Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-15
WHOLE NO. 215.

are the pride and stay Of our homes. Girls,
do you think man would marry an intem-
perate wife a? l almost hear you sneer at the
idea, but what are you doing you who pro-
fess to be superior to man. Why, you are
placing yourself beneath man by marrying
an incorporate husband. Yes, doing that
be would not do. He take companion to
his heart and home that drank the wife Of
his bosom, the mother Of his children, no.
NO he wants pure wife. But you, yes
you are taking social drunkand to the al
tar, and by his side you are pledging before
God to be faithful TO him, aud he is to be
your lifelong companion; he is to be your
helper he. the social drinker, is to be the
father Of your children and bring them up to
sip the dregs Of the wine cup, your noble
sons to become drunkards, the state prison
their home or the gallows end their lives.
Some one says "What horrid picture :"
but can you say it is not true? In this mir
rOr behold yourself, If you marry social
drinker. Plead with him earnestly, faith.
fully, Christianly, to abstain from the social
glass tell him the wine.cup you hate, but
him you love. Make him feel it is sin
against himself, against his God. Plead
with him firmly and honestly, and if he will
not then heed you, better, far better than to
pledge your hand to him, that an impossible
gulf were between you.
Mothers, you that have buried sons, wives
that have buried husbands, daughters that
have buried fathers, sisters that have buried
brothers, l beg of you to help stay this curse,
this dreadful, blasting curse. 1t is coming
down upon US from all parts of the land as
we see drunken men in the street, drunken
men in the saloons, drunken men in the leg
islature, yes, drunken men as senators aud
representatives, so drunk they had to be led
to their seat, who would sell their vote for
glass Of liquor.
Then why do you send to office persons
in the shape of men who care naught for the
public good? Men who are corrupt in their
morals, every way, men that after bargain
ing for the picture in the state house, for
five thousand dollars, after few more glass
es of liquor added four thousand more, men
that would do this are worse than highway
robbers. If a robber meets you he demands
your life or your money. Listen, it is your
life or your money, then; if you deliver
your money. you are safe; but a rumseller
demands your money, your life, the lives of
your wives and children, and your immortal
soul, for "no drunkard shall inherit eternal
life" We would that the artist were a
staunch temperance man.
In Mrs. Livermore's lecture she said wo-
man had great mission to perform in the
temperance cause" She has, and none but
God can help her to do it we'll. May He
help her to be pure and set good example,
worthy Of imitation. But does her mission
end in the temperance cause? Has she not
other missions in this life in this great field
of labor? =? Yes, many, many. 1 know of no
place in this life where she has none where
she can idly fold her hands, and say, "I
have no aim no responsibility" Shame to
the woman who has no aim, and feels not
her responsibility to God and man! o!
God help each woman to do her work faith
fully, that she shall have nothing to regret
at the closing scene, or feel that her life has
been mis.spent. She can SOW all around her
seeds Of good as she associates with the youth
young men who are soon to fill responsible
places. Teach them to be honest in their
morals in the Christianity they profess, hon.
est with themselves, aud above all to be
honest with their Maker.
Truthful were the words that fell from
Mrs. Livermores lips when she said "If
one Of our sisters step one side how soon
were our hands folded and our hearts hard
ened against her, but if our brother was
guilty Of the same act it was tho reverse
with him he was taken into our homes, the
society Of our pure.minded daughters given
him." Why are we not as careful Of our
own sex as we are of the opposite2 Why are
we not as ready to lift up one of our sisters
as we are one Of our brothers pray the
time may come when it shall be as disgrace.
ful, and as wicked in the sight of the world,
Gt is in the sight of God) for man to step
one side" as it is for woman. | pray God
the time may not be far in the advance when
women will not "step one side" from the path
of virtue, but shall become pure and true.
true to themselves, true to their God. Can
it be true as one has said he scarcely knew
a pure girl" Oh! girls, sisters, are you
keeping yourselves unspotted from the
world" or are you selling yourselves to the
spoiler? Selling your honor for glittering
dress and gaudy inery to deck your impure
bodies in selling your virtue (which ought
to be dearer than life) for gold, for costly
gems; selling your souls for the pretended
love of man? Trust yourselves in the hands
of no man, for they will do anything to ac-
complish their base designs, but yield not,
sland firm dare to do right be a true wo-
man, a Christian woman, and receive bless
ing from on high. DO you remember read
ing the poem entitled "The Beautiful Snow"
said to be the finest in our American litera-
ture, Of young woman who was beguiled
from her lovely home by false promises then
deserted to die. On her person the poem
was found supposed to be written by her.
These are a few lines
Once / was pure as the snow, but fell
Fell like a snowflake from heaven to hell,