The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-04-03
THE wOMEN's WAR.
.u..v or,he last Crusade.

4
7 ,s,l Won the Lord is a comm in all o. His power
an might. i,
where our bows have been wastin' their evenin's in
drinkin' an loafn' around.
All over the land we live in, in country an town,
We're a-goin to give Mr. Tyndall test o. the power
o'prayer.
I've been TO the meetin' at Darker's, we gin him a
sudden surprise;
when he looked up an seen us a-comin, tell you
he opened his eyes.
He stared at over the counter each eye looked as
big as the moon,
But we want to be frightened in that way, we
walked right into the saloon.
He didn't attempt To oppose us, he was willin TO
give us fair play
He looked all around him an chucked, but never a
word did he say.
There were lots o. young men there loahn', l
reckon a dozen or more
When some on 'em seen us a-comin' they slid out
the leetle back door.
Some stood by the counter a-drinkin'; they hadn't
an atom o. shame,
An those who playin' at billiards went on with
their impious game
The rest on 'em sot there a-sippin' their whisky,
their brandy an gin,
A-lookin a-leerin, a-winkin' an waiin' for us to
begin.
gazcd at the bight-lookin bottles behind the tall
counter disayed
thought % the lives they had wasted thought o.
the graves they had made.
I thought o. the boys they had ruined by leadin EN-
widely astray;
o. the wrongs they had wrought on the helpless by
stealin' their substance away;
An all o. the power within me swept over my soul
like a storm,
An, hftin' my hands up to Heaven, prayed for a
speedy reform,
While out o. the mouths o. the sisters, who soemnly
knelt by me there,
hundred impressive responses j'ined in with my
passionate prayer.
Then we sang that glad hymn o salvation, a" turn
ye, for why viii we die ?"
An seemed to my soul, in that moment, Gods glory
was comm so nigh.
We sang % the Redet mer, an those tnat lie per-
ished TO save,
An when the last stanza was ended, the room was
still as the grave.
Bill Barker looked over his counter the prospect he
didn't enjoy;
Twas plain to be seen he was thinkin' o. those he
had helped to destroy.
He glanced at the row o bright bottles before his
broad mirror arrayed,
Like one who is proud o. his power, nor cares for
the wrecks he has made.
But soon DER his hard-Ookin' features kinder an
softer look stole;
Perhaps some good angel was tryin' to soften his
sin-burdened soul.
He looked sort o. troubled an worried, an still he
Re seemed TO be quietly wishin' we women were out
O. the way.
All was still till wild-lookin' woman, whose face
was white a shroud
Crept teahily out o corner an stood in the midst
O the crowd
Her holler cheeks spoke o. starvation, her sunken
eyes told % distress
Her quverin' lips o. mute anguish no language o.
mine express.
She lifted her alon-like fingers high over her head
in despair,
An, walkin' straight up to the counter, she gazed
at the rumseller there.
He looked at her pale, haggard features, an turned
with shudder away
He spoke not word, but he listened to hear what
the woman would say
aIook, look on your work here, Bill Barker" she
cried with passionate wall
"You have ruined my home an my husband, and
sent both my young boys to Jail
They say am Hldd do you wonder? Your liquor
has brought all my Woe;
tell you your tame is comm Gods judgment GER
tain bit SlOlC ~
Then, turnin' away from the counter, she silently
passed from the place;
The rumseller's conscience was troubled, he showed
il all over his face.
His mind seemed to be unsettled, his feein's he
couldn't control;
i knew that powerful struggle was a-tuggin away
at his soul
An, Amos, reckon, no language can picter the way
that he felt
He looked kind o. sorry an 'umble, like one jest
beginnn' to melt.
season o. prayer,
He silently came round the counter an noiselessly
knet by MS there.
The men had all finished their payin', an drinkin'
and stood by the WALL
An over their rough-ookin faces the tears were be-
ginnin to fail.
The sounds o. the revel were over, the air seemed
more pure an serene
An all on felt in that moment the presence o.
angels unseen.
As soon as We finished prayin, Bill Barker rose
up from the floor,
An while we stood wond'rin an gain, he sta ted
an opened the door.
Then, takin' barrel o. liquor, he rolled 1t along
with his feet
He knocked out It, head with Ratchet an split it
out into the street.
Then all on turned an helped him to finish what
he had begun;
He emptied his bright-lookng bottles, paused
till the good work was done;
Then, turnin he said. - I'm a-goin to close up my
business tonight.
I've made up my mind to be honest, mean to try
hard an do right.
I've sent more young men to destruction than any
Twin III town,
But I'm goin' to put mp my shutters, and tear my
old liquor sign down.
I'm gon' to work, an God willin', I'll be respect
able man;
Go on with the good work you're dom I'll help you
as much as cam
Then, when he was through with his speakin, we
all commenced singin' again,
An Z" Nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee" was
our joyous refrain.
An those who had been there a-drinkin' seemed
moved by the power o. prayer,
An sang, with the deepest o. feein', the words o
that heavenly air.
An, Amos can't help belieyin' that music went III
10 the sky,
To be chanted an echoed in Heaven by beautiful
angels on high.
Yes, Amos, I've been to the meetin; you neednr
look doubtful nor queer.
That we are a-goin' to conquer, haven't doub
nor "a fear.
You may laugh an may say that we women are
crazy an ont o. our heads
That we'd better be darnin eur stockins, a-sweepin
or maxim the beds.
But we're goin' right into the battle, nor will w
give up in despair;
II we only 90 at IL in earnest there's wonderful
power in prayer.
-Eugcne j. Hail, IN Our Fireside Friend
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
On +ba 10Th of September. 1868,