re society?"

"If we must ignore society or conscience, what then?"

His calm eyes were on my face. "I'm afraid," said I, "that you are
magnifying this thing into an undue importance."

He sighed heavily, and dropped his eyes away from mine. I watched
his countenance, and saw the shadows of uneasy thought gathering
about his lips and forehead.

"It is always best," he remarked, "to consider the probable
consequences of what we intend doing. If we give this party, one
thing is certain."

"What?"

"That boys and young men, some of them already in the ways that lead
to drunkenness and ruin, will be enticed to drink. We will put
temptation to their lips and smilingly invite them to taste its
dangerous sweets. By our example we will make drinking respectable.
If we serve wine and brandy to our guests, young and old, male and
female, what do we less than any dram-seller in the town? Shall we
condemn him, and ourselves be blameless? Do we call his trade a
social evil of the direst character, and yet ply our guests with the
same tempting stimulants that his wretched customers crowd his
bar-room to obtain?"

I was borne down by the weight of what my husband said. I saw the
evil that was involved in this social use of wines and liquors which
he so strongly condemned. But, alas that I must say it! neither
principle nor conscience were strong enough to overcome my weak
desire to keep in good standing with my fashionable friends. I
wanted to give a party--I felt that I must give a party. Gladly
would I have dispensed with liquor; but I had not the courage to
depart from the regular order of things. So I decided to give the
party.

"Very well, Agnes," said my husband, when the final decision was
made. "If the thing has to be done, let it be well and liberally
done."

I had a very dear friend--a Mrs. Martindale. As school-girls, we
were warmly attached to each other, and as we grew older our
friendship became closer and tenderer. Marriage, that separates so
many, did not separate us. Our lots were cast in the same city, and
in the same social circle. She had an only son, a young man of fine
intellect and much promise, in whom her life seemed bound up. He
went into the army at an early period of the war, and held the rank
of second lieutenant; conducting himself bravely. A slight, but
disabling wound sent him home a short time previous to the surrender
of Lee, and before he was well enough to join his regiment, it was
mu