The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-04-01

You brought her here to humlllate
me, mother; you know you did, cried
Ralph in a drunken fury, and seizing a
heavy cut-g!ass goblet, he hurled it at
her with all his force.
Too wretched for tears, Ethel said
as soon as they were out of the room,
Our engagement is broken ; we must
inform our friends that there ill be no
wedding here.
Oh, Ethel, cried Mrs. Fordyce, sick
ing upon her knees by the couch, do
not be SO crusl you will drive him to
despair, and he will go down to ruin If
you forsake him. Can loss of riches
be placed in the balance with the loss
OF soul7 Ii you marry him, your
influence as a good wife will save
him.
If his love of me and his know edge
of my promise to Uncle Constantine
has no effect upon him, my influence
as a wife would not, nor would it be
increased by my loss of property,
replied Ethel, weeping. No, the en-
gagement is at an end l will marry
no man who is not total abstainer.
Mrs. Fordyce saw that it was useless
to say more. That day the wedding
Invitations were cancelled, the bridal
dress put away, and Ethel. pale and
careworn, went about her daily duties,
making no allusion to the sad affair
either at home or abroad.
Ralph, in the meantime, brought to
his senses by Etheps prompt refusal to
marry him, not only made solemn
promise to his mother to never again
touch a drop of ardent spirits, but a
few weeks after his recovery he went
to hear an eloquent temperance lecturer
and signed the pledge OF total abstin-
ence.
1t was happy day for Mrs. Fordyce
and in her heart she thought that Ethel
should reward him by bestowing her
hani upon him; but 10 allusion was
made to it by any member of the
family.
Two years passed away aud DR..
Ralph was keeping the pledge. His
practice was large and lucrative, and in
society ne was more popular than ever
and nothing but urgent cases of illness
prevented his presence in the house of
God. Late in TIE winter there was
wonderful cutpourlng of the Holy
Spirit, and DR.. Ralph was one of the
subjects of the gracious Influence.
Then indeed did Ethel have faith in
his reformation, for she knew him to be
sincere, aad gave him the promise thai
the week following the communion of
which he was to partake for the first
time, their wedding should take place.
| During the week which followed, DR..
Fordyce, who was one of the elders of
the church, endeavored to influence
the session 10 substituting unfermented
wine in place of that which had always
been used at communion services. His
proposal had at first met with steady
opposition, but by talking upon the
subject every opportunity that offered,
he had prevailed upon one of them to
see the matter from his stand point !;
but as there remained three in opposi.
lion, the termented wine took its usual
place upon the communion table.
At their meeting preparatory to the
autumn communion, when DR.. Ralph
and many other young men were to
become members, DR.. Fordyce made
strenuous efforts to win at least one Of
the three to his way of thinking, his
his hopes at last centering upon timid
retiring little man who had as rule gone
where the otners led.
| hope, brother, that you have con-
sidered what l asked you at our last
prayer meeting and will use your infll
ence to-day in substituting the pure
fruit of the vine for the intoxicating
wiLe at our communion 10 morrow,
said he, as they arrived a little in ad-
vance of the Others.
Yes, have thought over what you
said, replied the other hesitatinglv, but
| really cannot see why we should
change our time honored custom.
There is no time to 60 into theolo-
gical discussion, replied Dr.. Fordyce,
but would you consider it wrong if you
had son who mas a natural love OF
strong drink, and has allied himself to
a temperance society as a protection
from tempta,ion2
On, consider it fanatlcal if not
sacreligous for one to suppose that a
sip of communion wine could be looked
upon as a temptation, replied his com.
panion serenely.
But brother, it is, perhaps, no temp.
tation 10 you Or to me or to many
others, hut we should have compassion
upon the weak ones, remembering the
Injunction, that no man put stumbling
block or an occasion to fall in hi:
brothers way.
A person so weak as that would no
be safe anywhere, remarked the Other
dryly, some what plqued at the anxiou:
tone of the doctor, which he mistool
for impatience.
believe that the use OF fermentec
wine keeps many out of the church
persisted DR.. Fordyce. Those who
have pledged themselves to "touch not
taste not, handle not" cannot conscler
tiously take our fermented communion
wine.
agree with the others that it i
better to make no change, replied hi
=, companion, as though weary OF tn