The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-11-06
The Temperance Meeting at Backley.


Loud and long rang the single church
bell at Backley, but its industry was en-
| tirely unnecessary, for the single churcl
at Backley was already full from the al
tar to the doors, and the window sills anG
altar steps were crowded with children
| The Backleyites had been before to Tho
regular yearly temperance meetings, and
knew too well the relative merits of sitting
and standing to wait until called by the
| bell. OF course no one could afford to be
| absent, for entertainments were decidedly
infrequent at Backley; the populace was
too small to support course of lectures
and too moral to give any encouragement
to circuscs and minstrel troupes, but a
temperance meeting was both moral and
cheap, and the children light all be taken
without extra cost.
For months all the young men and
maidens at Backley haG been practicing
the choruses of the songs which the Tenn
perancc Glee Club of a neighboring town
was to sing at the meeting. For weeks
had large posters, printed in the reddest
of ink, announced to the surrounding
country that the parent society would
send to Backley, for this special occasion,
one of its most brilliant orators, and al
though the pastor made the statement lin
the smallest possible type that at the
close of the entertainment IL collection
would be taken to defray the expenses of
the lecturer, the sorrowing ones took COM
fort in the fact that certain fractional cur
rency represented but a small amount of
money.
The bell ceased ringing and the crowd
at the door attempted to squeeze into the
aisles; the Backley Cornet Quartctte play
ed a stirring air; Squire Breet called the
meeting to order, and was himself elected
permanent chairman; the reverend Mr.. Ge-
NAL prayed earnestly that intemperance
might cease TO reign; the Glee Club sang
several songs, with rousing choruses, pre-
tended drunkard and II cold water advo-
cate (both pupils Of the Backley High
School) delivered dialogue in which the
pretended drunkard was handled severe
iy; a tableau Of "The Drunkard's Home"
was given; and then the parent society's
brilliant orator took the platform.
The orator was certainly very we'll in
formed, logically and convincing, besides
being quite witty. He proved to the sat
isfaction of all present that alcohol was
not nutritious that it awakened n gen
eral and unhealthy physical excitement
and that it hardened the tissues of the
brain. He proved, by reports of analysis,
that adulteration, and with harmful ma
terials, was largely practccd. He quoted
from reports of police, prison and aims
house authorities, to prove his statement
that alcohol made most of our criminals.
He unrolled formidable array of statis-
tics, and slowed how many loavcs of
bread could be bought with the money
expended in the United States for ntoxi-
eating liquors; how many comfortable
houses the same money would build how
many schools it would support and how
soon it would pay the national debt.
Then he drew moving picture of the
sorrow of the drunkard's family and the
awfulness of the drunkard's death; and
sat down amid perfect thunder of APP
plause.
The faithful beamed upon each other
with glowing and expressive countenances;
the Cornet Quartette played Don't you
60, Tommy" the smallest young lady
sang "Father dear father, come home
with me now" and then Squire Breet,
the chairman, announced that the meet
ing was open for remarks.
A derisive laugh from some OF the half
grown boys and a litter from some of the
misses, attracted the attention of the audi
ence, and looking round they saw Joe
Digg standing up in pew near the
door.
"Put him out! It's shame! Disgrace
full" were some of the cries which we
heard i'll the room.
"Mr. Digg is citizen of Backley," said
the chairman, rapping vigorously to call
the audience to order, "and though not u
member Of the association, he is entitled
to hearing"
"Tha. !: you, Mr.. Chairman, said Joe
Digg, when quiet was restored; "your
words are the first respectful ones I've ever
heard in Backley, am do assure you |
appreciate 'em. But want the audience
to understand amt drunk haven't had
a cent for two days, an nobody treated
me-"
BY this time the audience was very
quiet, but in II delicious fever of excite
ment. A drunkard speaking right out in
temperance meeting they had never
heard of such thing in their lives. Yer.
lily, Backley was going to add one to the
roll of modest villages made famous by un.
usual occurrences.
81 'spose, Mr. Chairman" continued Joe
Digg, that the pint of Temperance meet
ms is to stop drunkenness, an as I'm
| about the only fully developed drunkart