“Oh I am so glad,” said Mary, her eyes filling with sudden tears.  “I do hope he will keep his pledge!”

“I hope so too, and I hope he will get something to do.  Mr. Clifford was there when he signed, and Miss Belle was saying today that he wanted a clerk that would be a first r[at]e place for Joe, if he will only keep his pledge.  Mr. Clifford is an active temperance man, and I believe would help to keep Joe straight.”

“I hope he’ll get the place, but Mother Graham, tell me all about the meeting, you don’t know how happy I am.”

“Don’t I deary?  Have I been through it all, but it seems as if I had passed through suffering into peace, but never mind Mother Graham’s past troubles, let me tell you about the meeting.”

“At these meetings quite a number of people speak, just as we went in one of the speakers was telling his experience, and what a terrible struggle he had to overcome the power of appetite.  Now when he felt the fearful craving coming over him he would walk the carpet till he had actually worn it threadbare; but that he had been converted and found grace to help him in time of need, and how he had gone out and tried to reform others and had seen the work prosper in his hand.  I watched Joe’s face, it seemed lit up with earnestness and hope, as if that man had brought him a message of deliverance; then after the meeting came the signing of the pledge and joining the reform club, and it would have done you good to see the men that joined.”

“Do you remember Thomas Allison?”

“Yes, poor fellow, and I think if any man ever inherited drunkenness, he did, for his father and his mother were drunkards before him.”

“Well, he joined and they have made him president of the club.”

“Well did I ever!  But tell me all about Joe.”

“When the speaking was over, Joe sat still and thoughtful as if making up his mind, when Miss Gordon came to him and asked him to join, he stopped a minute to button his coat and went right straight up and had his name put down, but oh how the people did clap and shout.  Well as Joe was one of the last to sign, the red ribbons they use for badges was all gone and Joe looked so sorry, he said he wanted to take a piece of ribbon home to let his wife know that he belonged to the Reform Club, Miss Gordon heard him, and she had a piece of black lace and red ribbon twisted together around her throat and she separated the lace from the ribbon and tied it in his button-hole, so his Mary would see it.  Oh Miss Belle did look so sweet and Mr. Clifford never took his eyes off her.  I think he admires her very much.”

“I don’t see how he can help it, she is one of the dearest—­sweetest, ladies I ever saw, she never seemed to say by her actions, ’I am doing so much for you poor people’ and you can’t be too thankful.”

“Not she, and between you and I, and the gate-post, I think that will be a match.”

“I think it would make a splendid one, but hush, I hear some persons coming.”