The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-03-27
YOURS TRULY" ON PRAYER.

Prayer is the effective, intangible agent
of the invisible world, by which God
knits the hearts of humanity in one
unity between men and immortality,
the mysterious emblem of our mystical
destiny upon whose invisible wings the
aspirations of the human heart ascend
to the listening ear of the Highest. It
is not possible for the arm or might of
man to annihilate it. Just as long as
the tired souls of men are permitted to
experience disappointment, just so long
will men and women be driuen at inter
walls, whether they will or not, to take
refuge at the feet of sovereign mercy and
rely upon Omnipotence for consolation.
This being a scientific fact, Yours
Truly wondered much, the other even
ing, when she witnessed the effect Of a
bomb of truth thrown by Mrs. Duniway
among the conservative priesthood in
the Presbyterian Church, who are seek
ing to lead the women of Portland, or
rather, send them, TO do a work which
they are too timid, or too incompetent,
to do for themselves.
Brother Izer and Brother Medbury,
pastors in charge of the Methodist and
Baptist churches in this city, were in
their glory. Ostensibly, they were
holding a "woman's meeting" but
really, they had no notion that the
women should do anything except as
they should dictate. DR.. Atkinson, be-
ing much older man, and consequently
not over-conceited about his personal
holiness, is not particularly fearful lest
the great Omnipotent shall be shorn of
some of the fulsome alteration with
which these ministerial boys would
nauseate Him.
I After Brothers Medbury and Izer had
talked and prayed and planned-yet
why they should talk and plan at all, il
prayer alone is to do the work, as they
aver, Yours Truly can't conjecture
and, after Brother Atkinson had made
some sensible, suggestive and eloquent
remarks, Mrs. Duniway arose, and fac
ing the large audience, modestly said:
"Friends, I feel diffident about taking
up any Of your time on this occasion,
as know that there are many here who
wish to speak, whom you are waiting to
hear; but, as this Is to be my last even
ing with you for some time TO come, I
hope you will bear with me for a few
moments. While / believe fully in the
agency of prayer, feel that this work
must be systematized il we would make
it profitable. DR.. Atkinson has just
told of two young men with whom he
is acquainted, who are going the down
ward road through the profits of the
Of the business Of rum-selling. Now
friends, the Government extorts, annu-
ally, an immense revenue from the peo-
pie through an embargo upon this traffic
Men are protected in this business as
) they are in no other, and this is why so
many of them are ready to engage in il.
But the women are aroused, and now
/ want TO see them work to some pur-
pose. When you so, my sisters, to
move in battallions against the hosts of
Alcohol, if were you, would go first
to tie city council rooms, when the city
fathers are i'm session, and would open
there the fiood-gates Of song and prayer,
beseeching the Lord of Sabbath, whose
Spirit is already moving in the hearts
of the people, TO open the hearts
of the lawmakers of this municipality
to the consideration of work which
they must do, if we would make this
impression permanent. | would go,
too, to the Governors office and the
Metropolitan police, and sing and pray
there. / would beseech the citadels of
legislation and the entire remification
of the Government with prayer. For,
Just so long as our laws remain rs
they are, it will not be possible to up
root the intemperance evil.n Mrs.
Duniway no sooner sat down than up
rose Brother Izer. He was "afraid for
any idea TO he sprung upon the people
that would take their attention from
the glory Of God. This was Gods work,
and was to be accomplished wholly by
prayer"
Yours Truly couldn't see, for the life
of her, wherein Mrs. Duniway's advice
would detraet aught from the glory OF
! God, but she thought she could detect
wherein it might detract from the glory
of Izer; and as this over-pious boy
stood up there to rebuke, in his sleek
hammered way, the only tangible mode
Of making the temperance work last
ingly effective, Yours Truly prayed that
, he might, as years and discretion are
J added TO his present impraeticable and
D ideal zeal, learn that the God Of the
e Universe is by no means the jealous
God of the ministerial idea, but that He
is perfectly willing to recognize His hu-
man agents in all great, moral works.
1t is not possible for Brother Izer to add
! to Gods glory; neither is it possible for
r human '1aw" to detract from it.
If Brothers Izer and Medbury were
compelled to earn their livelihood in
addition to doing their public work, as
, Mrs. Duniway does, they would soon
grow more practical and do far more
good in the world than now.
Brother Heroy stood royalty by the