Thus, I have been assured that a well-known old laird of the old school expressed himself with great indignation at the charge brought against hard drinking that it had actually _killed_ people.

"Na, na, I never knew onybody killed wi' drinking, but I hae kenn'd some that dee'd in the training." A positive _eclat_ was attached to the accomplished and well-trained consumer of claret or of whisky toddy, which gave an importance and even merit to the practice of drinking, and which had a most injurious effect.

I am afraid some of the Pleydells of the old school would have looked with the most ineffable contempt on the degeneracy of the present generation in this respect, and that the temperance movement would be little short of insanity in their eyes; and this leads me to a remark .-- In considering this portion of the subject, we should bear in mind a distinction.

The change we now speak of involves more than a mere change of a custom or practice in social life.
It is a change in men's sentiments and feelings on a certain great question of morals.

Except we enter into this distinction we cannot appreciate the extent of the change which has really taken place in regard to intemperate habits.
I have an anecdote from a descendant of Principal Robertson, of an address made to him, which showed the real importance attached to all that concerned the system of drinking in his time.