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things well — his daughter, his cellar, and
old Lightening, his great fighting bird,
the acknowledged champion from New
York to Albany.
Indeed 'twere hard to
tell which loved he the most, though his
daughter was truly the idol of his heart.
/DISTRESS PEGGY'S lovers were
many, and many were the strong potions
quaffed, even when the driest throats were
long since drowned in good liquor, because
of her bewitching beauty, which gave added
flavour and bouquet to the concoctions for
which the bar was famous. But so well
did she justify her father's confidence and
her own good name that, though the gay
bucks from town quarrelled and even
fought for her favour, the most fortunate
could not boast of the lightest thing to her
discredit. On especial occasions she was
wont to make for her father, and certain
good friends of hers and old Lightening's, a
most delicious beverage, the composition of
which was secret, but which was so popu
lar that it lacked naught but appropriate
naming to give it more than local fame.