THE GROG SELLER
{"newspaper_name": "The Columbian fountain.", "edition": "01", "page": "p1", "byline": ""}
{"character_count": 3111, "word_count": 591, "ccnet_language_score": [0.982699990272522], "ccnet_perplexity": [1473.5999755859375], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
| lHE GhOG SELLER
A Grog Seller sat by his bar-room fire
With his feet as highas his head, and higher,
Watching the smoke as he puffed it out,
That in spiral columns curled about,
Yelling his face in feecy fold
As lazily up from his lips it rolled,
While doubtful scent and twilight gloom
Were slowly gathering to fill the room
To their drunken slumbers, one by one,
Foolish and fuddled his friends had gone,
To wake in the morn to the drunkard's pain,
With bood-shot eye and whirling brain.
Drowsily rang the watchman's cry,
Past two o'clock and cloudy sky;
Yet the host sat wakeful still,
And shook his head and winked with a
knowing look
| 0, no, says he, with chuckling tone,
| know the way the thing is done;
Twice five are ten, and another V,
Two ones, two two's, and ragged iii,
Make "A for my well-flIed fob.
fIa, ha, ha, It's rather good nights job,
The fools have guzzled my brandy and


wine,


Much good may it do them, the cash is
mine.


And he winked again with Knowing look,
And from his cigar the ashes shook.
I1a ha ha the younkers are IN my net,
have them safe, and will fleece them yet !!
There's Brown, what Jolly dog is he,
And he swells the way'that like to see!
Let him dash awhile at this reckless rate,
And his farm is mine as sure as fate.
Pvea mortage now on Tompkin's lot,
What fool is he to become sot
But it's luck to me--in month or so
| shall foreclose, and the scamp must go.
Zonnds won't his wife have taking on
When she learns that his house and lot are


gone


How she will blubber, and sob, and sigh,
But business is business, and what care ?
And Gibson has murdered his child, they


say;


He was drunk as fool here, yesterday;
And gave him hint as went TO fill
His jug, but the brute would have his will.
And the folks blame me, why bless their


souls,


If didn't sell they would go to Jones,
l've right to engage in lawful trade,
And take my chance when there's cash to
be made.


If men get drunk. and 90 home and turn
Their wives out of doors, tits their own


concern;


But hate 10 have the women come to me,
With their tweedledum and tweedledee,
With their swollen eyes and haggard looks,
And their speeches learned from the Tenn


perance books,


With their pale, lean children, the whm-


pering fools,


Why can't they get to the public schools
\ Lct tnc HusSIcS HiiHl tbGlI OWl dhdllSJ
For never have interfered with theirs
| will turn no customer away
Who is willing to buy and able TO pay;
! For business is business--he he he
And he rubbed his hands in his chuckling


glee.


Many lark I've caught in my net,



have them safe, and I'll fleece them yet;
Ha, ha, ha, he he he twas an echoed


sound,


Amazed, the grog seller looked around;
This way and that, through the smoke peer


ed he,


But nought but the chair could the grog-
seller see.


Hoo hoo hoo with cultural note,
1t seem'd to come from an iron throat:
His knees they shook, and his hair gun to
rise,


And he opened his mouth and strained his


eyes;


And 10 in dark corner, and dim,
Stood an uncouth form, with an aspect grim:
From his grizzly head, through his snaky


hair,
tod h~~