l you take on so? Any one hearing you
talk might think us guilty of murder, or some other dreadful crime.
Even if the worst fears are realized, no blame can lie with us. Parties
are given every night, and young men, and old men too, go home from
them with lighter heads than when they came. No one is compelled to
drink more than is good for him. If he takes too much, the sin lies at
his own door."

"If you talked for ever, Mr. Birtwell," was answered "nothing you might
say could possibly change my feelings or sentiments. I know we are
responsible both to God and to society for the stumbling-blocks we set
in the way of others. For a long time, as you know, I have felt this in
regard to our social wine-drinking customs; and if I could have had my
way, there would have been one large party of the season at which
neither man nor woman could taste wine."

"I know," replied Mr. Birtwell. "But I didn't choose to make myself a
laughing-stock. If we are in society, we must do as society does.
Individuals are not responsible for social usages. They take things as
they find them, going with the current, and leaving society to settle
for itself its code of laws and customs. If we don't like these laws
and customs, we are free to drift out of the current. But to set
ourselves against them is a weakness and a folly."

Mr. Birtwell's voice and manner grew more confident as he spoke. He
felt that he had closed the argument.

"If society," answered his wife, "gets wrong, how is it to get right?"

Mr. Birtwell was silent.

"Is it not made up of individuals?"

"Of course."

"And is not each of the individuals responsible, in his degree, for the
conduct of society?"

"In a certain sense, yes."

"Society, as a whole, cannot determine a question of right and wrong.
Only individuals can do this. Certain of these, more independent than
the rest, pass now and then from the beaten track of custom, and the
great mass follow them. Because they do this or that, it is right or in
good taste and becomes fashionable. The many are always led by the few.
It is through the personal influence of the leaders in social life that
society is now cursed by its drinking customs. Personal influence alone
can change these customs, and therefore every individual becomes
responsible, because he might if he would set his face against them,
and any one brave enough to do this would find many weaker ones quick
to come to his side and help him to form a bet