of course, set the new comer down as one upon whom the rest of the passengers could crack their jokes with the utmost impunity.

Odd Fellow?” asked one. ried more than a month."

"Are you an、

No, sir, I've been mar

I mean, do you belong

to the order of Odd Fellows?” "No, no; I belong

to the order of married men.” “Are you a mason?” “No, I am a carpenter by trade.” “Are you a Son of Temperance?” “Bother you, no; I am a son of Mr. John Gosling.” After a hearty laugh in which all joined, the subject of Temperance became the theme for discussion. In this the spectacled gent. was at home. He soon showed that he was a New Englander, and went the whole length of the “Maine Law.” The minister was about having it all his own way, when the Southerner, in the white hat, took the opposite side of the question. “I don’t bet a red cent on these teetotlars,” said he, and at the same time looking round to see if he had the approbation of the rest of the company. “Why?” asked the minister. “Because they are a set who are afraid to spend a cent. They are a had let, the whole on ’em.” It was evident that the white hat gent. was an uneducated man. The minister commenced in full earnest, and gave an interesting account of the progress of temperance in Connecticut, the state from which he came, proving, that a great portion of the prosperity of the state was attributable to the disuse of intoxicating drinks. Every one thought the white hat had got the worst of the argument, and that he was settled for the remainder of the night. But not he; he took fresh courage and began again. "Now,” said he, "I have just been on a visit to my uncle’s in Vermont, and I guess I knows a little about these here teetotlars. You see, I went up there to make a little stay of a fortnight. I got there at night, and they seemed glad

0

6

here.' 6

to see me, but they didn’t give me a bit of anything to drink. Well, thinks I to myself, the jig’s up: I sha’n’t get any more liquor till I get out of the state.” We all sat up till twelve o’clock that night, and I heard nothing but talk about the Juvinal Temperance Army,’ the 'Band of Hope,’ the 'Rising Generation,’ the Female Dorcas Temperance Society,’ The None Such,’ and I don’t know how many other names they didn’t have. As I had taken several pretty large Cock Tails' before I entered the state, I thought upon the whole that I would not spile for the want of liquor. The next morning, I commenced writing back to my friends, and telling them what’s what. Aunt Polly said, 'Well, Johnny, I s’pose you are given ’em a pretty account of us all Yes,' said I; I am tellin’ ’em if they want anything to drink when they come up here, they had better bring it with ’em.’ ‘Oh,’ said aunty, ‘they would search their boxes; can’t bring any spirits in the state.’ Well, as I was saying, jist as I got my letters finished, and was going to the post office (for uncle’s house was two miles from the town), aunty says, ‘Johnny, I s’pose you'll try to get a little somthin’ to drink in town won’t you?’ Says I, ‘I s’pose it’s no use. ‘No,’ said she,' you can’t; it aint to be had no how, for love nor money.’ So jist as I was puttin’ on my hat, 'Johnny,’ cries out aunty, What,’ says I. Now I’ll tell you, I don’t want you to say nothin’ about it, but I keeps a little rum to rub my head with, for I am troubled with the headache; now I don’t want you to mention it for the world, but I’ll give you a little taste, the old man is such a teetotaller, that I should never hear the last of it, and I would not like for the boys to know it, they are members of the "Cold Water Army.”

"Aunty now brought out a black bottle and gave

me a cup, and told me to help myself, which I assure you I did. I now felt ready to face the cold. As I was passing the barn I heard uncle thrashing oats, so I went to the door and spoke to him. 'Come in, John,’ says he. ‘No,’ said I; ‘I am goin’ to post some letters,’ for I was afraid that he would smell my breath if I went too near to him. Yes, yes, 'come in.’ So I went in, and says he, ‘It’s now eleven o’clock; that’s about the time you take your grog, I s’pose, when you are at home.’ 'Yes,’ said I. ‘I am sorry for you, my lad; you can’t get anything up here; you can’t even get it at the chemist’s, except as medicine, and then you must let them mix it and you take it in their presence.’ 'This is indeed hard,’ replied I; 'Well, it can’t be helped,’ continued he: and it ought not to be if it could. It’s best for society; people’s better off without drink. I recollect when your father and I, thirty years ago, used to go out on a spree and spend more than half a dollar in a night. Then here’s the rising generation; there’s nothing like settin’ a good example. Look how healthy your cousins are- there’s Benjamin, he never tasted spirits in his life. Oh, John, I would you were a teetotaller.’ 'I suppose,’ said I, 'I’ll have to be one till I leave the state.’ ‘Now,’ said he, ‘John, I don’t want you to mention it, for your aunt would go into hysterics if she thought there was a drop of intoxicating liquor about the place, and I would not have the boys to know it for anything, but I keep a little brandy to rub my joints for the rheumatics, and being it’s you, I’ll give you a little dust.’ So the old man went to one corner of the barn, took out a brown jug and handed it to me, and I must say it was a little the best cogniac that I had tasted for many a day. Says I, ‘Uncle, you are a good judge of brandy.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, 'I learned when I was young.' So

I

'Yes,' 'Yes.'

off I started for the post office. In returnin’ I thought I’d jist go through the woods where the boys were chopping wood, and wait and go to the house with them when they went to dinner. found them hard at work, but as merry as crickets. 'Well, cousin John, are you done writing?' answered I. ‘Have you posted them?’ 'Hope you didn’t go to any place inquiring for grog.’ ‘No, I knowed it was no good to do that.’ ‘I suppose a cock-tail would taste good now.’ ‘Well, I guess it would,’ says I. The three boys then joined in a hearty laugh. I suppose you have told ’em that we are a dry set up here?' 'Well, I aint told ’em anything else.’ ‘Now, cousin John,’ said Edward, if you wont say anything, we will give you a small taste. For mercy’s sake don‘t let father or mother know it; they are such rabid teetotallers, that they would not sleep a wink to-night if they thought there was any spirits about the place.’ 'I am mum,’ says I. And the boys took a jug out of a hollow stump, and gave me some first-rate peach brandy. And during the fortnight that I was in Vermont, with my teetotal relations, I was kept about as well corned as if I had been among my hot water friends in Tennessee.”

This narrative, given by the white hat man, was received with unbounded applause by all except the pale gent. in spectacles, who showed, by the way in which he was running his fingers between his cravat and throat, that he did not intend to “give it up

so.”

The white hat gent. was now the lion of the

company.

"Oh, you did not get hold of the right kind of teetotallers,” said the minister. "I can give you a tale worth a dozen of yours,” continued he. "Look at society in the states where temperance views prevail, and you will there see real happiness. The

people are taxed less, the poor houses are shut up for want of occupants, and extreme destitution is unknown. Every one who drinks at all is liable to become an habitual drunkard. Yes, I say boldly, that no man living who uses intoxicating drinks, is free from the danger of at least occasional, and if of occasional, ultimately of habitual excess. There seems to be no character, position, or circumstances that free men from the danger. I have known many young men of the finest promise, led by the drinking habit into vice, ruin, and early death. I have known many tradesmen whom it has made bankrupt. I have known Sunday scholars whom it has led to prison—teachers, and even superintendents, whom it has dragged down to profligacy. I have known ministers of high academic honours, of splendid eloquence, nay, of vast usefulness, whom it has fascinated, and hurried over the precipice of public infamy with their eyes open, and gazing with horror on their fate. I have known men of the strongest and clearest intellect and of vigorous resolution, whom it has made weaker than children and fools—gentlemen of refinement and taste whom it has debased into brutes—poets of high genius whom it has bound in a bondage worse than the galleys, and ultimately cut short their days. I have known statesmen, lawyers, and judges whom it has killed-kind husbands and fathers whom it has turned into monsters. I have known honest men whom it has made villains— elegant and Christian ladies whom it has converted into bloated sols.”

“But you talk too fast,” replied the white hat man. “You don’t give a feller a chance to say nothin’.” “I heard you," continued the minister, "and now you hear me out. It is indeed wonderful how people become lovers of strong drink. Some years since, before I became a teetotaller I kept spirits