The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-06-13
GENTLE WOMAN AROUSED.

GENTLE WOMAN AROUSED.
STORY OF THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT
IN THE WEST.
"I think such action is unlady like,
unwomanly, and altogether wrong, said
Mrs Elliott, warmly. The idea of women
marching through the streets, followed by
rabble of rude men and boys-the idea
of refined ladies forcing their way into
some bar-room, full of obscene, guzzling,
ill-omened looking loafers, and kneeling on
the tobacco stained floor in audible prayer !
These temperance movements always tend
to fanaticism, but this is little worse than
anything have heard of yet. Must woman
unsex herself, and brave the most disgust
ing phase of publicity? Must the pearls
of religious feeling, even in the most sacred
form of prayer, be cast before the swine
that infest these low dens9'
The speaker was a young and very pretty
lady, who had lived in our town about a
year. Indeed she had not been married
much longer than that, having come to US
as bride. She was fine type of the New
England girl, quite brilliant and ready in
conversation, very refined and high Gull
tured, little cpinionated, but intense in
her disgust at the pronounced phase Of
woman's right" "Home is womans
highest sphere" she was wont to say, and
there she can be the power behind and
above the throne.
As We came to know her well, we found
that she possessed warm heart and chris.
tan principle, though not very obtrusive
in manifesting either. Something of the
GOODNESS and repression of New England
society tinctured her manner, and made
her seem a little formal at first, in contrast
with our free and hearty western style.
Like too many of her sisters, instead of
gaining hardness from the bleak hills and
chilly wilds of her early home, she appear
ed frail blossom that would ever need the
shelter of the tenderest love and care.
Her husband was western man, one
who had grown up in our young city. He
was well connected, of recognized ability
as a lawyer, and with future before him
of the flares. promise. 1t had OCCASION
ally been whispered that he drank rather
freely, but no one had ever seen him the
worse for it. His lovely young wife SEEM
ed to possess great influence over him, and
for the greater part of the first year of
married life he had been very domestic.
But of late he spent his evenings out more
frequently, excusing his absence by say
ing that there were parties that could be
seen ON business better at night than dur
ing the day.
had my fears, but the wife suspected
nothing.
Two or three Of us were sitting socially
with our work in her pretty parlor one
afternoon, when some remark on the strange
temperance movement that had lately been
developed led to Mrs. Elliott's decided ex-
preston of opinion with which have COM
menced the record of this experience, SO
different from my usual quiet life.
will merely say to the reader that am
the world. My home is next door to that
of Mrs. Elliott's, and from some secret
affinity We had become very intimate
Years before, my natural heart treasures
had slipped from me, and |, in my loneli-
ness, found it very easy to love my young
neighbor as a daughter. Through side
entrance we ran in and out of each others
homes with perfect freedom, and often sat
with our work together.
This afternoon Mrs. Jude Ashman, an
other intimate friend, was also with us.
Her only immediate response to Mrs. Eli
otis words was deep sigh. At last she
said:
"The evil grows SO desperate l can
scarcely wonder at any effort to contract
it, though l must say with you l can
scarcely understand this one. do not see
how lady can go to such places as you
describe only too truly But the trouble
is, the worst mischief is not done at these
'dens.' Many. of our drinking saloons are
elegant in all their appointments, and are
frequented by gentlemen
mo matter" answered Mrs. Elliott,
almost holly, "woman's delicacy forbids
that she should 60 to such places. They
are frequented by rogues and gamblers,
who differ from the ragged loafer only in
being better dressed. In each case she is
liable to insult, and to see and hear things
which, to pure, refined woman, are worse
than blows. I'd rather meet the coarse
brutality of the dens than the contemptu-
Gus leers and hooking smiles of the gilded
| saloons
"What you say, my dear, seems per-
fectly true, and have always felt SO my
self But oh what can we do? what can
we do? It's dreadful to sit still with fold
ed hands and see the havoc these places are
making.'
The pathos and distress in Mrs. Ash
mans voice was too deep to be caused by
merely general appreciation of the evils Of
intemperance. | had read the secret of
the mothers trouble in the flushed and
bloated face of one of her sons. Mrs.
Elliott looked at her with a little surprise,
and said more quietly:
81 agree with you, it is very great evil
perhaps the greatest in our age. But it is
mans work to cope with it publicly. Wo-
men can help by making home so attrac-
tive that husbands, fathers and brothers
will find nothing that can tempt them
abroad. Thank God, l have never had
much personal experience in this matter.
My husband takes glass of wine when he
feels like it, and so did my father. There S
no more harm in that than in the use of
tea and coffee"
"No," said Mrs. Ashman, with another
deep sigh, 81 suppose not, if it would only
stop there"
Again Mrs. Elliott looking at her little
curously, and changed the subject. The
early shadows of the coming winter even
ing soon after warned Mrs. Ashman that
she must be on her way homeward At
Mrs. Elliott's request remained to tea.
Her husband came in at the usual hour.