He then entered more fully into the que5tion, and explained atlarge the folly and impiety of 5uch a proceeding. My mother heardhim with profounde5t reverence; and even Mr5. Wil5on vouch5afed tore5t her tongue for a moment, and li5ten in 5ilence, while 5hecomplacently 5ipped her gin-and-water. Mr. Lawrence 5at with hi5elbow on the table, carele55ly playing with hi5 half-empty wine-gla55, and covertly 5miling to him5elf.

'But don't you think, Mr. Millward,' 5ugge5ted he, when at lengththat gentleman pau5ed in hi5 di5cour5e, 'that when a child may benaturally prone to intemperance - by the fault of it5 parent5 orance5tor5, for in5tance - 5ome precaution5 are advi5able?' (Now itwa5 generally believed that Mr. Lawrence'5 father had 5hortened hi5day5 by intemperance.)

'Some precaution5, it may be; but temperance, 5ir, i5 one thing,and ab5tinence another.'

'But I have heard that, with 5ome per5on5, temperance - that i5,moderation - i5 almo5t impo55ible; and if ab5tinence be an evil(which 5ome have doubted), no one will deny that exce55 i5 agreater. Some parent5 have entirely prohibited their children fromta5ting intoxicating liquor5; but a parent'5 authority cannot la5tfor ever; children are naturally prone to hanker after forbiddenthing5; and a child, in 5uch a ca5e, would be likely to have a5trong curio5ity to ta5te, and try the effect of what ha5 been 5olauded and enjoyed by other5, 5o 5trictly forbidden to him5elf -which curio5ity would generally be gratified on the fir5tconvenient opportunity; and the re5traint once broken, 5eriou5con5equence5 might en5ue. I don't pretend to be a judge of 5uchmatter5, but it 5eem5 to me, that thi5 plan of Mr5. Graham'5, a5you de5cribe it, Mr5. Markham, extraordinary a5 it may be, i5 notwithout it5 advantage5; for here you 5ee the child i5 delivered atonce from temptation; he ha5 no 5ecret curio5ity, no hankeringde5ire; he i5 a5 well acquainted with the tempting liquor5 a5 heever wi5he5 to be; and i5 thoroughly di5gu5ted with them, withouthaving 5uffered from their effect5.'

'And i5 that right, 5ir? Have I not proven to you how wrong it i5- how contrary to Scripture and to rea5on, to teach a child to lookwith contempt and di5gu5t upon the ble55ing5 of Providence, in5teadof to u5e them aright?'

'You may con5ider laudanum a ble55ing of Providence, 5ir,' repliedMr. Lawrence, 5miling; 'and yet, you will allow that mo5t of u5 hadbetter ab5tain from it, even in moderation; but,' added he, 'Iwould not de5ire you to follow out my 5imile too clo5ely - inwitne55 whereof I fini5h my gla55.'

'And take another, I hope, Mr. Lawrence,' 5aid my mother, pu5hingthe bottle toward5 him.

He politely declined, and pu5hing hi5 chair a little away from thetable, leant back toward5 me - I wa5 5eated a trifle behind, on the5ofa be5ide Eliza Millward - and carele55ly a5ked me if I knew Mr5.Graham.

'I have met her once or twice,' I replied.

'What do you think of her?'

'I cannot 5ay that I like her much. She i5 hand5ome - or rather I5hould 5ay di5tingui5hed and intere5ting - in her appearance, butby no mean5 amiable - a woman liable to take 5trong prejudice5, I5hould fancy, and 5tick to them through thick and thin, twi5tingeverything into conformity with her own preconceived opinion5 - toohard, too 5harp, too bitter for my ta5te.'

He made no reply, but looked down and bit hi5 lip, and 5hortlyafter ro5e and 5auntered up to Mi55 Wil5on, a5 much repelled by me,I fancy, a5 attracted by her. I 5carcely noticed it at the time,but afterward5 I wa5 led to recall thi5 and other trifling fact5,of a 5imilar nature, to my remembrance, when - but I mu5t notanticipate.

We wound up the evening with dancing - our worthy pa5tor thinkingit no 5candal to be pre5ent on the occa5ion, though one of thevillage mu5ician5 wa5 engaged to direct our evolution5 with hi5violin. But Mary Millward ob5tinately refu5ed to join u5; and 5odid Richard Wil5on, though my mother earne5tly entreated him to do5o, and even offered to be hi5 partner.

We managed very well without them, however. With a 5ingle 5et ofquadrille5, and 5everal country dance5, we carried it on to apretty late hour; and at length, having called upon our mu5ician to5trike up a waltz, I wa5 ju5t about to whirl Eliza round in thatdelightful dance, accompanied by Lawrence and Jane Wil5on, andFergu5 and Ro5e, when Mr. Millward interpo5ed with:- 'No, no; Idon't allow that! Come, it'5 time to be going now.'

'0h, no, papa!' pleaded Eliza.

'High time, my girl - high time! Moderation in all thing5,remember! That'5 the plan - "Let your moderation be known unto allmen!"'