Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-04-09

Il think such action is unlady-like
unwomanly, and altogether wrong,
said Mrs. Elliott warmly. The idea
of women marching in bands through
the streets, followed by rablbe Of rude
men and boys-the idea of refined la.
dies forcing their way into some filthy
bar-room, full of obscene, guzzling, ill.
omened looking lOafcrs, and kneeling
on the .obacco-stained floor in audible
prayer. These Temperance movements
always tend to fanaticism, but this is a
little worse than anything l have
heard of vet. Must woman uueeX her
self and brave the most disgusting
phase of publicity? Must the pearls OF
religious feeling, even in the most sa-
cred form of prayer, be cast before the
swine that infest these low dens?
The speaker was 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 bride. She was q
fine type of the New England girl,
quite brilliant and ready in conversa-
ton, very refined and high-cHltured,
little opinionatCd, but intense in her
disgust at the pronounced phase .sif
& oman's rights Home is woman's
highest sphere she was wont to say.
'and there she can be the power be-
hind and above the throne AS We
came to know her well, we found that
she possessed warm heart and Chris
tian principle, though not very ,obstru-
siye in manifesting either. Something
of the GOODNESS and repression of New
England society tinetGfed her manner,
and made her seem little formal at
first in contrast with our free, hearty
Western style. Like too many of her
sisters instead of gaining hardness
from the bleak hills and chill winds of
her early home, she appeared a frail
blossom that would ever need 1eshej-
ter ofthe tenderest love ami care.
Her husband was a Western man,
one who had grown up in our yeun =
CITY. He Was well connected, ofre-
cognized ability as lawyer, and with
a future before him of tie fairest prom
ise. 1t has occasionally been whisper
ed that he drank rather too freely, but
no one had ever seen him the worse
for it. His lovely young wife seemed
to possess boundless influence over him,
and for the greater part of his first
year Of married life he had been very
Domestic. But of late he spent his eve
ninss out more frequently, eXcusing
his absence by saying that there were
partie5 that could be seen in the way OF
business better at night than during
the day.
Lhad my fears, but the wife suspect
eRhothing.
Two or three of US were sitting soci-
ally with our work in her pretty par
lor one afternoon, when some remark
on the strange temperance movement
that had lately been developed led to
Mrs. Elliott's decided expression of
of opinion with which I have COM
menced this brief record of an expert
ence so different from my usual quiet
life.
/ will merely say to the reader that
I ANA middle-aged widow lady, quite
alone in 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 nata-
raj heart treasures had slipped from
me, and in my loneliness, found it
very easy 10 love my young neighbor
as daughter. Through a Side en-
trance we ran in and out of each 9TH
eT 3 nOlue5 WIFI perltCb lCCuoih, "iu
often sat with our work together.
This afternoon Mrs. Judge Ashman,
another intimate friend, was also with
as. Her only immediate response to
Mrs. Elliott's words was deep sigh.
AT last she said:
THE evil grows so desperate can
scarcely wonder at any effort to cOun-
teract it, though must sry with you
that can scarcely understand this one.
do not see how a lady can go to such
places as you describe, 1 suppose, only
too truly. But the trouble Is, the
worst mischief is not done at these
'Gens.' Many of our drinking saloons
are elegant in their appointments, and
are frequented by gentlemen
| mo NATTER answered Mrs. Elliott
almost hotly. 'wOmanly delicacy for.
bids that she should go to such a place
They are frequented by rcgues and
gamblers also, who differ from the rag
ged loafers only in being better dressed
In each case she is liable to insult, and
to see and hear things which, to IL pure
refined woman, are worse than bio vs.
I'd rather meet the coarse brutality o
the 'dens' than the contemptuous leer