SCENE IN AN ENGLISH PUB.
The publicans can rlo a great deal for temperance by n>fusing to serve a person who has already had too much. Moreover, he is bound to do it, by the acr. of 1872, under a penalty of £10 for the first offence and £20 for the second. Hi 3 enemies have a real handle against him here, for the record of convictions, which can only represent; a fraction of the offences, proves that too many publicans are lax upon this point. Undoubtedly there ia room for improvement, especially in villages and small places; but in large, well-policed centres of population., the possibilities of improvement are less than tbey may seem at first sight. A,n incident in this very public house throws a light an the question. A woman of the poorest class—barchead and shawl—probably Irish—is sitting quietly pnutjie bench having a g!ass of " four ale." she begins to talk to herself, -" 1 was drunk o' Palm Sunday," she says, mediiatively, "drunk o' Palm Sunday.'* Then rising to her feet and flinging up her right hand dramatically, she nhouts, " And may the Lord blees him as give mc the job to cam the money—and that.'« Mr Levi. May the Lord bless'm a:ischildn3childn—and proshpenn I " She ia drunk, not badly, btffc si ill undeniably drunk. She wants another glass. "No, missis, that's enough for you~jou had better be off home." And she goes.
" Why did you serve her afc all?" I a9k. " She had no appearance of being drunk when she came in." -
And indeed she had not when I first saw her.
" You see," continued the landlord, " ii'a .impossible to tell sometimes. Suppose I'm at the other end of the bar ; someone comes in here, steadies himself up against the counter and calls for a drink. I haven't seen him come in, his voice is all righh, and he is standing steady with hi.T hand on the counter.- I can't possibly know he is drunk. We.never serve them if we do know ; it's not to our interest, as they are likely to annoy other customers.*—Ths Xvlicnal Review. ■
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Press, Volume LII, Issue 9173, 2 August 1895, Page 6
Word Count
351SCENE IN AN ENGLISH PUB. Press, Volume LII, Issue 9173, 2 August 1895, Page 6
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