Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-06-25
from the Prairie Farmer.1
The Mysterious Woman.

At certain town meeting the ques-
ton came up whether any person should
be licensed to sell rum. The Clergyman,
the deacon, and the physicioa, strange
as it may seem, all favored it. One
man spoke against it because of the mis-
chief it did. The question was about to
be put, when, suddenly, there arose
FROM one corner of the room miserable
female. She was thinly clad, and her
appearance indicated the utmost wretch
edness, and that her mortal career was
almost closed. After moment of ST.
lence, and all eyes being fixed upon her,
she stretched her attenuated body to its
utmost height, and then her long aims
to their greatest length, and raising her
voice to shriIl pitch, she called upon all
to look upon her. eyes" she said,
Look upon me, and then hear me.
All that the last speaker has said relative
to temperate drinking as being the father
of drunkenness is true. All practice,
all experience declare its truth. All
drinking alcoholic poison as bever-
age, in health is excess. Look upon me.
You all know ne, or once did. You
all know | was cnce the mistress of the
best farm in the town. You all know,
too, had one of the best, most devoted
husbands. You all know | had fire, no.
bic hearted, industrious boys. Where
are they now? You all know! You all
know they all lie in a row, side by
side, in yonder churchyard; all, every
one of them filling the drunkard's
grave.
They were all taught to believe that
temperate drinking was safe, excess alone
ought to be avoided, and they never ac-
knowIedged excess. They quoted you,
and you, and you.--pointing with her
shred of finger to the priest, deacon
and DOCTOR" as autii ority. They
thought themselves safe under such ten
der teachers. But | saw the gradual
change coming over my family and pros
poets with dismay and horror. felt
we were all to be overwhelmed in one
common ruin. l tried to ward off the
blow. l tried to break the spell, the de-
lusive spell in which the idea of the ben
efts OF temperate drinking had involved
my husband and sons. begged, l
prayed, but the odds were greatly against
me, and the priest said that the poison
that was destroying my husband aud
boys was a good creature of God; the
deacon (who sits under the pulpit, there
and took our farm to pay his rum bllls)
sold them the poison; the physician said
little was good and excess ought to be
avoided.s Ny poor husband and my
dear boys fell into the snare and could
not escape, There were no Washingtonl-
ans them and one after another they
were conveyed to the dishonored grave
of the druLkard. Now look at me again.
You probably see me for the last time.
Nv sand has almost run. l have drag
ged nv exhausted frame from my pres
ent abode, your poor house, to warn you
all, 10 warn you deacon, to warn you
false teacher of Gods word," and with
her arms high flung and her tall form
stretched to its utmost, and her voice
raised to an unearthIy pitch, she ex-
claimed, I" shall soon stand before the
Judgment seat of God. l shall meet
you there, you false guides, and be a
witness against you all" The misera-
bic female vanished. A dead silence
pervaded the assembly. The priest, dea-
con and physician hung their heads; the
president of the meeting put the question
''Shall we have any more licenses to
sell alcoholic poisons to be sold as bev
erage!' The response was unanimous
No." B. FIT.