Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-04-02
THE WOMEN'S VAR.
A Lay OF the Last Crusade.

Well, Amos I've been to the mestin' we held IL a
tell You the LORD Is comm 10 sli o. His power an
| might
The glad songs Zion are raugn In places not useo
1 to the sound,
| Where boys have been wastin' their evsnins 10
drinkln' aud loafin' around
| All the land that we live In, in country an
town. rywhere,
We're goin' give Mr. Tynia test o. the power
O. prayer
I've teen 10 the meetin at Bankers. we gin him q
sudden surprise;
When / = looked up an seen us acomin', tell you
be open&d his eyes
He stared at tue counter, each eye looked as
big az the moon,
But We wan ightened in that way we wa ked
right iuto the ssnon.
lie ddn attempt to oppose Us, he was wlin to give
Ne fair play;
He looked a around him an chuGkled, but never q
word did ne say.
There lots o young there a eafn'. I reckon
When some 90 'em seen comm they slid out the
lcetle back door
Some stood by the couuter a drnkin' they hadn't
An those no were plsyin' at billiards went ON with
THEN mpious game.
The EN- there s-sippin their whiky their
A-lookin a,eerln, s-winkln', an waitin' for us to
begin.
gazed at the bright ookin' bottles behind the tall
counter displayed;
thought o the lives they had asted thought o.
the ases they had made.
thought O. the boys they had ruined by leadin' 'em
widely asfraS;
o. the wrong. they had wrought on the helpless by
stealth their substance away;
An all q the power within me swept over my soul
like a storm,
An. li'tin' my hands up to Heaven. 1 prayed for
While O. the mouths o. the sisters. who solemhiy
knelt by me there,
hundred impressive responses lined in with
passionate prayer
Then Gang that glad hymn o salvatioDs 80 turn
ye, for why will ye die!"
An 1t seemed my soul in that moment, Gods glory
comm So nigh.
We sang o the lowly Redeemer, az those that He
persisted TO save
An when the last staEza ended, the room
still 40 the grave.
Bill Barker looked over his counter the prospect he
Twas PLAIN De seen he was thinkn O. those he had
helped 20 destroy.
He glanced at the bright bottles before his
broad mirror arrayed
Like who Q. oud o. his power, for
the wrecks he has tde,
But DER his hard lookin' features q kinder and
softer look stole;
Perhaps god angel was trying to soften his sim
bntdened saUi.
He looked sort o troubled an worried. an still he
had nnthih' to say;
IL seemed to be quietly wishin' we women were out
the way.
All was stiii Till wild lookin' woman. whose face
white shrnud,
Crept Stealth out o corner an stood In the midst
o. the crowd.
Her boiler cheeks spoke o. starvation her sunken eyes
Her quiverin' lips O. ste anguish no language o
mine Can express.
She lifted her talonlke fingers high over her head
IN despair,
An wakin' straight up to the counter, che gazsd at
the rumseller there
He looked her pale. hsgsard features, an turned
with shudder away;
He spoke not word. but he listened to hear what
the woman Womb say.
as Look look on your work here Bill Barker" she
cried with passionate wall;
8 You have ruined my home an my husband and sent
both my young buys to iii.
They say ain mad! do you wonderf Your liquor
has bro ght al my Woe;
tell yon your tim 10 comm, Gods Judgment ~
certain 14t slosC I"
Then, min away from the counter, she silently
passed from the place;
The rumselleTs conscience was troubled, he showed
il all over his face.
His mind seemed 70 be unsettled. bis feelin's he
knew that powerful struggle was a-tuggin' away
al tbs soul.
lie look-d ind o sorry an tumble. like one jest
beginnin 10 melt.
An when, in few moments AFTER we ined IN
season % prayer,
lie silently came round the counter an noselessly
The had ALI finished thei, playIn, an drinkin,
an stood b, the wall,
An over their rough loOkiu' faces the tears we're
begnnin' TO fall
The sounds o the revel over, the air seemed
pure and serene;
a a ali on US felt in that moment the presence o
angels unseen
A soon as we finished our prsyin, Pill Barker rose
an, while We stood wond'rin' an gain, he started
an opened the door
Then takr barrel O. liquor, he rolled 1t along with
his ieet
He knocked ont its head with a Ratchet an split it
out into the street
Then all turned in an helped him to finish what
He emptied his bright-ooka bottles nor paused till
the good WORK doue
Then, turnin he said. II M g0n' to close up my
bnsiness tonight.
I've made up my mind to be hon st, mean TO try
hard an do right
I've sent more young men to destruction than any
man Twin in town.
But IN goin put up my shutters. and tear my old
I'm son to W. rk, an, God wiu', I'll be respectable
Go on with the good work you're doin I'll help you
much rs l can"
Then. when he vas through with his speakn', we all
commenced singin' again,
An 4" Nearer my iod 90 Thee, nearer TO Thee, was
jOyOCs refrain.
Az those who had been there a-drinkin' seemed
moved by the power O. prayer,
An sang with the d, epest O. feelin', the words o
that heavenly air.
An, Amos cam help believin' that music went mp
to the sky,
To be ch .nted an echoed In Heaven by beautiful
angels on high.
Yes, Amos I've heen 10 the meetin'; you ncedn'took
doubtful nor queer.
That a-goin' to conquer, havn't dolbt nor
a fear.
You may Iangh an may say that women crazy
an ont o oar heads;
That wsd better be darnin' stockins, s-sweepn.
or makIu' the beds
But were goin right into the battle will give
up ia despair
II we ou,y 20 at it 10 earnest, there's wonderful
power ia prayer