The Under Current Of Life.

of November , the two defendants , together with Sir Edward Cunynghame , Avent to Mr . Doyle ' s room at their usual early hour , and began at once upon champagne cup , of Avhich Mr . Doyle , although he hacl not yet risen , partook freely . When dinner time came , there was , of course , more drinking , and Mr , Doyle took , he acknowledges , a good deal more than he could stand . But more still was to

follow . In the course of the evening a further amount of drink was disposed of' a good deal more , ' says Mr . Doyle , ' as far as I can remember , ' ancl the correctness of his memory is confirmed by a subsequent bill for liquor to the amount of five pounds . We hear without surprise

that Mr . Doyle was by bedtime in a terrible state of intoxication , that he was put into bed by his servant , and that when he woke in the morning he hacl what he describes as ' a bad head . ' With

the return of day up came his three friends , up came the usual measure of champagne cup , and of this , says Mr . Doyle , he himself , " of course , " partook as usual . Of a document Avhich was now

presented to him for signature , ancl which he signed without reading , his recollection is less clear . This was the agreement of partnership , produced at the Old Bailey , making Mr . Doyle the inheritor of a bankrupt business , and answerable Avith his whole estate for the present and future

liabilities of the three adventurers AVIIO hacl draAvn him in . How he was rescued before it Avas too late by a good angel in the form of a family solicitor ; IIOAV the fatal agreement was deliA'ered up to be cancelled ; IIOAV the original contriver of

it died miserably just before his trial arrived ; ancl how the two survivors have received some portion of their deserts in the form of a sentence of imprisonment , we need not now tell at length . " When he appeared in Court Mr . Doyle

described himself as ' ' sober and terribl y thirsty , " ancl no doubt he will have a hard struggle to conquer the pernicious habits of large numbers of our modern society . Some may say , indeed it is not too much to averthat just now the desire to " liquor

, up " is rapidly gaining ground amongst us , Avhich is fostered by the injurious custom of " nips " of " absinthe , " of sherry and bitters , of "B . and S ., " of stimulants in

The Under Current Of Life.

unwholesome repetition , and at unseasonable times . Let us hope that , if in nothing else , this last sad tale of tho Old Bailey may warn some of our golden youth , meant for bettor things , ancl even those of maturer yearsthat this system of unhealthy

, drinking is for them a " slough , indeed , of despond , " in which , if they will " wallow , " in defiance of Avholesome warning and saddest example , there is nothing , humanly speaking , in store for them but SOITOAV ancl penurysocial ancl moral

de-, gradation . . That , after all , such is the way of the Avorld , and that all young men of spirit , of fashion , and of social position must come into this " facilis descensus Averni , " is , indeed , a deplorable fact .

We had , it was believed , outlived the clays of your three-bottle men , of prolonged bouts , of degrading scenes ; but it seems as if Ave hacl IIOAV to contend Avith the undermining habit of continuous drinking , of ceaseless stimulantsof

morn-, ing " nips , " of habitual "liquoring up . " Let us be warned ancl wise iu time , and then we can surely say , " Oh , fortunati nimium , " to have escaped this most deplorable of habits ! But must we not all feel alarmed at the

relaxation of rational living , at the tendency to insobriety and " dram-drinking , " of early " corpse-revivers , " of sedative night-caps increasing amongst us ?

The Eternity Of Love: A Poet's Dream.

THE ETERNITY OF LOVE : A POET'S DREAM .

BY BRO . EAIHA HOLMES . ( Writtenfor the " Masonic Magazine . " ) Oh , the heart that has truly loved never forgets , Pat as truly loves on to the close , As the sunflower turns on her god w / ien he sets

The same look which she turned when he rose . —Moore IN ancient Hall , noAv many a year agone , I met my love , and never now , ah ! never , Shall I forget the halcyon clays of yore , When I first thought and felt I loved for ever .