ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author thanks the Publishers of the New York Sun, in which the following sketches and verses originally appeared, for permission to reissue them in book form.


CONTENTS

[ OLD SOAK ]

[ CHAPTER ONE—Introducing the Old Soak ]

[ CHAPTER TWO—Beginning the Old Soak's History of the Rum Demon ]

[ CHAPTER THREE—Liquor and Hennery Simms ]

[ CHAPTER FOUR—The Old Soak's History—The Barroom as an Educative ]

[ CHAPTER FIVE—Look Out For Crime Waves! ]

[ CHAPTER SIX—Continuing the Old Soak's History—The Barroom and the Arts ]

[ CHAPTER SEVEN—An Argument With the Old Woman ]

[ CHAPTER EIGHT—The Old Soak's History—More Evils of Prohibition ]

[ CHAPTER NINE—Preparing for Christmas ]

[ CHAPTER TEN—Continuing the History—the Old Soak Fears for the Growing ]

[ CHAPTER ELEVEN—Jabe Potter's Optimism ]

[ CHAPTER TWELVE—More of the History—As It Used to Be of a Morning ]

[ CHAPTER THIRTEEN—Peace and Contentment ]

[ CHAPTER FOURTEEN—Continuing the History of the Rum Demon—Unfermented ]

[ CHAPTER FIFTEEN—Political Talk ]

[ CHAPTER SIXTEEN—The History Continued—Prohibition and Winter Weather ]

[ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN—The Old Soak Finds a Way ]

[ CHAPTER EIGHTEEN—The History Continued—the Barroom's Good Influence ]

[ CHAPTER NINETEEN—A House Divided ]

[ CHAPTER TWENTY—Continuing the History of the Rum Demon—the Barroom and ]

[ CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE—Sympathy Wanted ]

[ CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO—The History of the Rum Demon Concluded—Prohibition ]

[ HAIL AND FAREWELL ]

[ I—A LAST DRINK ]

[ II—IN THE OLD DAYS ]

[ III—A DIPSEY CHANTEY ]

[ IV—A CERTAIN CLUB ]

[ V—A TEMPERANCE TRACT ]

[ VI—A VISION IN THE NIGHT ]

[ VII—THE LAST CASE OF GIN ]

[ VIII—CROWNED SINGERS ]

[ IX—DOWN IN A WINE VAULT ]

[ X—ANACREON ]

[ XI—THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE OLD DAYS ]

[ XII—IN AN OLD-TIME TAVERN BOOTH ]

[ XIII—THE OLD BRASS RAILING ]

[ XIV—ONCE YOUTH WAS MINE ]

[ XV—IN A TAVERN BOOTH ]

[ XVI—AN ENGAGEMENT ]

[ XVII—THE BATTLE OF THE KEYHOLES ]

[ XVIII—IN A TAVERN BOOTH ]

[ XIX—YEARNINGS AND MEMORIES ]

[ XX—DO YOU REMEMBER? ]

[ XXI—AND YOU MAY KECALL THIS ]

[ XXII—TRUE, BUT WHAT OF IT? ]

[ XXIII—A SUMMER DAY DREAM ]

[ XXIV—ON SWEARING OFF AGAIN ]

[ XXV—AFTER SEVERAL HIGHBALLS ]

[ XXVI—CHANT ROYAL OF THE DEJECTED DIPSOMANIAC ]

[ XXVII—PROVERBS XXIII, 29 ]

[ XXVIII—AN OBJECT LESSON ]

[ XXIX—A KANSAS TRAGEDY ]