splaying his fine
social qualities and attracting about him the young and the old.
Everybody liked Dr. Elliott, he was so frank, so cordial, free and
sympathetic, and, withal, so intelligent. He did not bring the
clergyman with him into a gay drawing-room, nor the ascetic to a feast.
He could talk with the banker about finance, with the merchant about
trade, with the student or editor about science, literature and the
current events of the day, and with young men and maidens about music
and the lighter matters in which they happened to be interested. And,
moreover, he could enjoy a good supper and knew the flavor of good
wine. A man of such rare accomplishments came to be a general favorite,
and so you encountered Mr. Elliott at nearly all the fashionable
parties.

Mr. Ridley had met the reverend doctor twice, and had been much pleased
with him. What he had heard him say about the healthy or rather saving
influences of pure wine had taken a strong hold of his thoughts, and he
had often wished for an opportunity to talk with him about it. On this
evening he found that opportunity. Soon after his arrival at the house
of Mr. Birtwell he saw Mr. Elliott in one of the parlors, and made his
way into the little group which had already gathered around the affable
clergyman. Joining in the conversation, which was upon some topic of
the day, Mr. Ridley, who talked well, was not long in awakening that
interest in the mind of Mr. Elliott which one cultivated and
intelligent person naturally feels for another; and in a little while,
they had the conversation pretty much to themselves. It touched this
theme and that, and finally drifted in a direction which enabled Mr.
Ridley to refer to what he had heard Mr. Elliott say about the healthy
effect of pure wine on the taste of men whose appetites had become
morbid, and to ask him if he had any good ground for his belief.

"I do not know that I can bring any proof of my theory," returned Mr.
Elliott, "but I hold to it on the ground of an eternal fitness of
things. Wine is good, and was given by God to make glad the hearts of
men, and is to be used temperately, as are all other gifts. It may be
abused, and is abused daily. Men hurt themselves by excess of wine as
by excess of food. But the abuse of a thing is no argument against its
use. If a man through epicurism or gormandizing has brought on disease,
what do you do with him? Deny him all food, or give him of the best in
such quantiti