d he see my fevered eye, feverish with last night's
drinking and feverishly looking for this night's repetition of the
folly--could he feel the body of the death out of which I cry hourly,
with feebler and feebler outcry, to be delivered--it were enough to make
him dash the sparkling beverage to the earth in all the pride of its
mantling temptation, to make him clasp his teeth,

And not undo 'em
To suffer wet damnation to run thro' 'em."

Can that be beaten for utter lucidity and directness? Not by any master
of prose known to us--not by any man who ever wrote in prose or in
verse. The vision is so completely convincing, the sense of actuality
given by the words is so haunting, that, not even Dickens could have
equalled it. The man who wrote those searing words is to this day
remembered and spoken of with caressing gentleness by all men of
intellect, refinement, quick fancy, genial humour; the editing of his
works has occupied a great part of the lifetime of a most distinguished
ecclesiastic. Could he avoid the fell horror against which he warned
others? No. With all his dread knowledge, he went on his sorrowful
way--and he remained the victim of his vice until the bitter end. It was
Charles Lamb.

A gambler is usually the most prodigal of men in the matter of promises.
If he is clever, he is nearly always quite ready to smile mournfully at
his own infatuation, and he will warn inexperienced youngsters--unless
he wants to rob them.

In sum, intellect, wit, keenness, lucidity of vision, perfect reasoning
power, are all useless in restraining a man from proceeding to ruin
unless some steadying agency is allied with them. After much sad
brooding, I cannot but conclude that a fervent religious faith is the
only thing that will give complete security; and it will be a bitter day
for England and the world if ever flippancy and irreligion become
general.

_June, 1889._

_THE SOCIAL INFLUENCE OF THE "BAR."_

A great American writer has lately given a terrible account of "The
Social Influence of the Saloon" in his country. The article is very
grave, and every word is weighed, but the cold precision of the paper
attracts the reader with a horrible fascination. The author does not so
much regret the enormous waste of money, though he allows that about two
hundred millions of pounds sterling are spent yearly in the States on
strong drink; but he mourns most because of the steady r