“You will meet with some opposition,” said I.  “A temperance meeting in the church has never been heard of in Wheathedge.  You will be departing from the landmarks.”

“Do you think so?” said Maurice.

“I am sure of it,” said I.

“Very good,” said he, “if I meet with opposition it will prove I am right.  It will prove that the Church needs stirring up on the subject.  If I am not opposed I shall be inclined to give up the plan.  However I will not wait for opportunity.  I will challenge it.”

The next Sunday he gave notice that that evening there would be a Temperance prayer and conference meeting in the church, in lieu of preaching.

“The town,” said he, “is cursed with intemperance.  There is one miscellaneous dry-goods and grocery store, one drug store, one mill, about half a bookstore, and an ice-cream saloon; and within a radius of half a mile of this church there are ten grog-shops and two distilleries, quite too large a proportion even for those who believe, as I do not, in moderate drinking.  I have no remedy to propose.  I have no temperance address to deliver.  What I do propose is that we gather to-night and make it the subject of earnest prayer to God, and of serious conference among ourselves, that we may know what our duty is in the case, and knowing, may do it bravely and well.”

As we came out of church the proposed Temperance prayer-meeting was the theme of general discussion.

Mr. Guzzem was sorry to see that this church was threatened with an irruption of fanaticism.  He thought the minister had better stick to his business and leave side-issues alone.

Mr. Wheaton thought the true remedy for intemperance was the cultivation of the grape, and the manufacture of modern wines.  He did not believe in meetings.

Mr. Hardcap was as much a foe to intemperance as any one; but he thought the true remedy for intemperance was the preaching of the Gospel.  Paul was the model for preachers, and Paul knew nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Deacon Goodsole inquired who that man was that preached before Felix of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.  But Mr. Hardcap apparently did not hear the question, at least he did not answer it.

Elder Law thought it might be very well, but that the minister ought not to change the service of the Sabbath without consulting the Session.  It was a dangerous precedent.

Deacon Goodsole thought it a move in the right direction, and vowed he would give the afternoon to drumming up recruits.  Miss Moore said she would go with him.

Mr. Gear, who has not been inside a prayer-meeting since he has been at Wheathedge, declared when I told him of the meeting, that it was the first sensible thing he had ever known the church to do; and if they were really going to work in that fashion he would like to be counted in.  And sure enough he was at the prayer-meeting in the evening, to the great surprise of everybody, and to the consternation of Mr. Hardcap, who found in the fact that an infidel came to the meeting, a confirmation of his opinion that it was a desecration of the Sabbath and the sanctuary.