CHAPTER XVII.
Winter Sports—The Doctor's Visits—Preparations for New Year's Day—A Discussion.
inter had fairly set in. The December winds had for several weeks, blown upon the "Father of Waters," and he slept like a huge giant, all unmindful of the western breezes which came to fetter and play their pranks upon him. Many wild revelries did those winged sprites hold upon his grim visage, and many a day did the pleasure loving inhabitants of the lively village of Pendleton go forth and join the grand revel. On such occasions the newly made playground resounded with merry shouts and tinkling bells, for there skating and sleigh-riding and other winter sports were brought to perfection.
Our young friends of the "Bay State" were quite at home amid such scenes, and nearly every day, might be seen dashing up before their hotel, a fanciful little sleigh drawn by a fine spirited grey, who chafed and stamped, and shook his necklace of silver bells, as if to signal the fair lady, whose coming he so impatiently waited. His temper, however, was seldom severely tested, for it was Dr. Goodrich who sported this elegant little establishment, and Louise Sherman well knew at what hour of the day to be in readiness for a ride.
Occasionally the duties of his profession detained the doctor beyond his usual time, and then came Louise's turn to feel the least bit in the world uneasy and anxious. But one day there was a delay of the kind which passed apparently unheeded by her. She had as usual brought out her little fur cap with its red ribbon ties and deposited it with her gloves upon the table, and having arranged her mantle near the fire, and put her overshoes in a warm place upon the hearth, she seated herself by the window, just opposite her mother who has taking her afternoon nap in an easy chair. Here she sat for some time anxiously watching the sleeper, and evidently waiting for her to awaken. At length Mrs. Sherman opened her eyes, and, as she caught Louise's eager glance gave a little start. "Hasn't the doctor come yet?" she asked.
"No mother, but I'm all ready, and I'm glad you are awake, for I wanted to tell you before I left, that Edward had ordered wine for New Year's, and he said if it came while he was out, he wished it put in his private room."
"Wine for New Year's! exclaimed Mrs. Sherman in unfeigned astonishment.
"Why yes, mother, Edward says our friends will expect it of us."
"I cannot consent to it," said Mrs. Sherman decidedly, "we shall have a plentiful supply of refreshments, and, Louise, I'm surprised that you should, in the remotest manner, give your sanction to your brother's foolish proposal."
"But, mother, said Louise, eagerly, "Edward says that it is pure domestic wine, and I don't see what harm that can do."
"It was pure domestic wine that made Noah drunk, my dear."
"O dear," said Louise rather impatiently, "I wish old Noah had never got drunk, if"—
Just then she happened to glance out of the window, and saw the doctor drive up, and consequently her frowns and Noah's sins were burried in oblivion, and a smile and a blush bloomed upon their tomb.
Louise had just done tying on her cap when the doctor appeared at the door, and, while he was exchanging civilities with her mother, she slipped out and ran to her brother whom she saw coming in the passage.
"We can't have it Ned," she whispered, "mother has set her foot down."
"Yes?"
"Yes Ned, she has."
Edward frowned slightly, but said nothing, for by that time, the doctor was hastening his sister away and his mother was gently calling him.
"Edward."
"Yes mother," and, entering her room, he threw himself carelessly into the seat which Louise had vacated.
For a few moments both were silent, and as the son looked into the mother's face, he plainly saw that she was filled with grief and anxiety; and his heart smote him for he really loved and revered his mother; but he resolved to appear as if he had observed nothing amiss, and, taking his hat to leave, he said quite cheerfully, "well mother what are your commands?"
"Edward I have a request to make of you," replied Mrs. Sherman with some feeling in her tone.
"Speak, mother dear," said he, falling pleasantly into his seat.
"It is my request, Edward, that you do not provide wine, or any other stimulant for our New Year's entertainment."
"What, not coffee, mother?" said Edward laughingly.
"You know very well what I mean," said Mrs. Sherman with a faint smile.
"Of course it shall be as you wish," said he more seriously, "but really, mother, I think you are too strict. I am afraid our friends will have a mean opinion of our hospitality."
"They will, of course, understand that we are principled against the use of intoxicating drinks.
"As a beverage," chimed in Edward with a touch of irony in his tone.
Mrs. Sherman looked hurt, and Edward repented again. "Mother," said he, "forgive me, I did not intend to wound you. Let us drop a subject upon which we cannot agree.
"But, Edward, I cannot bear that we should differ. I have always endeavored to instil correct principles into the minds of my children, and now, just as they are on the threshold of what might be a useful life, I find the tares which an enemy had sown beginning to spring up.
"But mother, you know I do not approve of indulging to excess any more than you do. It is only the total abstinence principles to which I object, and even Louise says she can see no harm in an occasional social glass."
"Does Miss DeWolf say the same," said Mrs. Sherman fixing her eyes on Edward.
"I do not know, I am sure," replied Edward nervously twirling his hat, "I have never had any conversation with her on the subject."
"Miss DeWolf is orthodox, I am prepared to testify," exclaimed Louise, tripping into the room, and, before any question could be put as to the cause of her sudden return, she gratuitously gave the information.
"A man had a fit or something," she said, "and I must forsooth, lose my ride, for the doctor's motto is business before pleasure; a very good motto when I am not concerned, but if the man could only have been taken an hour or two later, it would have been a great accommodation. However," and she glanced archly at her brother, "I should then have lost the opportunity of eavesdropping, and consequently of giving in my testimony in favor of my future sister-in-law."
"Thank you, I suppose you obtained your information of my future brother-in-law."
"No matter how I got it, but I'm fully prepared to prove that the young lady's principles are severely 'touch not, taste not, handle not.' We have a great work before us, Ned, for they will not easily be persuaded to our opinions I can assure you."
"I do not wish to influence my friends to think just as I do," said Edward, proudly.
"Well, somehow you have managed to make me think as you do, for you know I was once as strict as mother."
"I hope you have not changed your views on my account, Louise."
"No, not exactly, Ned, yet, I must confess, your arguments have had great weight with me."
"I would advise you to reconsider, and think independently," said Edward rather sharply.
Louise was silent, and Mrs. Sherman now seized the opportunity to change the topic to one more intimately connected with their future plans and prospects. In this the attention of the trio was absorbed until towards evening, when they were interrupted by the doctor's well known knock.
The doctor looked pale and worn, and, as he seated himself, Edward remarked, "you look tired doctor."
"Yes, I am tired," replied the doctor, "I am tired of the world, or rather I am tired of the way we are living in it. I have had an aggravated case of delirium tremens on my hands this afternoon, and I wish every liquor seller in Pendleton could have looked in upon that distressed family. A young and interesting wife, and several small children were compelled to witness a scene of suffering, the horrors of which were truly appalling."
"It is strange," said Edward, "that men will make such beasts of themselves."
"It is strange," said the doctor, "that if men have no hearts of pity, that we can not have laws to prevent the sale of the poison."
"But, doctor, men are not compelled to buy it."
"But, Sherman, men will buy it, and will drink it, the proof of which is before us every day we live. These temperance societies are no doubt most of them useful to society, but they do not deal the death-blow to the monster. Nothing but the law can do that. I know your opinion, Sherman, but in the name of humanity, what are we to do?"
"Why, doctor, we shall have to let men kill themselves if they will be so foolish. We cannot forbid the sale of pistols, because men often use them for purposes of committing suicide; and, even to suppose that a man is quite certain when he sells a deadly weapon to another, that he will use it for the purpose of self distruction, I hold that he has the legal right to sell it; that he has no moral right I readily admit."
"I do not understand law, Sherman; perhaps our constitution is so framed that the people have not the power to say whether or not, our nation shall become a nation of drunkards; perhaps the thousands of intelligent men, who, heart-sick as I am this day in view of the dreadful consequences accruing from the sale of intoxicating drinks, have ignorantly petitioned their state legislature for a prohibitory law, which they had no power to enact; perhaps those judges are correct who have said their state can not have a law that would restore peace and happiness to thousands of families, whose sorrow it is too harrowing to think upon. I say, perhaps, for, I cannot but hope that judges who are equally intelligent and who have told us differently may not be mistaken. One thing is certain, the hand of the liquor dealer must be stayed, or in every house there will be one dead."
"Public opinion might do much towards accomplishing the desired object," suggested Mrs. Sherman."
"True enough, Mrs. Sherman, said the doctor, "but public opinion must have its naps, and at best it is seldom half awake and it requires an immoderate amount of force to bring the sleepy thing to the right standpoint."
"Well, doctor, I am willing to use my little strength in the cause, although I regret to say that my efforts as far as my family are concerned have proved entirely fruitless."
The doctor turned a surprised look towards Louise, whose face was instantly suffused with blushes.
