Hillhouse, pushing
away her plate.
"Nor I," replied the doctor; "but I can't begin to-day on an empty
stomach."
And he tried to force himself to take food, but made little progress
in the effort.
"It's dreadful about Archie Voss," said Mrs. Hillhouse.
"Oh he'll come up all right," returned her husband, with some
impatience in his voice.
"I hope so. But if he were my son, I'd rather see him in his grave
than as I saw him last night."
"It's very easy to talk in that way; but if Archie were your son,
you'd not be very long in choosing between death and a glass or two
of wine more than he had strength to carry."
"If he were my son," replied the doctor's wife, "I would do all in
my power to keep him away from entertainments where liquor is served
in such profusion. The danger is too great."
"He would have to take his chances with the rest," replied the
doctor. "All that we could possibly do would be to teach him
moderation and self-denial."
"If there is little moderation and self-denial among the full-grown
men and women who are met on these occasions, what can be expected
from lads and young men?"
The doctor shrugged his shoulders, but made no reply.
"We cannot shut our eyes to the fact," continued his wife, "that
this free dispensation of wine to old and young is an evil of great
magnitude, and that it is doing a vast amount of harm."
The doctor still kept silent.
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