"Sir, did you ever walk along a street, A low back street, at night, where drunkards meet! Where the gin palace turns the night to day, And public-house and beer-shop line the way? Say, did you listen? What, sir, did you hear? Our English workmen were enjoying beer. Did the rude clamour come from happy men, Or wild beasts maddened, raging in their den? You heard the fiendish laugh, the oaths, the strife, The curses heaped upon a helpless wife; The wretched harlot's song, the drunkard's roar, The noisy fiddle and the rattling floor; You saw the ragged mother sick and pale, You heard the miserable infant's wail;-- That was the Englishman's happy lot: That was the music to the poor man's pot: You heard it? Yes,--our workmen mad with drink! Something to make a sober Christian think!" _Mrs. Sewell._ CHAPTER VIII. THE CLOCK GOING WRONG--MEN OF THE FANCY--THE RAT-PIT MAN--A CHILD ON THE BARREL--TICKET OF LEAVE MAN--A ROUGH--A DRUNKARD'S HOME--A FALL AND RISE. THE BOOK IN THE BARS: ITS SPIRITUAL POWER. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." ROM. x. 17. The following advertisement, which appeared in several of the daily newspapers, induced the Missionary to pay a farewell visit to the landlord and bar-servants:-- "_Gin Palace_ for sale, in a good working and gin-drinking neighbourhood; doing L240 a week over the bar: elegant and substantial fittings. Terms moderate. Immediate possession," etc. With this farewell purpose, the Christian visitor entered the "bottle department" early upon the following Sunday evening, but found the place so filled with customers that neither the landlord nor bar-men had a moment to spare. He therefore simply shook hands with them, and arranged to call in during the quiet hours of the following afternoon, and then commenced evangelizing work among the people.