h of the day before flashed into Jo's mind.

"Forgive me, Captain Bolter," he said respectfully: "forgive me, and try
to forget it--I didn't mean it, believe me--I--I wasn't quite myself,
sir, when--"

"No!" interrupted the Captain fiercely; "I'll never forgive you, nor
forget it."

With that he turned away and left Jo Grain to meditate on the folly of
indulging in a stimulant which robbed him of his self-control. But
youth is very hopeful. Jo did not quite believe in the Captain's
sincerity. He comforted himself with the thought that time would soften
the old man's feelings, and meanwhile he would continue to court Mary
when opportunity offered.

The Captain, however, soon proved that he was thoroughly in earnest:
for, instead of leaving his daughter under the care of a maiden aunt, as
had been his custom previously, during his frequent absences from home,
he took her to sea with him, and left Jo with an extra supply of food
for meditation.

Poor Jo struggled hard under this his first severe trial, but struggled
in his own strength and failed. Instead of casting away the glass which
had already done him so much damage, he madly took to it as a solace to
his secret grief. Yet Jo took good care that his comrades should see no
outward trace of that grief.

He was not, however, suffered to remain long under the baleful influence
of drink. Soon after the departure of Captain Bolter, a missionary
visited the little seaport to preach salvation from sin through Jesus
Christ, and, being a man of prayer and faith, his mission was very
successful. Among the many sins against which he warned the people, he
laid particular stress on that of drunkenness.

This was long before the days of the Blue Ribbon movement: but the
spirit of that movement was there, though the particular title had not
yet arisen. The missionary preached Christ the Saviour of sinners, and
Temperance as one of the fruits of salvation. Many of the rough
fishermen were converted--bowed their heads and wills, and ceased to
resist God. Among them was Joseph Grain.

There was not, indeed, a remarkably great outward change in Jo after
this: for he had always been an amiable, hearty, sweet-tempered fellow:
but there was, nevertheless, a radical change; for whereas in time past
he had acted to please himself, he now acted to please his Lord. To
natural enthusiasm, which had previously made him the hero of the town,
was now superadded the enthusiasm