all!" O, thought he, that at least is true.
"Distilled spirits are in their very nature injurious to the human
constitution; and every man who indulges even in their moderate use,
injures himself in proportion to the quantity which he consumes." Jamie
was astonished, and well he might be; but Jamie was conscientious, and
though he had the manhood to confess, what few moderate drinkers will,
that he liked a glass, yet, because he had still a conscience,
notwithstanding the searing it had got from the fiery drink, he said to
himself, "I must, at least, _try_ whether these wonderful statements
respecting distilled spirits be true." James _tried_, and the effects
were delightful. In a very short time he found, from happy experience,
that his health was better from the change; that his purse was better;
that soul and body, the whole man of him was far better, in all
respects, since he renounced the maddening draught.

His duty was now clear before him--to _abstain_ from the raging drink
which, in time past, had been emptying his pocket, destroying his
character, and bringing down his body to the grave, and his soul to
hell. He did his duty in the right way for doing duty--_at once_, and
_right on_.

He saw, however, that something more was incumbent on him than merely
doing his duty in this particular--he must, for the good of others, let
it be known, without ostentation, that his duty was done. Abstaining, he
said to himself, has done me good; the banishment of spirituous liquors
would do my country good; what is every man's duty is my duty; and
therefore, in love to my brethren, I'll freely give the blessing which
to me has been so freely given. Union is strength, thought he: separate
efforts are a rope of sand; united, they are the cable which holds the
mighty ship. He resolved to establish a Temperance Society.

For this purpose, he supplied himself _immediately_ with a number of
Tracts on temperance; for Jamie knew that when self-interest or passion
come in, second thoughts are not always best; and forthwith he commenced
travelling around, reading them, at spare hours throughout the
neighborhood, wherever he could find half-a-dozen people to listen to
him. He was a good reader, and very soon found that his reading was not
without effect; for in a short time he heard of a decent woman telling
her neighbor to send for Jamie to the wake which was to be held in her
house, if she wished to save her whiskey, and have peace