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
MR. SMITH kept a drug shop in the little village of Q--, which was
situated a few miles from Lancaster. It was his custom to visit the
latter place every week or two, in order to purchase such articles
as were needed from time to time in his business. One day, he drove
off towards Lancaster, in his wagon, in which, among other things,
was a gallon demijohn. On reaching the town, he called first at a
grocer's with the inquiry,
"Have you any common wine?"
"How common?" asked the grocer.
"About a dollar a gallon. I want it for antimonial wine."
"Yes; I have some just fit for that, and not much else, which I will
sell at a dollar."
"Very well. Give me a gallon," said Mr. Smith. The demijohn was
brought in from the wagon and filled. And then Mr. Smith drove off
to attend to other business. Among the things to be done on that
day, was to see a man who lived half a mile from Lancaster. Before
going out on this errand, Mr. Smith stopped at the house of his
particular friend, Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones happened not to be in, but
Mrs. Jones was a pleasant woman, and he chatted with her for ten
minutes, or so. As he stepped into his wagon, it struck him that the
gallon demijohn was a little in his way, and so, lifting it out, he
said to Mrs. Jones,
"I wish you would take care of this until I come back."
"O! certainly," replied Mrs. Jones, "with the greatest pleasure."
And so the demijohn was left in the lady's care.
Some time afterwards Mr. Jones came in, and among the first things
that attracted his attention, was the strange demijohn.
"What is this?" was his natural inquiry.
"Something that Mr. Smith left."
"Mr. Smith from Q--?"
"Yes."
"I wonder what he has here?" said Mr. Jones, taking hold of the
demijohn. "It feels heavy."
The cork was unhesitatingly removed, and the mouth of the vessel
brought in contact with the smelling organ of Mr. Jones.
"Wine, as I live!" fell from his lips. "Bring me a glass."
"O! no, Mr. Jones. I wouldn't touch his wine," said Mrs. Jones.
"Bring me a glass. Do you think I'm going to let a gallon of wine
pass my way without exacting toll? No--no! Bring me a glass."
The glass, a half-pint tumbler, was produced, and nearly filled with
the execrable stuff--as guiltless of grape juice as a dyer's
vat--which was poured down the throat of Mr. Jones.
"Pretty fair wine, that; only a little rough," said Mr. Jones,
smacking his lips.
"It's a shame!" remarked Mrs. Jones, warmly, "for you to do so."
"I only took toll," said the husband, laughing. "No harm in that,
I'm sure."
"Rather heavy toll, it strikes me," replied Mrs. Jones.
Meantime, Mr. Smith, having completed most of his business for that
day, stopped at a store where he wished two or three articles put
up. While these were in preparation he said to the keeper of the
store,
"I wish you would let your lad Tom step over for me to Mr. Jones's.
I left a demijohn of common wine there, which I bought for the
purpose of making it into antimonial wine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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