the sin lies at his own door."

"If you talked for ever, Mr. Birtwell," was answered nothing you
might say could possibly change my feelings or sentiments. I know we
are responsible both to God and to society for the stumbling-blocks
we set in the way of others. For a long time, as you know, I have
felt this in regard to our social wine-drinking customs; and if I
could have had my way, there would have been one large party of the
season at which neither man nor woman could taste wine."

"I know," replied Mr. Birtwell. "But I didn't choose to make myself
a laughing-stock. If we are in society, we must do as society does.
Individuals are not responsible for social usages. They take things
as they find them, going with the current, and leaving society to
settle for itself its code of laws and customs. If we don't like
these laws and customs, we are free to drift out of the current. But
to set ourselves against them is a weakness and a folly."

Mr. Birtwell's voice and manner grew more confident as he spoke. He
felt that he had closed the argument.

"If society," answered his wife, "gets wrong, how is it to get
right?"

Mr. Birtwell was silent.

"Is it not made up of individuals?"

"Of course."