, a young man
staggered against him, and then fell at full length upon the
pavement, from whence he rolled into the gutter, swollen by a smart
shower that had just fallen. Too drunk to help himself, he must have
been drowned even in that insignificant stream, had there not been
help at hand.
Mr. Gray came at once to his relief, and assisted him to rise and
get upon the pavement. But now he was unable to stand. Either hurt
by the fall, or unnerved by the liquor he had taken, he was no
longer able to keep his feet. While Mr. Gray stood holding him up,
undetermined how to act, another young man, not quite so drunk as
the one he had in charge, came whooping along like an Indian.
"Hallo! Is this you, John, holding up old Mr. Gray? or is it old Mr.
Gray holding you up! [hiccup.] Blast me! If I can tell which of you
is drunk, or which sober. Let me see? hic-hic-cup. Was it the Whale
that swallowed Jonah, or Jonah the Whale? Is it old Mr.
Gray--hic-cup--that is drunk, or John Barclay?"
"John Barclay!" ejaculated the old man, in a tone of surprise and
grief. "Surely this wretched young man is not John Barclay!"
"If he is not John Barclay, then I am not--hic-cup--not Tom Watson.
He's a bird, though! aint he, old gentleman?--hic-cup--Look here,
I'll give you five dollars,--hic-cup--if you'll stop
these,--hic--these confounded hic-hic-hic-cups--There now--There's a
chance for you!--hic--blast 'em! He swore off for six months, ha!
ha! ha! And it's just,--hic--just a week to-night since the six
months were up. Hurrah for freedom and principle! Hur--hic--hurrah!"
"Thomas Watson!--"
"Don't come your preaching touch over me, mister, if you please. I'm
free Tom Watson,--hic-hic-hic-cup--I'm--hic--I'm a regular
team--whoop! John, there, you see, would drink to freedom and
principle,--hic-cup--on the--hic--day his pledge was up. But the old
fellow was--hic--too strong--hic-cup--for him. He's been drunk as a
fool ever since--hic-cup!--"
Just at that moment a cab came by which was stopped by the old man.
Young Barclay was gotten into it and driven to Mr. Gray's dwelling.
When brought to the light, he presented a sad spectacle, indeed. His
face was swollen, and every feature distorted. His coat was torn,
and all of his clothing wet and covered with mud. Too far gone to be
able to help himself, Mr. Gray had him removed to a chamber, his wet
garments taken off, and replaced by dry under-clothing. Then he was
put into a bed and left for the night. When the morning broke,
Barclay was perfectly sober, but with a mind altogether bewildered.
The room in which he found himself, and the furniture, were all
strange. He got up; and looked from the window; the houses opposite
were unfamiliar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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