'IT

CHAPTER XXIII.

T'ool do good,' said Tom Knill; 'an' I belave, iv we can zucceed in ztarting a Temp'ranz' Zoziety vor 'Athercott, it 'ool be one ov tho bez' thengs vor our people an' vor tho neighbourhood; iz, I do, vrien's.'

'I don't see the necessity of any such thing,' said Nabal Churl; and I, for one, can never consent for a Temperance meeting to be held in our chapel. As one of the trustees, I shall vote against it.'

'Well,' said Jimmy Templer, 'yo' 'ool do w'at we al' 'zpect 'e to do. Evar zenz' I'av' knaw'd 'e, Nabby, agenz' razon an' r'yme, yo' 'av' done tho zem-bin in oppozition to al' on uz.'

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On Sunday next we will ask the superintendent to call a meeting of the trustees to settle the question," said Charles Garfield, and as he will be preaching again on Monday week, that will be giving sufficient time for notice, and no one will have cause to complain; but I don't anticipate any difficulty.'

Due notice was given of the trustees' meeting to ask for the loan of the chapel; and all, with the one

exception of Nabal Churl, voted in favour of the meeting being held, as requested by the friends, in the chapel.

Many of the friends had felt for a long time that something ought to be done in the Temperance line, to counteract the public-house influence. The question was first discussed among a few who had suffered much from the drink, and were anxious that their neighbours, and the young people especially, should be saved from the body-and-souldestroying power of the accursed thing and its associations.

It was decided to hold the meeting in the following week; but who would be the speakers on the occasion? In a place like Hathercott,' said Charles Garfield, and as it will be our first meeting, and we may not be able to secure such a congregation as we should like to see present if we had strangers to address us, I think we had better confine ourselves to our own friends.'

It was decided that Mr. Garfield should be the chairman of the meeting; and Messrs. James Templer, Thomas Knill, Henry Russel, and Patrick Dennis, the speakers. Benjamin Aubourn was to give the pledge to any person that might feel disposed to sign.

The gathering in our chapel on the night fixed for the meeting surprised everybody. It was full, and the meeting was a decided success. We could not have done better had the greatest Temperance orators of the day been there. Jimmy Templer came on crutches, having his wife to help him. We all felt, before the meeting commenced, that the platform was just the thing. Every speaker, except the chairman, had been a slave to strong

drink, and its curse had been felt in their homes; their wives and children had suffered from it as well as themselves.

After singing and prayer, the chairman made, in his opening remarks, the first public speech on Temperance that had been delivered in the village of Hathercott. It was a short address, but earnest and practical.

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My friends of Hathercott,' he began, 'I am more than pleased with the interest taken in our proceedings this evening. For some reason, you are deeply interested. I have my opinion of the cause, and it is this: You have faith in the men we are expecting to speak to us on the question of Temperance this evening.

'You know what they have been, and what they now are. You saw their homes in the old days, you see them now. You were acquainted with their children then, and you see some of them here this evening. Is there any change? Has there been anything done for these men? Are their wives and children better off than they used to be?'

'Yes,' was responded from every part of the building.

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'Yes,' continued the chairman, they are better off in the best sense of the word. I am nearly the youngest convert to Temperance in this village. I was never a drunkard; I have been in and out before you from my childhood, and you all know me to have been a sober man. I have never been seen in a public-house. But, until very recently, I was what is called "a little-drop drinker." I could not see the necessity of doing without it. I have argued this point with my friends in different places in the circuit, and with myself. Friends, when a man is

obliged to argue with himself on the subject of Temperance and especially if that man be a Christian-in reference to his duty as to giving up habits, it argues an unwillingness on his part to make a sacrifice. I see it now; but it required a hard blow to make me see it and feel it sufficiently to make the sacrifice for the benefit of my fellowcreatures. Many a time since, I have said, "Charles Garfield, you have been a selfish man."

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Christianity is opposed to selfishness. If I make self the rule of my conduct, I am not treading in the footsteps of my Master, "Who pleased not Himself."

'I was not aware, my friends, until lately, that I was made a "city of refuge." I knew not that some who ought not to have ventured on touching the drink excused themselves on the ground that Charles Garfield took it. "But they must have been very weak to say such a thing; and weaker still to drink more than was good for them, because you in moderation took your glass." My friends, I have nothing to do with the strength or weakness of your opinion on this question of my responsibility; I must be guided by what the Word of God says on this important question: "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." I thank God for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand the clear, unmistakeable teaching of the Word of God on this subject.'

'Henry Russel will now address the meeting,' said the chairman; and Henry went straight to the work of the meeting.

My vrien's, I'm tho man tha' uz'd to cal' "drunken 'Arry." I do blezz me 'Eavenly Vather

vor zendin' that vine minizter ov tho Gozpel, Mizter Ztrong, into thez village. I'm thankvul vor tho 'vival zervizes, an' I'm thankvul that 'e, Mizter Ztrong, knaw'd 'ow to deal we' me w'en tho drenk 'eld me. W'at do 'e thenk 'ood 'av' becom' ov me iv I 'adn't zign'd tho pledge that night? Wy, I muz' 'av' bin tackl'd by tho ol' un ; iz, an' it'z pozzible that I zhud 'a' bin tho zlev ov tho devel and drenk ztill, or bin in 'ell.

'My vrien's, I 'av' bin kipt vrom tho drenk only in tho ztrength ov tho Zaviour. Yo' 'ired tho chairman za' w'at a chenge 'ad teken plez in zome OV our wums. Ax me wiv' thar about it. Zhe cud tell 'e a tale. Ta' we'out zugar or milk; bred we' noo cheez' or butter very ovten; taters w'out me't or becon. But in tho beginnin' ov tho week you'd zee tho jar, an' we zwaller'd in drenk w'at we zhud 'a' put on our backs, an' bought zom' vood vor tho week. W'at a blezzin', vrien's, that me wiv' jin'd me in doin' we'out tho drenk, an' zoon a'ter zhe jin'd tho meetin'; an' we 'an't touch'd a drap ov tho cuzz'd ztuvv evar zenz', an' we 'an't 'ad any ov it in our 'ouz' vrom that da' to thiz! We don't me'n to be muddl'd agen.

'Ow

'Come we' uz to-night, an' zee vor yo'rzelvs tho divveranz' in 'Arry's wum. Yo'll zee zom' zugar, butter and cheez', an' zom' becon; yo'll zee a vlitch thar, an' a peg vattin' in tho zty, an' me wiv' and chil'rn 'av' never bin we'out miulk in their ta' zenz'. D'e knaw vor w'y? Tho ol' jar iz gone. many ztooun d'e thenk I an' tho mizziz do weigh now? Well, we be a zight 'eavier now than we war, an' much ztronger, an' a gret de'l 'appier. Do tho chil'rn look w'at tha' did? Bevor' I zit down, me vrien's, I ax 'e one an' all to becom' Chrizten