fourteen years ago, Jane was about twelve years old and Thomas only six
months; I was then a moderate drinker, as it is called--that is to say,
I never got drunk; but I'm sure if any one had asked me to define
`moderation,' I should have been sorely puzzled to do so; and I am quite
certain that I often exceeded the bounds of moderation, not in the eyes
of my fellow-creatures, but in the eyes of my Creator--ay, and in my own
eyes too, for I often felt heated and excited by what I drank, so as to
wish that I had taken a glass or two less,--yet all this time I never
overstepped the bounds, so as to lose my self-control. At this time I
kept a capital cellar--I mean a cellar largely stocked with choice wines
and spirits. I did not live then at `the Rocks,' but in a house on the
skirts of the city. You may be sure that I needed a good nurse to look
after so many growing children who had just lost their dear mother, and
I was happy enough to light upon a treasure of a woman--she was clean,
civil, active, faithful, honest, forbearing, and full of love to the
children; in a word, all that I could desire her to be. She took an
immense deal of care off my hands, and I could have trusted her with
everything I had. Months passed by, and I began to give large dinner-
parties--for I was rather famous for my wines. Besides this, I was
always having friends dropping in, happy to take a glass. All went on
well--so it seemed--till one afternoon a maid came running into my
sitting-room and cried out, `Oh, sir, nurse is so very ill; what must we
do?' I hurried up-stairs. There was the poor woman, sure enough, in a
very miserable state. I couldn't make it out at all.

"`Send for a doctor at once!' I cried. In a little while the doctor
came. I waited most anxiously for his report. At last he came down,
and the door was closed on us.

"`Well, doctor,' I cried, in great anxiety; `nothing very serious, I
hope? I can ill afford to lose such a faithful creature.'

"I saw a curious smile on his face, which rather nettled me, as I
thought it very ill-timed. At last he fairly burst out into a laugh,
and exclaimed, `There's nothing the matter with the woman, only she's
drunk.'

"`Drunk!' I exclaimed with horror; `impossible!'

"`Ay, but it's both possible and true too,' said the doctor; `she'll be
all right, you'll see, in a few hours.'

"And so she was. I then spoke out plainly and kindly to her. Oh, I
shall never forget her