Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1876-11-02
REBECCA LOOKING AHEAD.
BY PANSY.


BY PANsY.
1t was not quite September yet, but she
had an eager desire to see what the Sep
tember lessons were to bring. On the
very threshold of them she paused, and
her face took grave and troubled look.
Such an array of solemn questions as
greeted her! E'WhO hath woe 20 ''WhO
hath sorrow 90 "WhO hath contentious ?"
and so on through the long list of evils.
How truly could she say ''Amen" to the
inspired answerl Beyond question the
inspired one was right in his conclusion,
and every dweller on this sin-stricken
earth could add his testimony. Yet Re-
becca was not one of those intemperance
had touched closely; that did not explain
the troubled look. She sat by the open
window, and it was a leisure evening with
John Milton, so instead of walking by the
house, as he had intended, he walked in.
'1What's llp?' he asked her. GIVE seen
you look more comfortable than you do
now.''
Instead OF answering his question she
did, as Rebecca HarlOwe was very apt to
do, jumped at once to her subject of
thought.
.sJohn, why don't you and I join the
church temperance society,""
''Pooh; ;" said John, and leaned eonfent-
edly back in his chair.
Now that word is certainly not an argu-
ment, and yet it is very provoking some
times to see what an unanswcraDle sem
tence it becomes. 1t irritated Rebecca..
eff that is all you have 90 say on the
subject - she said coldIxeg" of course your
opinion is worth very<fttle."
81 might say a vaidme if it wasn't too
warm, and there as any sort OF use in
it 20
.sIn what veAr volume or the society 2"
ssRotb &f0re especially just now the
society. See here, Rebecca, what mortal
use wou1d there be i'll my going to that
meetiZg? If were q person of conse-
0u.sice yOu might talk; or if l were a
.trunkard, by turning around and joining
them, | could do some good; bnt, you see,
1 never was an Out-and-Out gutter-drunk-
ard, though was travelling that road, but
hadn't got far enough to be interesting
to some people; but IVe signed the pledge
and keep it, and every one that knows
me knows that | am a temperance fellow;
and as for doing anything at that meet
ing to interest anybody l haven't got
brains enou gh for it, so what earthly use
is there i'll my going TO it ? I'll tell you
what ii
temperance meeting; I've wondered that
you didn't. There is only piece of one.
1t is just half alive, hardly that; but it
can be brought to life. You get Frank
Edwards to join you, and you both 60 in
for it ,and see what Il dust you can raise"
Crank Edwards - repeated Rebecca,
with q sudden sinking of enthusiasm,
without attempting to reason about IL, and
without ever having exchanged ID word
with him on that subject. She knew to an
absolute certainty that thegagentleman in
question would not go tSrthe temperance
society. every onRyknOws that he is a
strictly temperate man, John. What diff
ference does itmake whether he goes or
not -
'FOf course they know it; and they
know that he doesn't sign the pledge, and
won't sign it, If he's been asked once to
do so he has been asked seventy-five times,
and there isn't an old drunkard in town,
nor young one either, that doesn't know
it and chuckle over it. Frank is bright
light, you see, a model young man, and
they know it, and it's too blamed mean
that he should be on the wrong side. I
beg your pardon, | mean it's extremely
unfortunate"
Rebecca's cheeks were in a fine glow.
81 presume Frank would join if he
could see it in that light" she said.
'tOh, I've no doubtof it; but the trouble
is he won't see it in that light, as I said,
and for the flimsiest of all reasons that
ever were invented. How fellow OF
common sense can make up his mind to
submit to talking like fool 1 can't COM
prehend."
E'Halloo! see here; we are having an
argument and we want your help. Come
in minute - This last sentence was call
ed out of the window by John Milton.
Then he drew in his hand and said
| ''There is the man himself, He's coming
| in. Now you ask him for his reasons anC
see what you think of them"
Whether Rebecca would have chosen 81
public manner in which to have held al
| argument with her friend is doubtful; bu
| Frank Edwards crossed the street will
i alaerity and entered the little parlor.
.s'Are you two quarreling?" he asked
as he looked curiously at Rebecca'
cheeks, ''And did you think it advisable
to have me step in between you and keel
the peace ?''
'eNo, we are not quarreling.'' Johl
said: ''and as for stepping in between u
you did that long ago. The fact is, Re
becca here is pitching into me for not GO
ing to that temperance meeting, and be
ing an out-and-out temperance man.
tell her am, and / referred her to you.
''What temperance meeting is that?
Mr.. Edwards said, with wide Openin
eyes. els there to be 4 lecture hadn
heard of it.''
'sWhy, no, Frank" Rebecca said, i
Yexation, while John laughed mischieN
ously, FEWe were talking about the churc
temperance organization. You surel
know all about that; it is connected wit
a our own church,
: : ''Oh, that baby performance you mean
had forgotten its existence. Well, whG
is the point for me to decide?''
THE point is, why don't you belong
it 20 This from John.
Il might give several reasons if shOu
set out. One of them probably would
total Indifference !"
s'Giye me a better one.' Rebecca sa
it gentlysand winningly.
He turned toward her bright face.
DO you really want to enter into t.
merits of the question on this warm eve
ing?" he said. ''Well, then, one difficu
ty in the way is that in order to be e
rolled as a member one has to sign the t
tai abstinence pledge, and don't belle
in that sort of thing"
; tfBah !''-said John, with emphasis; Al
it annoyed Frank, even as his other /
mark of the same nature had ANNOYED
becca, and curiOusly enough he made
similar reply.
sis that supposed to be an argumer
my dear fellow ?"
''Yes,'' said John, San unansweral
: one, 1t is my way of saying that it is
= incontestable fact that q brilliant you
= lawyer and banker, and the like, will nc
le and then talk very much as if he were
idiot"
every well" Frank said, with unfa
ing cOmposure, "you have stated yo
Of premises, now prove them.''
u 'tBut, Frank, you don't mean that Y
ID do not believe in any one signing t
Of pledge?"
"Yes, my dear Rebecca, do mean j,
= that. / hold that no one has a right
IS make solemn promies that he viii