Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-12-05
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
Contributed by Ladies of Washington Temper
Rnce Union.i
our Reform clubs ana shelr work.
By LIZZIE L. LARKIN.

By LIZZIE l. LARkIE.
We often hear it said that there is a
crisis in every human life; but is it not
true that in every earnest life there are
many such times when some great truth
Is presented to the mind for its acceptance,
or some great question arises to disturb
waters which havelbeen as yet untroubled.
Such, dear sisters and friends of the
.UatOn, has often been my experience, par
tieularly of late.
Shall tell you how this question, Are
our Reform Clubs doing their legitimate
work? has been, in the dear Lords lead
ing brought home to me and moved me to
pen to paper in the hope that some earn
est soul in the Temperance cause may take
isup and set the matter in its true light
before the people. Two or three weeks
ago went to visit a dear sister in Christ,
whose heart God had touched with deep
love for the Missionary as well as the
Temperance cause. This visit had been
planned for weeks, and we had both
looked forward to it with delightful an
tJcipations orthe help we were to be to
each other, and the strength we should
gain for our future work. When I ar
rived found my friend absent, she hav-
ing been suddendly called to the dying bed
Ofsa brother, from whom she had heard
Ouly once in thirteen long years. In the
evening she returned, and her account of
that death-bed, as she gave it me, thrilled
my soul with horror, aud reused feelings
within me that had never been stirred be-
fore. AS she went into the sick room, think
ling of the fair young English boy of If
teen years, who came with her to this
eountry some twenty-seven years ago, to
whom she had solemnIy promised to be a
mother, faithfully in the sight of God full
filling that promise as long as she could
get any clue to him, what a sight met her
view. Could that wreck of man; pur-
pie, bloated, tossing and writhing in
agony of body and soul, be her long-lost
brother. Oh! the remorse depicted on
his face; the agony, as the big drops of
Precipitation mingled with tears flowing
down his face, while he mOaned: sob !
my wasted life-my wasted life. What q
life have lived! Rum-rum did it! Oh I
If God only brings me out of this, Twill
be a better mani" and many other kin
dred CALCULATIONS, till in the midst of his
bitter wailings over wasted life, his poor
soul went forth naked and alone to stand
before his God. On the last great day of
reckoning, where shall he stand who sold
him the cursed poison? Face to face with
wrecked and ruined souls, who shall point
to him as the author of their utter ruin,
and throughout the ages of eternity curse
him for their doom.
Never shall forget the sadness of that
hour when the poor body, made in Gods
glorious image, but now SO sadly marred
by sin, was brought to that sisters house
to be carried from thence to the house ap-
pointed for all living. Brought to that
house which he had said years before he
would never return till he was ''a chang
ed man." Words how sadly prophetic !;
he did indeed return changed man. The
words of warning and entreaty of the
youthful minister as he bent above that
coffined form are still sounding in my
ears, doubly earnest, because among his
hearers was one noble young soul already
far advanced in the downward road ,lured
onward by the demon of strong drink.
The whole scence was one I shall never
| forget.
During that visit, and while my whole
being seemed reused to intensest thought
upon this theme, a message came to me,
inviting me to speak to the Reform Club
of the village that evening. 1 had but
half an hours notice. I had spoken in
public but once before. I felt totally un.
prepared, but it seemed such grand op-
portunity. 1 said in reply that 1 knew
little or nothing of the workings of Re-
form Clubs. That there was so much tc
say if one only knew how to say it. Then
this word came directly to my mind: 'l
will help thee, will uphold thee with
the right hand of my Righteousness"
said, ''Lord, Thy promise is enough >
and without thought given me beyond
that promise went. On the way, In
quired as to how long the club had beer
in existence, and what work they were
doing, and ascertained the length oftime
and that their meeting, held once week
consisted of sort of literary entertain
ment, music, reading, ETC., and that th'
meeting was opened with prayer.
was disappointed when 1 entered tina
Reform Club room, the whole atmospher,
was so different from what it seemed t.
me it should have been. There seemed 81
much 1evity, so little earnestness.
thought of the need, and wondered if thi
club was filling its proper place, ant
working out the true end for which Re
form Clubs were intended. AS the exer
cises went on, two pictures stood out fl
sharp contrast before me-one, that dealt
bed, only one instance among thousand
of the ruin that is desolating homes, crush
ting hearts, and burning out the vitals o
our beloved youth as with the fire of hell
the other, the true Reform Club and it
work; and the question came with grea
force to my mind, is it possible that thi
Reform Club is doing its legitimate work
looked few rods down the street to
house where had daily seen young me
enter, sometimes to come out reeling, al
ways to come out with less manhood, les
: self-respect. 1 thought of all this, an
} said to myself, is it possible that soul
: which have ever been fully reused to sc
e the terrible ruin wrought around us an
in our very midst by rum, can have so fa
= lost that first Divine touch which ca
: alone bring US into sympathy with tn
: guilty and the wandering, as to sestl
e down content with weekly "entertair
!. ment' while so many are on the yer
= verge of ruin?
Since that night 1 have been lesrnir
e more about Reform Clubs and of their d
3 sire in many cases to do away who'll
y with the religious element in their NEE
l. ings, of their dramatic entertainments, ,etC
l. r I,o IN koE