“Wall,” sez I, “less gin up the idee, both on us.”
Sez he, “Didn’t you bring sunthin’ to eat with you? I’m as hungry as a bear.”
So I gladly led him away from the stairs leadin’ to Danger and Blarney, and we found a good, clean spot, and spread out our refreshin’ lunch that we had brung with us to refresh ourselves with, and Josiah did indeed do jestice to it; but that dear man always duz do that, at home or in more foreign climes.
Yes, indeed!
Wall, the day passed away with no particular coincedences.
We went home by another road that led through the valley, by meetin’-housen and horsepitals, jails, etc., and amongst the rest we see Father Mathew’s statute.
And if you’ll believe it—but I don’t spoze you will—all round the statute of that man, who spent his hull life a-fightin’ aginst intemperance, is a hull lot of drinkin’ places. As if they calculate to keep right on a-tormentin’ even his statute.
But they’ve no need to try it, good old creeter! He himself has got beyend the toil and the heart-aches caused by others’ sin and weaknesses.
He has got to the place where he is not plagued and heart-broken by the sight of that sin and folly, for what duz it say—
“There are no drunkards there.”