, 1874-03-20

80.
PRACTICAL WORK FoR WOMEN.
The women Of Chicago have tried to do too
much, and havo therefore failed to do anything.
Despite thoir prayer.meotlngB and their proces-
sions, their pleadingH with the powers above and t
tho powers below. tho now Sunday ordinance
passed tho Aldermen and was yesterday aiguoa
by tho Mayor Tho troub]e Is TINT the crusaders !
havo aimed too high and have hoped to carry |
their point by single dash. That is not the |
way to win. 4 spurt may carry d crow ACROSS
tho winning line, but long, steady pulling must
have first brought 1t near tho line. II tho fomi-
nine 1eformors have pluck enough to do hard
work now and for eomo time to come, and then
to wait Tor tho slowly-rpenng fruit OF that toll,
there are hnlf-a~dozen why's in which they can
powerfully countoract the deairos that drive men
to drunk mud womon to diBhonor.
They can Rccure the pasBage Of a. law which
will punish adulsoration in drinkablos as it iB
punished in eatables,-by the forfeiture and
/ destruction Of the poisoned articles. They can,
| by stoady, unfalsering work, secure the exec"-
| tion Of such law, for thoy would have the COM
munity at their back. The result would he to
scare aome people from drinking whisky and
brandy, when they found what the stun they
had beon in tho habit of swallowing really was !;
to Shut up The lower saloons by repeatedly hning
lho proprieto1s mud to make tippling too OK
pensiye, by torciug aalqon-kaepera to provide
puro drinks, to be half AZ common as it Ia now.
when R1most everything sold across bar Is
adulteratod down to tho 1o~eas possible limit Of
coat. Tie women cau open temper-
ance billiard rooms, where only cigars
and cof1eo ahall DO sold. They can thus
give young men an opportunity of spending
their spare hours in playing ono Of our beat aud
most popular games, without being tempted by
bar close at hand. To attract custom, the
price per game might bo put as low as Ii or 20
cents. THIS project, once put into practice,
would probably pay for itself. But this bill
iarl-room must not DO d barn. It must bo az
ray with mirrora aud brilliant with freacoes as ta
rivals. Thoro must DO no tracts distributed at
tho door. They 1can provide d rival a;trao-
tton to the saloons Oh Sundays by heastly
oo-operating with the reccutly-organized Sunday
Afternoon Lecture Society Of this city. They CUE
thus reach come OF tho 300, 600 men. women. and
children who have no place In tho churches oI
Chicago, and can aid in eoVating their minds
with truth aud their hearts With music.
They can, with no great Be1f-aaorltice, open
comfortable lodgiug-houBos for poor people, on
the plan Of those built by Peabody and tho
Baroness Burdett-C Coutts in London. It might
be well to reBerye the first Que for unprotected
women. Such philanthroplo Investments have
paid very well in Loudon in money-roturna AMI
enormously in increased health and docreaset
crime, When Miss Burdott-Coutts pulled dowt
rows OF rotten teuomonts and pus up in thoiI
place clean, airy, choery cluster Of lstl'
llouses, half the aaloons In tho neigborhood ar
said to have closed for lack Of patronage.
They can provide entertainment for poor girls
Here woman's quick fancy can certainly fin
enough to do. Can there not be 1ow-priced an
good concerts, and talks, md ptcture-shows
etc., all given by women to women, aud give
without offensive condescension2 They cur
perhaps, bring the poor into churchea But
i do this, tho aoats must oil bo FREQ and the hoa,
= era must al be plainly dressed. The latte
ought not to bo an impossibility, though til
average ohurch-goer tacitly prefers silk fe
}" horsolf to salvation for her poor neighbo
f Some day woman will outgrow tho bondage {
= dress aa man haa done. Flo bus risen aho'
" felso hair and rainbow~colored garments, az
~ sls will do tho same. But tho day thereof h'
not yot como.
10 Hore thon, are ak ways Of doing great goo
al Of which lio open to women. II anythir
l. could DO doue In any ono Of them by praye
J. meeting aud procession, no doubt 1t would
y douo speedily, Each of thon, however, involV
'. continuous effort and OF this tho CRUSADERS nj
30 or my noe bo capable.