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 and two pretty girls ladlin' out the wretched stuff to the waitin' crowd. We didn't leave a minute too soon, but after we got outside Josiah sez:

"Now, will you tell why you snaked a hungry man away from his food? If it wuz anything besides pure meanness now is your time to tell it."

So I told him the fearful fact, and sez, "Josiah Allen, look not upon wine when it is read."

"Champagne hain't red, nor punch, nuther."

"Its effects are red with heart's blood all the same."

"Dum it all!" sez he, "don't you spoze I know enough to not drink liquor when I am a Good Templar?"

Sez I, "Better men than you have been drawn away from the straight path, Josiah. Look at David," and I wuz jest about to bring up Solomon and Noah, but he interrupted:

"I hain't goin' into no Bible controversy at this time of night, nor no dum W. C. T. U, talk."

"Time of night," sez I; "well said, Josiah Allen. Do you realize it is after twelve P.? We can't git home till after half-past one if we start this minute."

He recognized the wisdom of my remark, but still hankered, I could see, for some more vittles. And knowin' the needecessity of the case, I sez, "It won't take me but a minute to bile the tea-kettle; I will git supper after we git home; I have got everything baked up." At this remark he yielded, and we walked along arm in arm, for I still felt there wuz danger of his breakin' away from me and goin' back into that place of temptation, and as we went by a good-sized tent, standin' a little to one side, I heard the voice as of one elocutin', and I immegiately sez to Josiah, "Less go in here a minute, I dearly love eloquence."