efore Slade
opened the 'Sickle and Sheaf,' he did all in his power to save his
early friend from the curse of intemperance; now he has become his
tempter. Heretofore, it was his hand that provided the means for his
family to live in some small degree of comfort; now he takes the poor
pittance the wretched man earns, and dropping it in his till, forgets
the wife and children at home who are hungry for the bread this money
should have purchased.

"Joe Morgan, fallen as he is, sir, is no fool. His mind sees quickly
yet; and he rarely utters a sentiment that is not full of meaning. When
he spoke of Blade's heart growing as hard in ten years as one of his
old mill-stones, he was not uttering words at random, nor merely
indulging in a harsh sentiment, little caring whether it were closely
applicable or not. That the indurating process had begun, he, alas! was
too sadly conscious."

The landlord had been absent from the room for some time. He left soon
after Judge Lyman, Harvey Green, and Willy Hammond withdrew, and I did
not see him again during the evening. His son Frank was left to attend
at the bar; no very hard task, for not more than half a dozen called in
to drink from the time Morgan left until the bar was closed.

While Mr. Lyon was giving me the brief history just recorded, I noticed
a little incident that caused a troubled feeling to pervade my mind.
After a man, for whom the landlord's son had prepared a fancy drink,
had nearly emptied his glass, he set it down upon the counter and went
out. A tablespoonful or two remained in the glass, and I noticed Frank,
after smelling at it two or three times, put the glass to his lips and
sip the sweetened liquor. The flavor proved agreeable; for, after
tasting it, he raised the glass again and drained every drop.

"Frank!" I heard a low voice, in a warning tone, pronounce the name,
and glancing toward a door partly open, that led from the inside of the
bar to the yard, I saw the face of Mrs. Slade. It had the same troubled
expression I had noticed before, but now blended with anxiety.

The boy went out at the call of his mother; and when a new customer
entered, I noticed that Flora, the daughter, came in to wait upon him.
I noticed, too, that while she poured out the liquor, there was a
heightened color on her face, in which I fancied that I saw a tinge of
shame. It is certain that she was not in the least gracious to the
person on whom she was waiting; and that there wa