"Yes, mother, you. Come." And she took her by the hand and led her up to the table, put a pen in her hand--dropt upon her knees--looked up to her mother imploringly--up to heaven prayerfully--her lips quivered--the tears rolled down her cheeks--"Now, mother, now." 'Tis done. She wrote her name in a fair hand--Mary Reagan--'Tis done. 'Tis done!--'tis done!--wild Maggie cries; 'Tis done!--'tis done!--the mother sighs; 'Tis done!--'tis done!--in chorus join, To bear aloft the news along. 'Tis done!--'tis done! a voice replies, Stand forth, be strong, and you shall rise. And so she did. She never fell. She came to live in the house with Maggie. "I cannot go back," she said, "to live with your father, if I would stand fast; and I cannot think, after hearing that woman's story, last night, of ever drinking again. I know that woman; I knew her when she was a girl, one of the proudest and prettiest. My husband has spent many a dollar with hers in the bar-room. Oh yes, I knew her well. I did not know her last night; but when she told me who she was--that she was Elsie Wendall--then I knew her. Oh! I could tell you such a story--but not now. No! no, I cannot live with your father again, for I never will drink any more--never--never!" "But what, if father will take the pledge?" "Oh! then I should be a happy woman again. But there is no hope." "Yes, there is hope. I shall watch him; and, mother, I _will_ save him." It was a great promise--a great undertaking for a young girl to promise with an "I will." When did "I will" in woman's mouth ever fail? That will was the strength of her life. It was for that she now lived and labored. Now she had hope--now 'twas lost--now revived again. Now he worked a month--sober for a whole month--then down he went if he happened to go into one of his old haunts, or meet with some of his old companions, who said, "come, Jim, let's take one drink--only one--one won't do any hurt"--but two follow the one. Then Maggie would look him up, get him sober again, and get him to work. God bless that child! God did bless her, for she stuck to him, until he finally consented to come once, just once to the temperance meeting--but he would not sign the pledge--he never would sign away his liberties--no--he was a free man. Well only come, come and listen--come and see mother. That touched him. He loved mother--Yes he would come. The evening came. Maggie watched every shadow that darkened the door. Finally the last one seemed to have entered, but Jim Reagan was not among them. Maggie could not give it up. She slipped out into the street, it was well she did. She was just in time. A knot of men were talking together, of the tyranny of temperance men, wanting to make slaves of the people, getting them to sign away their rights--rights their fathers fought and bled for. Yes, and so had they--at the nose.