St. Landry democrat., 1880-08-07
SOPHRONIA'S LECTURE.

all the rest.
at isn't crank, mother; it is sacred
duty feel called upon to lecture
''Since you left school a yeal
ago, there hasn't been a week but
you've had call to do something OF
other out of the common run. / wish
to goodness I'd never sent you to that
heightened boarding-school. Miss
Stevens filled your head full of notions y
She tried to impress upon her pu-
pills. said Sophronia, " that they must
live for something; that all had sacred
duties to perform in life. Now, if can
by lecturing save the soul of a single
man from ruin | shall feel that l have
not lived in vain"
.sStuff!'' said Mrs. Marbrook. "Such
fine talk sounds well enough, but it
doesn't convince me that it S your duty
to lecture on temperance. If YOU want
work to do, ask Deacon Snow to help
you get the district school,"
No, MOTHER said Sophronia firm
ly. :" | would not be laboring for the adj
vancement of mankind if 1 Shut myself
ing to night. But | feel that l am need
edin the temperance cause. The thought
came to me like an inspiration last Fri
day when l saw Joe Boone go stagger-
ing by the gate. A voice ringing loudly
in nay ears seemed to call me to the plat
FORM
"The idea of girl of nineteen goin'
about lecturingr' cried Mrs. Marbrook,
thoroughly vexed. 80 Sophrony! used
to think how much comfort | should
take in you when you came from school,
and could play the organ to me even
ings and help me with the work; but
it has been just one notion after anoth-
err and tears started to the good wo-
mans eyes.
Mother, when you hear me spo-
ken of as a famous lecturer on temper
ance, when people tell you that your
daughters eloquence has saved many a
man from a drunkard's grave, you will
feel proud of me and rejoice that you
did not forbid my responding to the call
of conscience"
"But you won't be famous, Sophrony.
You'll get scared when you face big
audience, and mark my words, if you
ever try to lecture you'll break down"
1.-The knowledge that can do good
by speaking will give me courage, moth
er. The day is not far distant when my
voice will be apower in the temperance
cause.h
Mrs. Marbrook sighed, but, though
unconvinced, said no more. Having
received a very limited education her
self she had early determined that her
only child should have every advantage
which could be derived from tirst-class
seminary, and therefore had put her
under the care of Miss Stevens, who had
sent her home a year previous to the
opening of our story. " finished"
But -Sophronia had learned things and
acquired ideas for which her mother had
not bargained. She paraded advanced
views of progress and reform, tried to
organize ragged school and was
laughed at for her failure. Bennings
had failed to appreciate her efforts to
establish Workingman's Protective
Association, and her earnest endeavors
to induce the owner of the mills to raise
the pay of his hands proved fruitless.
One brilliant scheme after another had
failed, but yet Sophronia was not dis
couraged. She still burned to do some
mighty work for the benefit of mankind
and dreamed of having the right to re-
quest that her gravestone should be in
scribed with the simple text, 'She did
what she could
Being young, very pretty, bright and
intelligent, Sophronia did not expert
ence any difficulty in obtaining a
chance to deliver her lecture. The
President of the Newbury Sons
of Temperance, which association
held monthly meetings, was only
too glad to secure her services. and So
phronia was immensely fattered at see
ing notice in the NeaObury Banner, in
which she was alluded to as :. Young
and eloquent advocate of the temperance
cause" She resolved to do credit to
the teaching of Miss Stevens and spent
hours in correcting and revising her
lecture and in committing it to memory,
for she thought the effect of her words
would be lessened should she be obliged
to refer to notes. Her mother groaned
as she heard her pacing up and down
the parlor, repeating over and over
again the words which she hoped would
thrill the hearts of her hearers and swell
the band of temperance advocates.
II want to read you my lecture,
said Sophronia, the day before
it was to be delivered at Newbury,
which was situated twenty-five miles
from Bennings.
Goodness, Sophrcny! why, I most
know it by heart now,'' said Mrs. Mar
brook. /" I've heard it so much that
I'm about sick of temperance
But just hear little Of it, mother,
and tell me how it sounds
Well, go on, Them said Mrs. Mar
brook, in resigned tone.
Thus encouraged, Sophronia spread
out her many sheets Of foolscap and be-
gan:
Ny friends: I have come to speak
to you this evening, hoping to impress
upon you the terrible necessity existing
for active movement in the temperance
cause. We cannot be blind to the death
and destruction which rum is causing
in our fair country. The moan of the
widow. the wall of. the orphan. should
rouse us from all inclination to lethargy.
O! should we not pity and aid the
whose fatal weakness causes