HOW "GEORGE" BECAME A TEETOTALER.
A short time since, a young man living in Ogdensburgh, N. Y., whose name we shall call George, took to drinking rather more than usual, and some of his friends endeavored to cure him. One day, when he was in rather a loose condition, they got him in a room, and commenced conversing about delirium tremens, directing all their remarks to him, and telling him what fearful objects, such as snakes and rats, were always seen by the victims of this horrible disease. When the conversation had waxed high on this theme, one of the number stepped out of the room, and from a trap which was at hand let a large rat into the room. None of his friends appeared to see it, but the young man who was to be the victim seized a chair and hurled it at the rat, completely using up the piece of furniture in the operation. Another chair shared the same fate, when his friends seized him, and with terror depicted on their faces, demanded to know what was the matter.
"Why, don't you see that cursed big rat?" said he, pointing to the animal, which, after the manner of rats, was making his way round the room, close to the walls.
They all saw it, but all replied that they didn't see it—"there was no rat."
"But there is!" said he, as another chair went to pieces in an ineffectual attempt to crush the obnoxious vermin.
At this moment they again seized him, and after a terrific scuffle threw him down on the floor, and with terror screamed—
"Charley! run for a doctor!"
Charley started for the door, when George desired to be informed "what the devil was up."
"Up!" said they, "why, you've got the delirium tremens!"
Charley opened the door to go out, when George raised himself on his elbow, and said, "Charley, where are you going?"
"Going!" said Charley, "going for a doctor."
"Going for a doctor!" rejoined George; "for what?"
"For what?" repeated Charley, "why, you've got the delirium tremens!"
"The delirium tremens—have I?" repeated George. "How do you know I've got the delirium tremens?"
"Easy enough," says Charley; "you've commenced seeing rats."
"Seeing rats!" said George, in a sort of musing way; "seeing rats. Think you must be mistaken, Charley."
"Mistaken!" said Charley.
"Yes, mistaken," rejoined George. "I ain't the man—I haven't seen no rat!"
The boys let George up after that, and from that day to this he hasn't touched a glass of liquor, and "seen no rats"—not the first rat.