to
commit an arctic outrage upon your sensibilities? That will never do if
you intend living in Canada."

"Perhaps he wants to convert himself into an ice-house," exclaimed Harry
Jenkins.

"Gentlemen," said Fred, "I previously informed you that I belong to the
Sons of Temperance; you will therefore confer a favor by not pressing
your kindness further upon me."

"Take it as a medicine, then; a glass will neither awaken your
conscience nor injure your stomach," said Haveril.

"Do as St. Paul advised Timothy to do--take a little for your stomach's
sake and your often infirmities," said Nichol Henderson.

"Come, Fred, _one glass_ will never ruffle a feather in your
conscience," said Ernest Stevens.

"Come, boys! tip up your bumpers!" exclaimed Haveril, and then singing
aloud, followed by the others in chorus,

"_For Fred's a jolly good fellow_," &c.

Frederick having declined was again pressed to drink, to which he
replied--"I am willing to condescend to the wishes of the company in
which I may be placed; but when principle is at stake I must necessarily
decline sacrificing my honor to the demands of others, even those of my
best friends, as I am a pledge-bound total abstainer."

"Pooh! pooh!" ejaculated Jenkins, "that's enough of your sophisticated
balderdash. Do you not know that a London pledge is not valid in
Canada?"

"Why, what's the difference," exclaimed Fred, "the principle is the same
throughout."

"Well, sir, the difference is just this," said Jenkins, "every country
has its own laws, and every subject therein is commanded to obey them,
and to do so only while he is a resident. The laws of the temperance
cause are based upon the same principle."

"Philosophically speaking, you cannot assimilate them," replied Fred.

"Civil laws differ according to the government of a country, the
characteristics of a people, their intellectual, moral and spiritual
condition, etc. Whereas, the temperance cause, in its strictest sense,
is everywhere identical, and its laws universal; the essence of which in
the abstract is simply '_to abstain_' and '_to obey_.' But suppose, for
the sake of argument, that you are right in your opinion, I ask then, is
there sufficient reason in the act of having withdrawn myself from the
country in which I took the pledge, to disannul my responsibility, when
I have not withdrawn my name from the Society's list of membership. And
again, I ask you, if I desire to remain a total abstai