, 1874-01-06

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PRAYER vs.. WHISKY.
It is net difficult nov to believe that BY faith
compliBhed the paradoxica1 feat OF making the
sun stand still. Neither Of these operations are
any more remarkable or difficult than the recent
performance of the women of Washington, Ohio.
This dourishing little town OF 5000 people has
been cursed with the evils Of intomperanoe
for years. For about two years, town
ordinance regulated the traffic, but the
new Board Of Counclmen rescinded the
ordinance and whisky circulated freely. The old
saloons increased their business and new ones
sprans up like mushrooms. Even the drug
stores commenced selling spirits for other than
medicinal purposes. Tho streets we're full OF
drunken men, and society was fast becoming de-
moralized-
As Christmas approached. the ladies deter
mined. il possible. to secure peace in Washing
ton and goodwill to all its citizens, by moral
suasion with the demon in its stronghold.
They met in the Presbyterian Church, and sang,
and prayed, and talked tcgether, and the result
Of the meeting was crystal1ized in = petition to
The whisky-ecllers, entreating them to stop the
business and thus saye their fathers and sons.
Committees we're formed to visit the saloons,
end tho next morning 100 women set out upon
their errand First they VISITED the drug-storee,
and induced the prop1ietors to sign the pledge
and never more sell liquor except upon physl-
cians certificate, and never more to keep the
sirup Of corn and rye in d black bottle under
the soda-fountaio. They thon visited tue
saloons daily and besieged them with sacred
songs, as Luther used to sing wben he had his
daily bouts with the devil. Then they wrestled
in prayer with the foul feuds lurking in hogs
heads, barrels, demijohns, decanters, and bot
ties, and finally appealed to tho Iquor-dealer
to stop his pernicious business. They never
tired in their good work They sang, and
prayed, and reasoned from the rising Of the sun
to the going down thereof, aud from early can
delight to tho hour when chu1ch-yards yawn.
They kept it up day after day. At last the
leaven which was. in the foul lump began to
work. The saloon-keepers tired Of the Fever
ceasing prayer and endless song. One BY one
they began to yield Customers fell OF. Busi-
ness dragged It was 1ard time, also, for the
6ends lurking on the shelves behind
tho bar. They resisted for \ time,
but 1T Last, as Mephistophi1es found
himself gradually growing powerless under
the Sign of the Cross which the students held
before hir1, they relaxed their hold on the peo-
p1e OF Washington and were exercised. 1t last
the ealoons surrendered and the keepers rolled
their barrels into the streets, knocked in the
heads, and the foul Spirits rushed down the gut
ters "a in ancient time the deVl1-possessed swine
rushed down steep place into the sea-
The women, however, we're not alone in their
good work. In old times the women helped the
men buckle on their armor. and when tho latter
went to the battle they remained at home and
prayed And Charles Kingsley sings: For
men must work and women must weep"
women buckle Oh their armor, and when they
went to battle tho men gathered together in the
sanctuary and prayed for the Joans who wero
marching under their white banners to an un-
certain struggle, with the war-cry Of Coronation
and Near, and bearing the sword Of the Spirit.
Mans prayer and woman's prayer, masculine
psalm and feminine hymn, mothers and wives in
the advance and fathers and husbands in tho re-
serve, at last Won the victory, and Washington
was redeemed. and to-day rejoces in pure, cold
water and disnided, upright men It vas q
glorious day for Washington; but Washington is
prayer tLan whisky. and where the odds against
whisky we're fen1fuL There wero one hundred
women md as many more men, With no end OF
spiritual ammunition, against thirteen salooc-
keepers