“If he should not return while I am here will you invite him to attend?  Perhaps Mrs. Gough can spare you an hour or two this evening to accompany him.”

“That I would gladly do, I think it would do me more good than all the medicines you could give me, to see my poor husband himself once more.  Before he took to drinking, I was so happy, but it seems as if since then I have suffered sorrow by the spoonful.  Oh the misery that this drink causes.  I do hope these reform clubs will be the means of shutting up every saloon in the place, for just as long as one of them is open he is in danger.”

“Yes,” said Belle, “what we need is not simply to stop the men from drinking, but to keep the temptation out of their way.”

“Joe,” said Mary, “belongs to a good family, he has a first-rate education, is a fine penman, and a good bookkeeper, but this dreadful drink has thrown him out of some of the best situations in the town where we were living.”

“Oh what a pity, I heard Mr. Clifford say that his business was increasing so that he wanted a good clerk and salesman to help him, that he was overworked and crippled for want of sufficient help.  Maybe if your husband would sign the pledge, Mr. Clifford would give him a trial, but it is growing late and I must go.  I would liked to have seen your husband before I left, and have given him a personal invitation, but you and Mother Graham can invite him for me, so good bye, keep up a good heart, you know where to cast your burden.”

Just as Miss Gordon reached the landing, she saw Joe Gough standing at the outer door and laying her hand gently upon his shoulder, exclaimed, “Oh Mr. Gough, I am so glad to see you again, I wanted to invite you to attend a temperance meeting tonight at Amory Hall.  Will you go?”

“Well I don’t like to promise,” he replied, looking down upon his seedy coat and dilapidated shoes.

“Never mind your wardrobe,” said Miss Gordon divining his thoughts.  “The soul is more than raiment, ’the world has room for another man and I want you to fill the place.’”

“Well,” said he, “I’ll come.”

“Very well, I expect to be there and will look for you.  Come early and bring Mother Graham.”

“Mrs. Gough can spare her an hour or two this evening, I think your wife is suffering more from exhaustion and debility than anything else.”

“Yes poor Mary has had a hard time, but it shan’t be always so.  As soon as I get work I mean to take her out of this,” said he looking disdainfully at the wretched tenement house, with its broken shutters and look of general decay.

* * * * *

“Why Mother Graham is [the] meeting over?  You must have had a fine time, you just look delighted.  Did Joe go in with you, and where is he now?”

“Yes, he went with me, listened to the speeches, and joined the club, I saw him do it with my own eyes, Oh, we had a glorious time!”