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"When a man's trying to do his best and keep sober, there's them what would come right in his house and ask him to drink. A man may be meanin' well, and tryin' to do what's right, but when the drink's in his blood, and there's them what's coaxin' him to it, it hain't much wonder that he gives up. Sam, he's one of the biggest-hearted men, and a good miner, but he's no man for standin' his ground.
Then Nancy brought the ale, and Pete welcomed it with a shout. Cæsar looked alarmed and rose to go. "The drink's your own, sir," said Pete; "stop and taste it." But Cæsar couldn't stay; it would scarcely be proper. "You don't christen your first granddaughter every day," said Pete. "Enjoy yourself while you're alive, sir; you'll be a long time dead."
Min' 'at ye're Sir Gibbie, an' hae the honour o' the faimily to haud up, my man an' that ye can not dee an' drink. This cursit drink's been the ruin o' a' the Galbraiths as far back as I ken. 'Maist the only thing I can min' o' my gran'father a big bonny man, wi' lang white hair twise as big's me, Gibbie is seein' him deid drunk i' the gutter o' the pump.
But I'm not come down here, Jim, to twit you with what's done, and can't be undone now. If you've done wrong, well, there's time to turn over a new leaf and do better; and now's your time. You see what the drink's brought you to; and if you was to get another place to-morrow, you wouldn't keep it long.
"I'll tell you what," said Ned, in a cheery voice, "I'd give a good deal, Thomas, to see you a total abstainer; it'd be the making of you." Johnson shook his head sorrowfully. "I mustn't; Alice wouldn't let me. I can't; the drink's more to me nor meat, and clothes, and everything. I durstn't, for my old pals at the `George' would chaff me to death with their jeers and their jokes.
The doctor part of the drink's name made it seem almost like a prescription, and often, when amateurs sought to evade a second or third, the old-timers laughed at their fears of ill results, and said: "That old Doctor Funk knew what he was about. Why, he kept people alive on that mixture. It's like mother's milk."
I may have got one or two too many; I didn't stop to count. Lower down run a low, ornamented ruff, coverin' hundreds of little tables where folks could set and git soft drinks and hard. The hard drink's true to its name everyway.
"'Nary contouse, says Black Jack, moppin' of the bar complacent. 'Not a soo markee. That drink's on the house, stranger. "When this Signal sharp goes out, Enright says he's got pore manners, an' he marvels some he's still walkin' the earth.
I've been used to fending for myself in the house I can learn, I can learn." "Eh, to be sure," said Dolly, gently. "I've seen men as are wonderful handy wi' children. The men are awk'ard and contrairy mostly, God help 'em but when the drink's out of 'em, they aren't unsensible, though they're bad for leeching and bandaging so fiery and unpatient.
A horn of whisky imported Scotch?" The same definite shake of the head followed, but before the visitor could pass a verbal negative the trader laughed. "Nothing doing?" he said amiably. "Well, maybe you're right. You boys need fit stomachs. Drink's a darn fool play, but Here's 'how," he added, as he gulped down the dash of spirit he had poured out for himself.
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