Savanah.

"Pray, papa, don't drink any more," said she, persuasively--"it makes you
nervous, and will bring on one of those frightful attacks again."

"Let me alone," he remonstrated harshly--"let me alone, and take your hand
off the glass; the doctor has forbidden laudanum, so I will have brandy
instead--take off your hand and let me drink, I say."

Lizzie still kept her hand upon the decanter, and continued gently: "No,
no, dear pa--you promised me you would only drink two glasses, and you have
already taken three--it is exceedingly injurious. The doctor insisted upon
it that you should decrease the quantity--and you are adding to it
instead."

"Devil take the doctor!" exclaimed he roughly, endeavouring to disengage
her hold--"give me the liquor, I say."

His daughter did not appear the least alarmed at this violence of manner,
nor suffer her grasp upon the neck of the decanter to be relaxed; but all
the while spoke soothing words to the angry old man, and endeavoured to
persuade him to relinquish his intention of drinking any more.

"You don't respect your old father," he cried, in a whining tone--"you
take advantage of my helplessness, all of you--you ill-treat me and deny me
the very comforts of life! I'll tell--I'll tell the doctor," he continued,
as his voice subsided into an almost inaudible tone, and he sank back into
the chair in a state of semi-stupor.

Removing the liquor from his reach, his daughter rang the bell, and then
walked towards the door of the room.

"Who procured that liquor for my father?" she asked of the servant who
entered.

"I did, miss," answered the man, hesitatingly.

"Let this be the last time you do such a thing," she rejoined, eyeing him
sternly, "unless you wish to be discharged. I thought you all fully
understood that on no consideration was my father to have liquor, unless by
the physician's or my order--it aggravates his disease and neutralizes all
the doctor's efforts--and, unless you wish to be immediately discharged,
never repeat the same offence. Now, procure some assistance--it is time my
father was prepared for bed."

The man bowed and left the apartment; but soon returned, saying there was a
person in the hall who had forced his way into the house, and who
positively refused to stir until he saw Mr. Stevens.

"He has been here two or three times," added the man, "and he is very rough
and impudent."

"This is most singular conduct," exclaimed Miss Stevens. "Did