it the sick,
nor comfort the prisoner, though often her heart yearned to help and
strengthen the suffering and the distressed. But few if any could come
into the chamber where most of her days were spent without feeling the
sphere of her higher and purer life, and many, influenced thereby, went
out to do the good works to which she so longed to put her hands. So
from the narrow bounds of her chamber went daily a power for good, and
many who knew her not were helped or comforted or lifted into purer and
better lives because of her patient submission to God and reception of
his love into her soul.

It is not surprising that one thought took a deep hold upon her. The
real cause of Archie's death was the wine he had taken in the house of
her friend. But for that he could never have lost his way in the
streets of his native city, never have stepped from solid ground into
the engulfing water.

The lesson of this disaster was clear, and as Mrs. Voss brooded over
it, the folly, the wrong--nay, the crime--of those who pour out wine
like water for their guests in social entertainments magnified
themselves in her thought, and thought found utterance in speech. Few
came into her chamber upon whom she did not press a consideration of
this great evil, the magnitude of which became greater as her mind
dwelt upon it, and very few of these went away without being disturbed
by questions not easily answered.

One day one of her attentive friends who had called on her said:

"I heard a sorrowful story yesterday, and can't get it out of my mind."

Before Mrs. Voss could reply a servant came in with a card.

"Oh, Mrs. Birtwell. Ask her to come up."

The visitor saw a slight shadow creep over her face, and knew its
meaning. How could she ever hear the name or look into the face of Mrs.
Birtwell without thinking of that dreadful night when her boy passed,
almost at a single step, from the light and warmth of her beautiful
home into the dark and frozen river? It had cost her a hard and painful
struggle to so put down and hold in check her feelings as to be able to
meet this friend, who had always been very near and dear to her. For a
time, and while her distress of mind was so great as almost to endanger
reason, she had refused to see Mrs. Birtwell; but as that lady never
failed to call at least once a week to ask after her, always sending up
her card and waiting for a reply, Mrs. Voss at last yielded, and the
friends met again. Mrs. Bi