, and she and his mother, and the doctor were quietly seated
around the center-table, and had been wondering at his non-arrival.

"Give an account of yourself, loiterer," said Louise, playfully, as he
joined the circle.

"We had a fine time Lou, did we not?" said he patting her cheek.

"O, if by _we_ you mean yourself and Miss Hastings I suppose you did
have a good time, but I did not enjoy myself a bit."

"Not a bit, are you quite sure? I thought I saw you smile very
benignly on a certain young getleman, who objected to your riding with
me."

"An optical dulusion, brother, entirely so, I would have much
preferred to have gone with you."

"Now I'll kiss you for that," said Edward, suiting the action to the
word.

"O Ned, what have you been drinking? Your breath smells of
_something_."

"O, I went in and took a glass of domestic wine with Judge Hastings,"
said Edward carelessly.

Mrs. Sherman instantly took the alarm. "I am afraid," she said, that
these domestic wines create an appetite for more hurtful drinks. Don't
you think so, Edward?"

"Why no, mother. If every family kept a supply of pure domestic wine
in the cellar, and were at liberty to drink when they pleased, there
would, in my opinion, be much less drunkenness than there is at
present. Plenty of pure wine would soon do away with the adulterated
liquors so common in public places and social drinking would become
much more harmless than it is at present. I would advise you, mother,
to keep up a vigorous correspondence with Recta on the subject, about
currant time next summer, for it is getting quite fashionable to
manufacture your own wines."

"Mark my words, Edward, the fashion will prove an injury to society;
frequent indulgences in any drink that will intoxicate, it is well
known, has always proved more or less fatal to the peace and
prosperity of communities, as well as individuals. I can well remember
the time when social drinking was practised in almost every family,
and at all fashionable entertainments, and I well remember the
consequences. The ruin it wrought cannot be told. It was wine in the
cellar, and on the side board, Edward, as well as stronger drinks that
did the mischief. Good men and brave, felt its effects and gave the
alarm, and great efforts were made to put a stop to the evil, and
thousands were reclaimed from drunkenness, but, of late years, the
agitation has in a measure subsided, and the evil is again on the
increase, i