cate's success.

Who can calculate the power of a blameless life? Who estimate the mischief done by an inconsistent or immoral advocate? A Judas spite of Judas' example. The Temperance cause has bleeding wounds from stabs more deep than Brutus gave to Ceasar; she only does not die, because founded on truth and cannot. But, alas! too often, like the kindly woodman, she has warmed once frozen snakes, who have used their lives to sting her. We need vigilance to mark such as walk disorderly, and whatever their rank, station, or standing, to discountenance them as far as possible.

We must prepare to meet objections to our principles; to meet them, not browbeat the objectors. Our replies should be truthful, lucid, kind, courteous. We have no right to suppose (unless we know to the contrary) but that the querist is really seeking for information. It does not follow that because we are familiar with the question of teetotalism everybody else is; and even should an objection be made from mere captiousness, it is possible some in the meeting may be anxious upon the point mooted, though lacking the courage to make the inquiry.

No advocate should begin and close an address without a distinct enunciation of the principles of the pledge. No meeting should be held without an opportunity being afforded for signing the pledge; in this age of oratory this is sometimes forgotten.

Prodigies, whether young or old, need dealing with prudently, or the cause may suffer. As a general rule they need pulling back rather than pushing forward, the bearing rein before the spur; genius will find its level. We are frequently reminded that being great, and wishing to be great are quite two distinct things; and it is well for all to know that it is better to be useful without brilllance, than brilliant without use. He who combines both will not have to hide his light under a bushel long. The Temperance cause demands, and is worthy of, men of superior intelligence. Its representative men must be workmen needing not to be ashamed, and such will soon become a power in our ranks.

"Toadyism" of all kinds is an unmistakable sign of weakness; waiting at the lips of a "great man" for an opinion, or an utterance, which he may have been "crammed" to make, or goaded to utter, and then trumpeting it through the land as a matured reflection, is a piece of snobbishness, disgusting propriety, and offensive to honesty and common sense. We will rejoice in the accession of men of "rank and standing" to our cause, but will not abate on jot of principle to court their favour, nor will their

adhesion, if we are wise, startle us from our propriety, for it is still true that "Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king."

In

The infusion of denominational differences into Temperance advocacy is destructive of harmony and inimical to success. religion, politics, and other things we must "agree to differ," whilst uniting against the common foe. Much more might be said on the subject of the paper; but we forbear, simply saying that of the things of which we have spoken this is the sum :—If we would not weaken the cause of our advocacy, we must avoid bombast, coarseness, dishonesty of quotation, and discourtesy, exaggeration, imitation, inconsistency, indelicacy, personalities, predictions, sectarianism, toadyism, and unkindliness of speech and manner; while to strengthen and deepen the tide of Temperance truth, we must cultivate and carry out-aptness to teach, brevity, clearness of statement, consistency, conviction of right, determination to succeed, discrimination of character, foster our natural abilities, gather and systemise facts; gentlemanly bearing must ever prevail, good sense must guide, honesty of purpose be unmistakeable, logic convincing, naturalness of manner; principle must ever rule, purity of speech and gesture never be departed from; store up incidents as they arise for future use, tolerate, and not browbeat opposition, be truthful at all hazards, and urbane under every provocation; in short, add to "Temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love; for if these things be in you and abound," ye shall never fail.

POETRY.

THE MANSION OF ALCOHOL.

By E. J. OLIVER.

I beheld a mansion in the visions of my slumber,

Gay, dazzling and radiant, with a hundred jets of light, And bottles fair to look upon, and countless without number, Arranged in many an even row, formed an imposing sight; gems of art from every clime were lavished in profusion, And all that man could do, was done, to charm his brother's

Fair

gaze,

But though the place was beautiful, wild tumult and confusion

Reigned all around, and filled my heart with sorrow and amaze.

And as I stood and listened came a widow poor and weary,

"Oh give me back my only son," in agony she cried,

"For years he's been my hope and stay, and he was always

near me,

Till lured by your Satanic arts he left his mother's side." But all within that palace laughed to scorn her sad bewailing;

They heeded not her broken sobs-her wild heart-rending cry, Her tears-her cries-her earnest prayers-to them were unavailing,

And she sank upon the ground, with a broken heart to die.

And as I gazed and listened, came a child with tatter'd clothing, Her little feet were shoeless, and her eyes were filled with

tears;

She stood upon the threshold, and with instinctive loathing, She gazed upon the maddened groups, who greeted her with

jeers;

But the child had seen her father, and she hastened to intreat him

To leave his gay companions and that gilded hall of sin; But the drunkard, in his fury, hurled the little suppliant from

him,

And she lay there, bruised and bleeding, 'midst the ceaseless noise and din.

Young and old, and sick and healthy-rich and poor-came without ceasing:

Little children yet untainted-hardened wretches sunk in sin; Drunken husbands, fathers, brothers, the huge crowd kept increasing,

Girls young and fair, and mothers too-came madly rushing

in.

Then arose my voice to heaven, that the Lord would crush for

ever,

That vile traffic which is hurling tens of thousands down to

hell,

A

And that christian men and women might with heart and soul endeavour

To cast from off our fatherland, drink's soul-destroying spell.

THE NEED AND USEFULNESS OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE. By the Rev. T. B. STEPHENSON.

Although I am a very young minister, I have had sufficient experience to show me that we cannot get on in our churches without this Temperance cause. There is a man now in connection with the people to whom I preach regularly; that man, when I first went to the chapel where I minister at Norwich, had been a member of the Church, but had turned through drinking. After a time he signed the pledge, and became a sober man, and having given due signs of repentance, we admitted him again into our communion, and permitted him to enjoy the privileges of a member of the church. Again, the man feeling that the old craving was waking up in him, has again broken his pledge and become a drunkard—not habitually, but still more than once he was overcome with strong drink, and therefore we were obliged again to refuse him the benefits of church membership. Now, what am I to do as a minister of the church? Can I say, "Trust in the grace of God?" Certainly, I must say that; but God helps men not when they rush blindly into temptation, but when temptation comes upon them. If men will rush into temptation, then they must find strength to fight against it. I say to this man, "There is no chance for you unless you become a teetotaller;" and I believe that, without teetotalism, under God, that man could not be saved. While there is the craving in a man's heart, and passion unrebuked and unchecked, I do not see how it is possible for him to become a Christian man. I say to such, "Go and take the pledge to abstain from drink. There may be a doubt about its harmlessness to other people, but there is no question in your case-you cannot partake and be moderate." There is another man, now a useful member of the Church in Norwich. Some six years

ago he was a great prize-fighter, and used to be very great at single-stick and boxing, and all the rest of it; in fact, he was quite noted in that part of the country for his capacity in teaching people blackguardism. This man had for a long time been accustomed to go on a Saturday night and spend part of his wages in the public-house. At last he began to look upon it in a commercial point of view-(I have never known another instance in which a man has been reclaimed from monetary motives) -and he resolved that at any rate he would try it for one Saturday night. He stayed away from the public-house, and, of

course, had got much more money to take home to his wife in consequence. He liked it so well that he tried it a second Saturday night, and before he became at all affected by religious truth he became a teetotaller. Very soon afterwards he lost a little child, and he told me that when the child died he went up into the room where it lay, and for the first time, probably, in his life, knelt down and prayed to God. Why, what would that man have done if he had still been a drinker? He would have run off to the public-house to drown his sorrow in drunkenness. But he was a teetotaller, and the little child there laid out dead upon the bed made more impression upon him than the most eloquent sermon. The next Sunday he went to church, and he has been now for three or four years a consistent member of the church, and is one of the most active Sunday-school teachers I have ever known.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the "BAND OF HOPE RECORD."

DEAR SIR,-In visiting various Bands of Hope and Temperance Societies, I often regret to hear it said, "We cannot get the children to come;" or, "We cannot get the people out." Just to show some of our friends what may be done even in warm weather in this respect, I trouble you with the following little history :-A Band of Hope was started in connection with a Wesleyan Sunday School in South London. It seemed to be the impression that as the Society was started, by a minute to that effect being recorded, that the children of the neighbourhood would be sure of knowing this. Of course they did not. At the first meeting there were 8 present; at the second 13; at the third 7; at the fourth 157. What brought about the change? This. One of the teachers made up his mind to USE THE MEANS to get a meeting. The means were very simple. He got 500 little bills printed, five inches by four, with a neat border; on the four edges of the bills were four striking little facts about the drink, which children could understand, and within the border, a kind simple invitation, intimating that the child to whom it was given would' be welcome to the meeting The children, and even 20 parents accepted the invitation, were thoroughly pleased with the meeting, and went away delighted. I believe the same means used anywhere, would be equally successful. I forgot to say the bills were given away at the doors of the sunday school, two day schools near at hand, 100 by the city missionary of the neighbourhood, and a few to the children leaving the chapel, on the Sunday evening previous. I shall be glad to send to any one wanting it, one of these little bills.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

37, Queen Square. W.C.

F. SMITH.