Sunday, January 15, 2006

Ten Nights in a Bar-Room: Little Mary is nailed with a whiskey glass

Joe Morgan has come to and is arguing with Simon Slade, owner of the Sickle and Sheaf:

"A rum-seller talk of decency!" Morgan said. "Pah! You were a decent man once, and a good miller into the bargain. But that time's past and gone. Decency died out when you exchanged the pick and facing-hammer for the glass and the muddler!"

There was so much biting contempt in the tones, as well as the words of the half intoxicated man, that Slade, who had himself been drinking rather more freely than usual, was angered beyond self-control.

Catching up an empty glass from the counter, he hurled it with all his strength at the head of Joe Morgan. The missive [sic] just grazed one of his temples, and flew by on its dangerous course. The quick sharp cry of a child startled the air, followed by exclamations of alarm and horror from many voices.

"It's Joe Morgan's child!" "He's killed her!" "Good Heavens!" Such were the exclamations that rang through the room.

(Credits: Joe Morgan from the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project of Northern Illinois University; Lorne Greene and fambly (I guess) from the German site ruhr.de; moth art from cigar-label site InStone.Inc; Hammer from The Onion's A.V. Club; old guy drinking from De Kelder's Liquor Emporium; military guy showing self-control from the Wilford Hall Medical Center (59th Medical Wing); temple from This is the Life.com; Jon Benet and balloons from E online. Finally, be careful of that "Jon Benet's Heaven" link. You'll see why, you sick *ucks.)

Update: Other Ten Nights in a Bar-Room posts here and here.

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