The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-01-18
Woman's Temperance Column.
:" The Lord Of Hosts IS scith vs, The God
WJacob is oar refuge"
The woman's Crusade in Calcn,tn

Z
and as | review the past my heart is full
of gratitude to God for the success he
has seen fit TO vouchsafe us. IL was
suggested through reading about "The
Woman's Crusade in America and DR.
Ihorburn (of the American Methodist
Episcopal chnrch) thought that a SINH
lar work might be done In this city.
Never shall ] forget our first Sunday
In Flag street. This street is one ofthc
lowest parts of Calcutta and one side of
II is principally devoted to grog-shops
and boarding-houses, which on Sunday
afternoon are pretty well filed with men
more or less intoxicated. A little party
of four ladies left our carriage and ask
cd for. permission (through gentleman
who that day accompanied us) to sing
in one of the grog-thops. The manager
refused, saying: of you are not gone
will throw water over you; You are
running our trade" Denied an cn-
trance we four women sang the Gospel
at the door, and learning that we must
ourselves make the request, in every 9th
cr drinking saloon we gained admis-
sion.
On this first Sabbath we only sang,
but ever after we talked to the men
pointcdly, each addressing the little
group nearest, and usually making
some remark suggested by the hymn.
After singing the one commencing with
art thou weary, art thou languid,
Art thou sore distrest?
Come to Me-, saith One; and coming
BE at rest"
One fine, manly, fellow responded, say
ing, 81 am weary. | want to come To
Jesus" We directed him to the Sa
viour. Before leaving, it is our rule ms
far as possible to ask them to Join in
prayer, and while one of us leads many
bow with uncovered heads, and. NAV
we not hope, join in our supplications
from the heart?
As was bending my knees one sailor
said, "Don't be too long, missus, for il
is eight years since knclt in prayer"
On another occasion, whilst we were
singing
Joy, joy. joy there is joy in Heaven with the
Joy, joy, joy for the prodigal's return"
my attention was drawn towards Il
young officer, who looked quite out OF
place there. lie sang most heartily,
while the tears flowed down his face
Then followed the confession ofa moth
cr's prayers and fathers counsel dis
regarded and of twelve years pleadings
with God by his parents for the prodi-
gals return. lie was induced by us to
attend the service in the evening, and
gave himself to the Saviour. His ac-
count of himself was: ''It was that
hymn about the prodigal that broke my
hard heart" have since learned that
his father is an earnest minister in Eng
land.
We take tracts in sixteen different
languages, as sailors from every land
are to be found in Calcutta. 1t touched
our hearts to see the delight of Greek
one day on receiving testament in hi,
own language. He literally danced
with joy, and then sat down to read the
precious book. 1t seemed so strange to
hear him and his companions convcrs-
ing in that strange language.
Thus, from Sunday to Sunday, our
work progresses. During the cold sea-
son as many as forty or fifty are induced
TO 90 to Gods house, and many remain
behind to be instructed in the way Of
salvation. But as n whole it is work
of faith, and results will only be known
in the Great Day.
One Sunday we found five sober men
striving to induce their ship-mates to
leave the grog-shop. Failing in the at
tempt they were leaving, ashamed of
the bad company. After assuring them
we knew they had not been drinking
we gave each tract. One was entitled,
II wish could see my father again. y
''Thats me-" said the man who took it.
My father has died while have been
making the voyage here. He was Il
good father to me, and do want to see
him again. We told him that if he
would serve God here his wish would
be realized. This little group of five
listened most attentively while we en-
treated them to come to Jesus, explain
ing sacrifices they will have to make in
giving up old companions and bearing
the sneers of ungodly friends. etc. They
replied, "We know all that, but we
don't mind" and on the spot they pro-
fcssed to receive Christ, and told us
they would not care about the scofis of
their shipmates, but would kneel right
down and pray to God to keep them
from sin every morning and night
Nothing strikes us more than the child
like simplicity of the sailor. lie just
takes God at his word and therefore
-ItCClNcS us Mtll us uSks.
AT one saloon felt an unaccountable
prompting to 20 to, the end, where II
gentleman sat in such position as to
prevent our seeing his face. His man
ner and bearing seemed strangely out
of place there, and he was SO mortified
to be found in grog-shop by ladies
that felt half sorry that l had spoken;
but trusting in the One who had led Us
thithcr | said: "You seem to be de-
pressed, and am come to tell YOU of q
Friend who will be with you always
even to the end of the world" The
word about Gods love touched him, and
he broke down and wept bitterly. 1t
was some moments before he was sufli-
cicntly composed to speak, his heart
was too full. Then followed sad story
of deep distress, which, alas, was be-
yond our power to ameliorate. We
took him home, and then he astonished
us by saying; "You have saved my
life to-day. | was bent on committing
suicide. | felt as though no one cared
for me, but the few kind words made
me feel life was precious after ALL"
In the saloon an officer with two
midshipmcn arrested our attention.
They expressed and looked great sur
prise at seeing ladies there. We ex-
planned to them our object. and invited
them to the evening service. They
came and we had n conversation with
them afterwards. The officer promis-
cd never to frequent such places again,
and have since learned that. although
surrounded by temptations, he has kept
his word, and more, he has become a
total abslainer. After four months alb
sence from Calcutta the midshipmen re-
turned, and this time we met in Gods
house. Flag street was forsaken for
the house of prayer.
Three sober men were sitting at an
other table. We said: "What pleas
IRE can il be to you to be here, where
there is so much confusion and noise?"
They replied: 1--WE have no other
place to go to-" I am thankful TO he
able to add that Il gentleman has pro-
vided ''House of Rest" '.Seaman's
Coffee and Reading-room." where these