When does the Devil catch hold of a man? Not when he's
working and not when he's drunk; but when he's idle and sober.
Our own natures tell us to drink when we have nothing else to do.
Look at you and me! When we'd both earned a pocketful of money,
what did we do? Went on the spree, naturally. But I was humble
minded. I did as the rest did. I gave my money in at the drink-
shop; and I said, "Fire me out when I have drunk it all up." Did
you ever see me sober while it lasted?
BLANCO. No; and you looked so disgusting that I wonder it didn't
set me against drink for the rest of my life.
ELDER DANIELS. That was your spiritual pride, Blanco. You never
reflected that when I was drunk I was in a state of innocence.
Temptations and bad company and evil thoughts passed by me like
the summer wind as you might say: I was too drunk to notice them.
When the money was gone, and they fired me out, I was fired out
like gold out of the furnace, with my character unspoiled and
unspotted; and when I went back to work, the work kept me steady.
Can you say as much, Blanco? Did your holidays leave your
character unspoiled? Oh, no, no. It was theatres: it was
gambling: it was evil company, it was reading in vain romances:
it was women, Blanco, women: it was wrong thoughts and gnawing
discontent. It ended in your becoming a rambler and a gambler: it
is going to end this evening on the gallows tree. Oh, what a
lesson against spiritual pride! Oh, what a--[Blanco throws his
hat at him].
Pages:
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117