The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-23

I she never amuses- him; she never talks to
 him; the moment sine finishes meal she
 flies back to one of the six best sellers
 half of which are not worth reading. She | let's the servants care for her children, she lets them do the marketing, and the only time she ever takes her eyes off of a book Is to lecture John about his drink Ing, which drives him to taking to it that much harder. I say, there are two sides to the question. John has as good case against her as she has against him.
 But this Novel reading" said Miss Pe-
 tunia, ''as lad as it is. can't be as bad as drink"
 | T don't know about that" said Anna
 belle. drink is taken to transport one from this world to another; to deaden ones sensiblities; to make them oblivious
 the same holds good with excessive read ing. Roseate hued novels with romantic
 heroes and heroines, unnatural situations
 and things that never could happen, are constantly taking one out of ones own sphere in every day life, so why isn't the | principle just the same?''
 T believe you are right said Miss Pe- ! tunia. T had never thought of the ques- ton in tEat light before"
 Few people do," said Annabele, but when they do, they see that many of us | are just as much in need of temperance | badges as poor John Hall. l visited a woman once, who was a drunbard on tea She prided herself on never touching any, thing stronger, but she consumed from 1 l5 to 20 cups of tea every day of her life
 She started with three cups at breakfast and then at luncheon still more, ana ] Heaven knows how many during the aft ernoon, and then in the evening. Now consider her just as incorporate as poor John Hall. Take people who drink coffee
 by the eup-who won't get out of the
 reach of places where the different cola I drinks are served-or the person who drinks lemonades by the quart just to get I the cherry-they are all addicted to intem-
 perance, just as much as the most con-
 firmed old drunkard on whisky, or any l thing else carried to excess. What's in
 name. anyway"
 l Miss Petunia did not answer.
 Don't understand me to pose as being l fit to be draped in white ribbon," Anna | belle continued. T don't even drink coffee Nn tn, morning, because it disagrees vita ime, and l deserve no credit for not drink Ting intoxicating things because they do
 not tempt me in the least. l don't care | for them or the effect. I don't drink of the soda fountain drinks, but am ad- dicted to intemperance, Pm sorry to say. in other ways. For instance, 1 am in- temperate about shoes and hats. I buy shoes that l ought not to buy--too many of them. because l adore pretty foot wear, and as for hats, why I'd spend my last niokle on a pretty hat. A hat or (, pair of slippers is all to me that a drink is to poor John Hall"
 ''Is that the reason you are defending him?" asked Miss Petunia Angelface.
 "rm not defending him or anybody else" said Annabelle, mot even myself. What I mean to convey Is just this: that all forms of excess in anything drink, novel reading, theatregoing, clothas, hats, shoes, jewelry, all-should be catalogued under one d-INTEMPERANCE, and wouldn't deny my guilt if it were put | up to me-"
 | "I never heard anybody talk as you do. Annabele" said Miss Petunia with a sigh.
 Its high time, tban," said Annabelle,
 kissing her softly "that you find me out.
 None of us. dear lady, even when we get
 to be as worthy to wear the White Rib bon Badge, as you are, ought to get puffed up with pride over our own tem- perance or righteousness To each his own thirst, and no man or woman is going to | be commanded for abstaining from some
 thing that never did allure them, any l way"