Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-03-24
Local.
SUNDAY EVENING WITH THE GROWN
CHILDREN.

CHILDREN.
TEMPERANCE PRAYER MEETING--THE
PEOPLE THAT GO THERE-WHAT THEY
sAY-A GOOD PLACE TO GO TO.
&C., SC, sc
"You see,'' said the man, ''Mishper
means suffin bout Job ORA rock. MOI 1
mean ORA -erryhowts good thing
betcher 'tis," and as his head sank on the
bosom of his dirty shirt and his matted
hair swung over his eyes and he sank like
lead into the trouble water Of drunkards
sleep,it looked to us as if ''Mishper'' hadn't
done him, at least, any particular good.
But there must be something in IT'LL such
forsake en- wretch as this could ''betcher"
that it was good thing and so month
afterwards, that is to say, last Sunday af-
ternoon, we dropped in on Mizpah which
was conducting Temperance Prayer
meeting at it's hall, over Wayt's drug store.
The hall is very large, nicely carpeted,
painted and upholstered and has narrow
dais running around it on which the Off
GERS stands are placed. But
THE AUDIENCE.
is far moro interesting then the hall. Y on
may take the round, indeed you will have
to do it, to find seat, for it is 8 O'Clock
and there is hardly sitting room to be
found. A lot of hearty looking young fel-
lows are ensconced modestly behind the
door; they are railroad men and have late
ly put on the brakes, ON what one of the
orators will tell you, in totally unprepared
address is the ssdemon drink Then come
group Of boys not over sixteen, about
whom you can't help thinking that. OF all
places in the world for an idle Sabbath af-
ternoon, next to the church, this is the
very best for chem. Then some young
women, so young that some are only little
girls, and next to them lot Of married
ones. And then little group Of the re-
formed who somehow get together as if for
mutual protection. They are study.
Each one, after he gets seated wishes the
next reformed one that comes in would sit
somewhere else, but yet each one When he.
gets in the door and sees one of the old
boys will make straight him. The differ
ence of being seated in line with the breth-
rem, gives man the feeling of being one
of them, and he feels like he don't care it
he never sees man that drinks, again, and
it frets him to see an old rounder come in
and plump right down by him. This little
weakness of making difference between
people even on the slightest pretence, runs
through the best of our efforts, even the
church. just before the services COM
III fri IIrhn
had discoursed to us about JOB on alog."
Could it be the same man? He had been
newly upholstered, clean shaved, boots
BACKED, skin clear and-yes as Heaven is
our witness, gloves on. He takes off his
new hat at the door and with eyes bent on
the carpet strides firmly across the centre
of the ROOM A couple of weeks ago men
said he would be in - in a year and
many more agreed that it wouldn't be a
great deal of loss to the community it he
was. "Good gracious" said the man Sit
ting next to us sis that old ~ They
generally call man 'old' you know that
has been in this business, and indeed no.
body can be older as far as experience goes.
A man may be ninety before he is feeble
and helpless enough to beg for money, but
this habit will make man feeble and
helpless and, what is worse, mean enough to
beg for money at from nineteen years old
up. The humiliation that these people
undergo! No wonder it knocks the man
hood out of them. Our old acquaintance
took his seat quietly and, we were going to
say comfortably, but hardly that. 1t was
the same comfort that q wrecked sailor
thrown by tempertuous waves on rock
feels. 1t is not comfortable but it is rock
and he knows he is safe On it. Its pity
these men can't look into the hearts OF
those men who sit around. 1t would make
them deal more comfortable. They could
hardly understand the yearning feeling
with which they are regarded. A little
further around you see lady sixty years
old crowned with gray, sitting with such
peaceful quiet that you think that among
some of these boys must be son who has
been brought to shore. If you get in be-
fore O'Clock you have chance to look at
the girls, aud they are worth looking at
anyhow, they were Sunday evening, but If
you are there later you find
THE SERVICES COMMENCED.
They are simple to the last degree. A
nice-looking young fellow, the Chaplain,
for all you know, sits at d little table and
reads chapter in the Bible, and gives out
hymn which is very sweetly sung. A pro-
lessor of music, who is also an officer Of
the lodge, starts the air, and then it is
carried by some excellent voices, male and
female, nd joined In by all present One
of the chief singers is a young fellow, in a
light coat, sitting on the foot of the daiS,
who has voice of great power and remark
able sweetness. You can't help thinking
that a first class saloon has lost ten dollars
a week by that chap joining the Temper
ance Society. The boys would stay and
take tods all night if he was singing. A
little way off there is pretty young girl.
that you haye heard sing before at the
Juvenile Templars. She is one Of those
girls that stand along shore and save men
A good business for a WOman-a noble
business-and you can't help respecting
them more when you see them at it.
THE ADDRESSES
of the occasion are just models in their
way. A small, sharp-faced, thin-haired
old gentleman, after two OF three applica-
lions, rises for a short talk. He is one OF
those men who stand in the opinion OF
their fellow men SO firmly that if dozen
men were to swear one way and he was to
swear the other, the jury would go with
the one man. He gave one or two plain
touching from the very plainness of them