er blessing to others if I abstained, and therefore I signed
the pledge; and you must pardon me, sir, when I say, that if you felt as
I feel, you would, as a minister of the gospel, pursue the same course.'
'O!' said he, with indignation lowering in his countenance and
thundering in his voice, 'I have taken my brandy daily for years, and it
never did me any hurt.' 'Granted,' replied our friend, 'but if you can
drink with safety, can others? Have you never seen the evil effects of
tampering with the glass? Have none of your acquaintances or friends
fallen victims to drunkenness? Let me give you a case, sir. One of my
former employers had a son who, up to the twentieth year of his age, had
never tasted intoxicating drinks. But he had a weak constitution and a
slender frame, and the doctor ordered him to take a little brandy and
water twice a day. He did so, and began to like it. He soon wanted it
oftener, and told the man to make it stronger, and the man did as he was
told. One day he had put but a few drops of water into a large glass of
brandy, but the young gentleman said, 'Did'nt I tell you to make it
stronger? Let the next glass be stronger.' He soon called _for the next
glass_, and having swallowed it, said, in a rage, 'What a fool you are.
I told you to let me have it stronger.' 'Sir,' said the man, 'you can't
have it stronger, for the glass you have just drank was "neat" as it
came from the bottle.' 'And is that a fact,' exclaimed the young
gentleman. 'Has it come to this? Am I to be a slave to that liquid?
Never! Take it away, and from this day I'll never drink another glass.'
This statement was listened to with marked attention by all the
passengers, and when the train arrived at Howden station, they gave
forth a spontaneous burst of applause. The clergyman sat ashamed and
speechless, and, on leaving the train, refused to shake hands with our
friend who had administered to him this well-timed and well-merited
rebuke.

[Sidenote: ADVOCATES TOTAL ABSTINENCE.]

I have stated that our friend spoke at hundreds of temperance meetings,
and his bluntness of manner, curt style of address, and nautical
phrases, won for him a ready hearing. Whenever he rose on the platform
eyes beamed and hearts throbbed with delight. Not that his hearers
expected to listen to an eloquent speech, or to be amused by
laughter-exciting and fun-making eccentricities, but he rose with the
influence of established character, combined with an ar