with an aching head, amidst the ceaseless prattle of the
little ones who call you mother, striving patiently to perform your
God-given duties, yet fainting under the burden and heat of the day,
beware, oh, beware, of seeking relief from the tension of nerve and
brain, which is a woman's allotted portion, by deadening the finely
strung susceptibilities of your nature by indulgence in any of the
various forms which alcohol assumes, or under which it would hide.
Beware how you seek its false stimulus to enable you to cope with the
almost superhuman duties devolving upon you! Patience and strength to
endure will be given in God's appointed way; but be assured you will
never find it in that which is responsible for myriads of ruined homes
and blighted lives.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE CHILDREN'S SUPPER.

"SHE'S such a little thing, papa; really it seems quite unnecessary to
say anything about it to her for the next few years."

"Perhaps you are right, dear. Elsie will meet with no temptation at
home, and a child of her tender years is scarcely likely to find it
outside."

So said Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, when it had been proposed to introduce the
subject of total abstinence to their youngest, a fairy child of six, and
suggest to her that she should follow the example of her parents and
brothers and sisters, who shortly before had pledged themselves to
abstain from the use of intoxicating beverages.

"If we say anything to the dear child, it would be necessary to tell her
why we consider it advisable to banish wine and ale from the house, and
she would be perplexed and saddened by the insight afforded into misery
and degradation of which she, at present, knows nothing. Her life is all
sunshine now, and we have no right to disturb her childish happiness,"
added Mrs. Morgan.

So Elsie's little mind puzzled over the unrevealed reason of the absence
from her father's table of the bottled ales and sparkling wines, the
taste of which she had already learned to like.

A year passed away, and an invitation to a children's party was sent to
Elsie, who forthwith became wild with excitement. A dainty creature she
looked on the afternoon of the important day. Her golden curls softly
floated over her blue merino dress, and her brown eyes flashed and
glowed with delight.

"Mother's darling, good-bye! try and be a little lady, and nurse shall
fetch you at nine o'clock," said the mother, as she pressed her ch