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The Rumseller's Dream

The Rumseller's Dream image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
April
Year
1848
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Wcll wife tin is too horrible! I cannot continue tlns business any longcr. Why, doar, what's the matler now 1 Oh, sucli a dream, such a rattling of dead nien's bones, such an army of starved mortals, 6o inany tnurderers, such cries, and shneks, ! and yells, and such horrid gnashing of teeth, and glaring of eyes, and such blazing fire, and such devils, oh! I cannot endure it. My hair ! stands on end, and l am so h'lled with horror ' I can sciircely speak. Oh, ïf ever I soll rum again ! My dear, you are frightened. Yes, indeed, am I ; anothersuch a niglit will I not pass for worlds. My dear, perhaps - Oh, don't talk to me. I am determined to have nothmg more to do with rum, any how. Don'l you think Torn Wilson carne to me with j his throat cut from ear to ear, and such a horrid j gash, and ït was so hard for him to speak, and ïo tnuch blood, and, says he, see here, Joe, j the resuk oi'your rurnselling. My blood "'■ ed al the siht, and just thei the house seemed to be turned botlom up, the earth opened, and a little imp took me by the hand, saying, follow me. At 1 went, grim devils held out to me j cups of lujuid fie, saying, drink this. I dared not refuse. Every draught set me in a rage. Serpents hissed on each side, and from above reaclied down theirheads and whispered Rumsr.i.i.r.ii. On and on, the imp led me through a narrow pass. All at once he paused, and said, are you dry ? Yes, I replied. Then j he struck a trap door with his fout, and down, down, we went, and legions of fiery serpents I rushed after us, whispering uumseller, ' sëller. At length we stopped again, and the imp ask me os beibre, are you dry ? Yes, 1 replied. He then touched a spring - a door ' flew open. What a sight. There was ibousands, aye, millions of old, w-irn out rumdrinker, crying most piteously, rum, ruin, give me sonic rum ! Wlien they saw me tiiey stopped a moment to see who I was. Then the imp cried out so as to make all shake again, RUMSKi.LF.it ! and hurling me in, shut the door. ; For a moment they fixed their ferocious eyes : upon me, and then uttered in a umted yell - j damn him ! - which filled me with such terror, I awoke. There, wife, dream or no drearn. I will never sell air)ther drop of the infernal stuff. I will no longer be accessory to the m feries that come upon men, in consequence oftho traffic in intoxicaling drink3. I will not.