poison, the saloonkeeper's wife came in, and confidently asked for $500
to purchase an elegant shawl she had seen at the store of Jordan, March
& Co.. He drew from his pocket a well-filled pocketbook, and counted out
the money. The man outside the counter pushed aside his glass untouched,
and laying down ten cents departed in silence. That very morning his
devoted Christian wife had asked him for ten dollars to buy a cloak, so
that she might look presentable at church. He had crossly told her he
had not the money. As he left the saloon he thought, 'Here I am helping
to pay for five-hundred-dollar cashmeres for that man's wife, but my
wife asks in vain for a ten-dollar cloak. I can't stand this. I have
spent my last dime for drink.' When the next pay-day came that meek,
loving wife was surprised with a beautiful cloak from her reformed
husband. She could scarcely believe her own eyes as he laid it on the
table. 'There, Emma, is a present for you. I have been a fool long
enough; forgive me for the past, and I will never touch liquor again.'
She threw her arms around his neck, and the hot tears told her heartfelt
joy as she sobbed out: 'Charley, I thank you a thousand times. I never
expected so nice a cloak. This seems like other days. You are so good,
and I am so happy.'" The drink bill of our Nation for last year was over
a billion of dollars, more money than was spent for missions--home and
foreign--for all of our Churches, for public education, for all the
operations of courts of justice and of public officers, and at least for
two of the staple products of use in our country, such as furniture and
flour. More than for all these was the money that our Nation paid for
drink last year. When the people of our country get their eyes open to
the cost and degradation of the drink evil, something definite will be
done by every one against it.

The drink evil in its relation to lawlessness and crime, and to
political corruption, reveal still more ghastly aspects of it than we
have yet mentioned. The saloon strikes at the very heart, not only of
law and order, but at personal liberty and justice in securing law and
order. It was in a police court in Cincinnati on Monday morning. Before
the judge stood two stalwart policeman and a woman. She was charged
with disorderly conduct on the street and with disturbing the peace.
The policemen were sworn, and one of them told this story, to which the
other one agreed. He said: "I arreste