Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-05-15

1 remember reading the first eonsti-
tuition of the first temperance society
formed in America. The movement was
born in the Church of Christ, and that
which is born there will never die-never.
They were men of God that first raised
the banner. They were prosecuted; their
cattle were mutilated; their fruit trees
were injured; their houses were black
ened; they were hooted and pelted thro'
the streets; strings were passed across
the pavement, and when they came bv
the strings We're stretched, and they were
throwu down. They suffered, and suf-
fer what no man suffers to-day, for this
cause at any rate. But it was like remoV-
ing the first turf to prepare bed on
which to lay the corner stone; and it was
laid by men of faith and prayer, and the
building has been in progress till now,
each stone being ycemented to its fellow
By love and truth, aud sympathy and good
will.
All, it is glorious superstructure to-
day. Pillar after pillar, and tower after
tower, and column alter column, with
the capitals emblazoned with embIems of
love, truth, sympathy, good will to man.
It rises before US. Old men gaze upon it;
their hearts swell in anticipation of the
day when the cap-stone shall be set upon
it, though they will not live to see it,
Meek-eyed woman weeps as it grows in
beauty; children strew the pathway of
Igworkmen with flowers and bind wreaths
around their brows. We do not see its
beauty, we do not see its magnifcence yet
Why2 Because it is in course of erection.
The sscaffolding is all around it; ropes,
and poles, and ladders, and workmen, as
cending and descending, mar the beauty
of the superstrueture. rrr d,
But, by and by, the heads of. those who
have 1abofed shall come up over thou.
sand battle-fields, waving with bright
grain, never to be crushed in the accursed
distillery-through vineyards under trel-
Used vines, eEsith grapes hanging in all
their purple glory, never to be pressed
into that which shall debase man-shal1
come up through orchards, under tree
hangipg ttick with their golden PUPPY
fruit, nevs to be turned into that which
can injuFea ma degrade humanity sIlal
come togtl1e last fire in the last distillery
and putt plIt;; to the last stream of Iiqui6
death, and seal it forever; to the las
weeping wife, and wipe her tears gently
away; to the last little child, and lift i
/ up to stand where the Creator meant ht
shonld stand; to the last drunkard, ant
j nerYe him to burst .his barning letters
4 and make q glorious aceonpaniment tc
the song of freedom blythe clanking 8
his broken ychains.3 - 80
Then, then, the cap-stone will be Sc
upon fhe building; the pale horse Will
death for its rider; shall receive checl
| upon bis bride thatshalfbring him bacl
on his haunches the. last shout shall b.
heard; the. last drnnkard shall go int
the. bpilding, leaving his broken fetters
1 behind him; and rejoicing shall be hear,
in heaven, when the triumphs of this an,
every great moraLenterprise shall ushe
in the day of tripmphs of the cross 0
Christ. =
i believe it, on my souIIs believe it Fo
this am la6oring. Will you, individu
ally5give your influence othis movemen
in the spirit OF sci f-denial, showing your
selves to be true men, who seek others
and not your. own good altogetherP An
remember that in this heeting world Q
change, with its fashion passing away
you may be privileged to exert an infu
ence that can never die. In the languag
of Thosmas Knox, of Edinburg:
Though scoffers ask, where is your grain?
Il And mocking say your work vain.
such scofers die, and are forgot,
Work done for God. it dieth not.