d them. When evening came, however, his neighbors,
whom he had asked in, did not neglect to attend; the bottle was again
produced, and poor Art, the principle of restraint having now been
removed, re-enacted much the same scene as on the preceding night, with
this exception only, that he was now encouraged instead of being checked
or reproved.

There were now only three days to elapse until the following Sabbath,
on which day the child was to be baptized; one of them, that is, the one
following his first intoxication with Frank, was lost to him, for, as
we have said, though not precisely drunk, he was not in a condition to
work, nor properly to give directions. The next he felt himself in much
the same state, but with still less of regret.

"The truth is," said he, "I won't be rightly able to do any thing till
afther this christenin', so that I may set down the remaindher o' the
week as lost; well, sure that won't break me at any rate. It's long
since I lost a week before, and we must only make up for it; afther the
christenin' I'll work double tides."

This was all very plausible reasoning, but very fallacious
notwithstanding; indeed, it is this description of logic which conceals
the full extent of a man's errors from, himself, and which has sent
thousands forward on their career to ruin. Had Art, for instance, been
guided by his steady and excellent brother, or, what would have been
better still, by his own good sense and firmness, he would have got up
the next morning in health, with an easy mind, and a clear conscience,
and been able to resume his work as usual. Instead of that, the
night's debauch produced its natural consequences, feverishness and
indisposition, which, by the aid of a bad proverb, and worse company,
were removed by the very cause which produced them. The second night's
debauch lost the following day, and then, forsooth, the week was nearly
gone, and it wasn't worth while to change the system, as if it was ever
too soon to mend, or as if even a single day's work were not a matter of
importance to a mechanic. Let any man who feels himself reasoning as Art
Maguire did, rest assured that there is an evil principle within him,
which, unless he strangle it by prompt firmness, and a strong conviction
of moral duty, will ultimately be his destruction.

There was once a lake, surrounded by very beautiful scenery, to which
its waters gave a fine and picturesque effect. This lake was situated on
an elev