or a short while longer,
and when she comes back will find that his is the sleep which knows no
waking. And then the inquest will be held--and a medical man will
perplex a plain case with useless show of knowledge, and a jury will
return a verdict of "Death from natural causes." You and I know
better--you and I know that if the man had not gone into the respectable
public-house he might have lived another ten years--that it was because
he went there night after night, and sat soaking there night after night,
that the blood-vessels became gorged and clotted, and that the wonderful
machine stood still. "Poisoned by alcohol" is the true verdict--by
alcohol sold and consumed in the respectable public-house. How long will
society sanction such places? How long will they retard the progress of
the nation by wasting energies, and time, and cash, and opportunities
that might have been devoted to nobler ends? How long with their
splendour--with their gilding and glass--with their air of respectability
and comfort, will they attract the unwary, ruin the weak, and slay the
strong man in his strength and pride?

NIGHT-HOUSES.

Plutarch begins one of those biographies which in all times have been the
charm of childhood and age, by remarking that, "If things are implicated
in a dependence upon definite numbers, it is a necessity that the same
things must often happen, being effected by the same means." Thus is it,
life in all its broad aspects is everywhere the same. All over the globe
there is a wonderful uniformity in human habits. Men who work hard--as a
rule--rise early, and go to bed early. Night is the time for rest. So
far at least there is harmony between God's law and man's. The men and
women who transgress are for the most part waifs and strays. Such are
the denizens of our streets by night--such are they who crowd, not alone
the night public-houses, but night coffee-houses of our metropolis.

Here in London these houses are of all kinds. For instance, let us enter
one in the Haymarket. The rooms are as smart as gilding and ornamented
paper and plate-glass can make them. The waiters are got up regardless
of expense. The coffee is good, but dear. The men and women are of the
kind usually met with in this locality during the small hours. The
greater part are fools enough to think it worth while to buy a little
worldly wisdom at a price--it may be at the loss of their bodies and
souls--none but mad