Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-04-09
THE WOMENS WAR - 4 LAY OF THE
LAST CRUSADE
BY EUGENE J. HALL.

an might.
The glad songs O. Zion are rngin', In places not
used to the sound,
Where our boys have been wastin' their evenin's,
in drinkin' an loafn' around.
All over the land that we live in, in country an
town, everywhere,
We're goin' to give Mr.. Tyndall test o. the pow.
er o. prayer
I've been to the meetin' at Barker's, we give him
asudden surprise;
When he looked up an seen US comm, tell you
He stared at us 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 wlllin' to
He looked all around him an chuckled, but never
a word did he say.
There were lots o. young men there loahn',
reckon a dozen or more;
When some on 'em seen Us comm they slid out
the leetle back door
Some stood by the counter . drinkin'; they hadn't
atom o shame,
An those who were playn' at billiards went on
with their proftess game.
The rest on 'em sot there sippin' their whisky,
lookin', leerin, winkin, an waitin' for us TO
begin.
| gazed at the bright-lookin bottles behind the
tall counter displayed;
! thought O. The lives they had wasted; thought
o. the graves they had made
thought O. the boys they had ruined, by leadn
'em widely astray;
O. the wrongs they had wrought on the helpless by
stealth their substance away;
An all o. the power within me swept over my
soul like storm,
An, iftin' my hands up to Heaven, prayed for a
speedy reform.
While out O. the mouths o. the sisters, who SOL
EMMY knelt by me there,
A hundred impressive responses j'ined in with my
passionate prayer.
Then sung that glad hymn o. salvation, %
turn ye, for why will ye die"
An il seemed to my soul in that moment, Gods
glory was comm 80 nigh.
We sang o. the lowly Redeemer, an those that He
persisted to save,
An when the last stanzs was ended, the room was
as Still as the grave.
Bill Barker looked over his counter, the prospect
he didn't enjoy;
Twas plain to be seen be 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-lookin 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
had nothin' to say;
He seemed to be quietly wishin' we women were
ont o. the way.
All was still! till wild-lookin' woman, with
face Jest as white shroud
Crept steathily out o. q corner, an stood In the
midst o. the crowd.
Her holler cheeks spoke o. starvation, her sunken
eyes told o. distress;
Her quverin' lips o mute anguish no language o.
mine can express.
She lifted her talon like fingers high over her head
in despair,
An waIkin' 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.
Look Lookl 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 mad! do you wonderr Your liquor
has brought all my woe;
lell you your time Is comm, God's JudgnseR Is
certain but SION !"
passed from the place;
The rumseller's conscience was troubled, he
showed ii all over his face.
His mind seemed TO be all unsettled, his feelin's
he couldn't CONTROL
knew that powerful struggle was then goin'
on in his soul
An, Amos, reckon, no language can pictur' the
way that he felt;
He looked kind o sorry an 'umble like jest
begiRnin' to melt.
An when in a few moments after, we j'ned in a
season o prayer.
lie silently came round the counter an noiselessly
knet by us there.
and stood by the wall,
An over their rough-lookln faces the tears were
beginnin' 10 fall
The sounds o. the revel were over. the air seemed
more pure and serene;
An all on NJ felt in that moment the presence o.
angels unseen.
As soon as we finished our prayin' Bill Barker rose
up from the floor
An while we stood wonderin' an gain he started
an opened the door.
hon oh, har l.l ,nnr hn nl1nli oil
with his feet;
He knocked out its head with Ratchet an split
1t out into the street.
Then all on us turned in an helped him to finish
what he had begun
He empticd his brghi-lookin' bottles, nor paused
till the good work was done.
Then turnn', he said, I'm goin 10 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
man llvln III town,
but IN gon to put up my shutters, an tear my
old liquor sign down
m going TO work, an, God willin', I'll be re-
spectacle man.
Go on with the good work you're dom, I'll help
you as much as | can"
Then when he was through with his speakin' we
all commenced singn again,
An Nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee
was our joyful refrain
An those who had been there drinkin' seemed
moved by the power o. prayer,
An sang with the deepest o feelin the words o.
that heavenly air.
An, Amos, can't help believin that music went
up to the sky,
10 be chanted an echoed in Heaven, by beautiful
angels on high.
les, Amos, Eve been to the meetin', you needn't
look smilin' nor queer,
mat We are goin' to conquer l haven't a doubt
nor fear.
lou may laugh an may say that we women are
crazy an out o. our heads;
J nat we'd better be darnin' our stockn's, sweep
In or maxim the beds.
hAt were cOiu' right into the battle, nor will we
o., give up IL DIES pair;
" We only 20 Al il in earnest, there's wonderful
power in prayer.
Or Firesids Friend.