him where he could reach the classes from which he
had come. With considerable exertion the necessary sums were raised to
open a "Coffee and Reading Boom" in the worst district of the city--the
Fourth Ward. Great numbers of papers and publications were furnished
gratuitously by that body who have always been so generous to this
enterprise--the conductors of the press of the city. A bar for coffee
and cheap refreshments was established, and Gardner was put at the head
of the whole as superintendent.

THE DRUNKARDS' CLUB

The opening is thus described in our Journal:--

We must confess, as one of the managers of that institution, we felt
particularly nervous about that opening meeting.

"Messrs. Beecher and Cochrane and other eminent speakers had been
invited to speak, and the Mayor was to preside. It was certainly an act
of some self-denial to leave their countryseats or cool rooms, and spend
a hot summer evening in talking to Fourth-ward rowdies. To requite this
with any sort of 'accident' would have been very awkward. Where would we
of the committee have hid our heads if our friends the 'roughs' had
thought best to have a little bit of a shindy, and had knocked Brother
Beecher's hat in, and had tossed the Hon. John Cochrane out of the
window, or rolled the Mayor down-stairs? We confess all such possible
eventualities did present themselves, and we imagined the sturdy form of
our eminent clerical friend breasting the opposing waves of rowdies, and
showing himself as skillful in demolishing corporeal enemies as he is in
overthrowing spiritual. We were comforted in spirit, however, by
remembering that the saint at the head of our establishment-the renowned
Gardner--would now easily take a place in the church militant, and
perhaps not object to a new exercise of muscle in a good cause.

* * * * * * * *

"After other addresses, Gardner--'Awful Gardner'--was called for. He
came forward--and a great trial it must have been to have faced that
crowd, where there were hundreds who had once been with him in all kinds
of debaucheries and deviltries--men who had drunk and fought and gambled
and acted the rowdy with him--men very quick to detect any trace of
vanity or cant in him. He spoke very simply and humbly; said that he had
more solid peace and comfort in one month now than he had in years once;
spoke of his 'black life' his sins and disgrace, and the