Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.
To show how unripe I was for John Barleycorn, when, at this time, I descended into my slough of despond, I never dreamed of turning to John Barleycorn for a helping hand.