nd enable them by His grace to be a blessing to others as pledged
abstainers. And then he turned again to Mary, and said:

"You have given me the one promise; will you give me the other? Will
you promise me that you will never knowingly marry a man who loves the
drink?"

Mary buried her face in her hands. A few moments, and no one spoke.

"Hear me, my child," cried the old man, again beginning to pace the room
with measured strides; "you are dear to me, very dear, for you're the
image of one lost to me years ago, long weary years ago. I cannot bear
to see you offered as another victim on the altar of the Drink-Moloch:
he has had victims enough: too many, too many. Do you wish to wither
into a premature grave? Do you wish to see the light die out of your
mother's smile? Then marry a drink-worshipper. Do you wish to tremble
every time you hear the footstep of the man who has turned `sweet home'
into a shuddering prison? then marry a drink-worshipper. Do you wish to
see little children hide the terror of their eyes in your lap and
tremble at the name of father? Then marry a drink-worshipper. Stay,
stay, I'm an old fool to break out in this way, and scare you out of
your wits;" for Mary and her mother were both sobbing bitterly: "forgive
me, but don't forget me; there, let us change the subject."

But Mary had checked her sobs, and, rising up calm and beautiful in her
tears, she laid her hand lovingly on the old man's arm, and said, gently
but firmly:

"Dear old friend, thank you for what you have said. I promise you that
never will I knowingly marry one who loves intoxicating drinks."

"God bless you, my child. You have taken a load off the old man's
heart, and off your mother's too, I know."

Would Mary keep her word? She was soon to be put to the test. Though
Mark hesitated to propose to Mary Franklin, his mother had no scruples
on the subject. He had now come to man's estate, and she wished him to
marry; specially she wished him to marry Mrs Franklin's daughter, as
Mary would enjoy a nice little income when she came of age, and Mark's
prospects were cloudy enough as far as anything from his father was
concerned. Besides, she hoped that marrying Mary would steady her son--
a favourite scheme with mothers of drunkards. As for Mary's own peace
or happiness, she never gave them a thought. The experiment would be
something like caging a tiger and a lamb together for the purpose of
subduing the tiger