Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-27
What Closed the Saloon.

pen, and a roughly carved crutch which lay
near told that she was lame, too.
She took her crutch and crept slowly
down the old stairs, which shook and creaked
most dismally at every step. When she
reached the front door she stopped and
stood looking at the lamps as they were
lighted one by one, and at the people as
they moved quickly to and fro. Suddenly,
Just as the stars began to tremble out into
the darkening sky, a deep-toned church
bell commenced to ring slowly out on the
evening air; another chimed in, and still
others, till it seemed as if all the bells i'll
the city were ringing together, and to little
Mamie Burke it sounded as though they
were calling, crying out some solemn mes
sage, which she could not understand An
awkward, honest-looking boy hurried past
her, toward the better part of the town,
where the broad streets and handsome
houses were, going in such haste that he
did not notice the little figure on the steps,
till she called out:
"Dick say, Dick Townsend, what are
the bells ringing for ? 'Tisn't Sunday"
"Why, it's for the League" answered
the boy; they're to have a prayer-meeting
for them in all the churches, while they're
going round"
"Whats the League ?" asked the child,
wonderingly.
"Well, now, you are green" said Dick,
with a look of compassionate superiority;
"why, where have you been for this week
and more 2"
any legs been worse than common, and
I've had to stay in the room all the time"
said Mamie. But please, Dick, what is it,"
"Why," said Dick, it's the ladies who
are Joined together in what they call a
Temperance League and they are going
around to get folks to sign pledge that
they won't drink any more and then they
are trying to make the saloon keepers shut
up and promise never to sell any more
whiskey, never, never"
"Oh, Dick !" cried the girl, while her
great eyes glowed and flashed and do they
really do it?"
"Do itl' said Dick; well, should
rather think they did. Why, those women
go to them and sing and pray till they just
can't stand it. What do you think, Nan
| saw that old fat Keyser, who keeps a sa-
loon on Broad street, sobbing like a baby,
yesterday, and he knocked out the heads of
his old barrels till the whiskey and beer
poured down the gutter like dirty water.
Father signed pledge that Mrs. DIR. Ora
| ham took down to the mill, and Nan, he's
come home sober ever since, and that's four
days"
Dick" said Mamie, while her voice
| quivered with eagerness, "has Ben Bran
nan shut up y
| mo-" said the boy; everybody else has
given in but him and two fellers on Market
street, and they're hoping to bring them To-
night; so | must hurry, for want to be in
when it happens
At last they reach the establishment
whose proprietor had so persstently refused
to yield; the saloon was brilliantly lighted
and Brannan himself stood in the door. A;
the ladies paused, he spoke to them very
politely, and they commenced their meeting
1t continued for half an hour, and then, il
the interval between a prayer and hymn
he told them that he had listened to then
very patiently, and now thought it only civil
that they should hear what he had to say
Brannan began by complmenting thei
music telling them how much he and hii
customers had enjoyed it, he said he HOPED
it had amused them to come there day afte
day, and that he had no objections to thei
doing so for a few days, but that it was nov
assuming the shape of nuisance, and, i
they did not discontinue their visits, hi
would appeal to the law. He said he had as
good right to make living for his famil,
as any man in the city, and if he chose t
do it by selling liquor, it was nobody's bust
ness. He closed by an emphatic declaration
that he had never harmed any one by hi
saloon, and again told the ladies if they an
noyed him any more he would have then
arrested
Just then the great clock in the court
| %, a., . tho hnnr fn
closing their meetings, and while Brannal
and his party congratulated themselve
upon victory, the women prepared, oh, 81
sadly, to go away Their faith had been 81
strong, they had believed that God woul'
complete his wonderful work that night
and now they must 60, leaving it still un
finished. Suddenly they paused, for
childish voice, which had the depth of
woman's anguish, walled out, "Oh, don
give it up, it's to save my father" The
they parted, right and left, before the ben
and twisted figure of Mamie Burke, VIII
passed to the front of the crowd. As sh
stood there, with her tattered shawl throw
off, the light from one of the colored lamp
falling full on the poor little form, on tn
floating hair and pale face with solem
eyes, there was something so weird an
strange in her appearance, as though sh
was a messenger from the world of spirits.
"Ben Brannan," she said, and the wea
little voice grew firm and stern as an az
cusing angels, "my father, George Burke
is a kind and tender man when he let
whiskey alone; he earns two dollars da,
: and you know that's enough to keep US wei
We live in miserable little garrett on Vim
street; there is hardly enough fire to kee
me from freezing, sometimes, and hay
had nothing to eat to-day but piece of DIR
bread; the money that my father ought
spend on his home goes for whskey, whic
makes brute of him; and yet you stan
there, Ben Brannan, and say you do Il
harm"
at was whiskey that made my fath'
give me the kick downstairs that left II
, like this it is that that sends him home
night to beat me with that crutch till CT
out to God to let me die it was your viii
kew that made him abuse my mother ii
she died of broken heart, and it was yo
: that got him to break the promise he ha
made at her grave, that he'd meet her
heaven, Ben Brannan T. cried the childi'
voice, breaking into wild sobs, at last, al
oh, if your whiskey kills him, body and sot
and he's parted from her forever and ever, w
YOU dare to tell my mother when you me
ner at tne Judgment, Una. you ho'o' oiu al
harm 7"
: The unnatural strength which had uphe
the child gave way at last; she tottered al
would have fallen, had not a tall, powerf
looking man pushed his way out from Il
saloon and caught her away from the kind
y womanly hand stretched out for her Hol
, ing the poor, brave little girl in his arm
while the great tears rolled over his roug
brown face, he said
! It's all true, every word of it. I'm h
father, poor lamb, and I've been just SUI
a brute as she's told you but Pm ready
sign your pledge tonight, ladies, and by d
help Of God I'll try to keep it, And no
Ben" turning toward him as he spoke, A" I
the sake of poor fellows like me who are
easily tempted, for the sake Of their wiz
and children, for the sake OF your own wi
and baby, who is no prettier than n
Mamie was once, ask you 10 give up IL
J. miserable business"
IA Brannan had grown very pale while Ma
n ME and her father were speaking; his pref
little wife was sobbing bitterly as 8
chung to his arm, and the innocent face
his baby girl looked wonderngly up in
his. There was a fearful struggle in I
!. mans soul; how could he yield when