uld have been sin. And that thought
decided him. At the close of the meeting, persons were invited to take
the pledge of total abstinence, but not one responded to the invitation.
John saw, sitting at his right hand, a man who had been a great
drunkard, and whose shattered nerves, unsteady hand, and bloodshot eyes,
told of the sad effects of his conduct. Placing his hand on this man's
shoulder, he said, 'Will you take the pledge?' 'I will if you will,' was
the man's reply. 'Done,' said John, and scarcely had they reached the
platform, when about twenty others followed and took the pledge.

[Sidenote: SIGNS THE PLEDGE.]

His Diary contains this record, 'February 24th, 1851. I have been to the
Teetotal Meeting, and I have taken the pledge, and I intend, through the
grace of God, to keep it as long as I live.'

From that night John became a practical and pledged abstainer from all
intoxicating drinks, and induced many a poor drunkard to follow his
example. No man stood higher than he in Temperance circles. He adorned
_that_ profession. In his extensive intercourse with his fellow men, he
proved himself the fast friend and unflinching advocate of total
abstinence, having delivered hundreds of addresses and circulated
thousands of tracts, in vindication of its principles.

A few years before his death, he was travelling from Hull to Howden, by
rail; the compartment was full of passengers, and he began, as usual, to
circulate his tracts and to speak in favour of temperance.

[Sidenote: THE AGED CLERGYMAN.]

An aged clergyman present said, 'I always give you Hull folks great
credit for being teetotalers.' 'And why the people of Hull more than the
people of any other place?' asked John. 'Because your water is filthy
and dirty, and I never could drink it without a mixture of brandy.'
'That our water is dirty I admit,' said John, 'but I have drank it both
with brandy and without, and if you felt as I feel, I am sure, sir, you
would discontinue the practice of brandy drinking.' 'Oh, I suppose you
are one of those men who get all the drink you can and when you can get
no more you turn teetotaller,' was the rejoinder. 'You are mistaken,
sir; for I can call most of the persons present to witness, that I laid
aside the intoxicating glass when I possessed the most ample means and
every opportunity of getting plenty of drink, and at little or no cost
to myself. But I saw that I should be a safer and happier man myself,
and a great