The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-07-10

should be fierce battle waged agains
-
"There. that'll do; can say all tn,
rest myself. I've got so much to ten,
to, SophroDy, can't stop to listen an,
longer" interrupted Mrs. Marbrook.
''But there is such telling para
graph, mother, just a little way along
about there being only few steps fol
the drinking man from a mansion to the
gutter
"Yes, know but 1 can't stay tc
hear it. I'll hear it all tomorrow night
perhaps"
"Why perhaps, mother?"
because / feel sure you'll breal
down. Sophrony. And Mrs. Hodge.
told me this morning that about al
Bennings was going to Newbury tc
hear you"
Eyes said Sophronia with height.
ened color, "and I have induced
Joe Boone to promise to attend, though
of course L will have to pay his car fare.
1t is my earnest wish to make him a
better man for the sake of his wife and
children"
Poor little girl! She had really sim
cere wish to do good, and no desire for
personal aggrandizement, save as it
would aid "the cause" Her heart
fiuttered sometimes with a nervous
dread when she thought of facing a
large audience, for she was naturally
very shy, but she would not allow her.
self to contemplate failure for an in
slant.
The important night arrived, and the
town-hall was full to overlooking. Never
before had the Newbury Sons of Tenn
perance been able to rejoice in such full
benches, and the president smiled in
the satisfaction he felt at having Sc
cured such an attraction as the young
lady from Bennings.
When Sophronia entered the hall with
her mother she was pushed back by the
eager crowd, and tripping on a loose
fold of drugget, would have fallen had
not young man standing in the door
way started forward and caught her in
his arms.
He was young, well-dressed and very
handsome, but his face was haggard
from late hours and bore the marks of
dissipation. and Sophronia recoiled as
on his breath she detected the scent of
wine.
A ripple went through the audience
as the young girl made her way up the
middle aisle to the platform, and the
people from Benning, among whom Joe
Boone had a conspicuous seat, began to
whisper about the ragged school and
the Protective Association.
Sophronia turned pale as she gazed
on the sea of faces before her, and
caught the whisper of sharp-faced
woman from her native town. Some
thing seemed to rise in her throat and
choke her, but as the president intro
duced her amid a storm of applause,
which only added to her embarrassment
she made desperate effort, and in a
faint, faraway voice began:
my friends, 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, and--and-"
A mist seemed to come before the
young lecturers eyes, a ringing in her
ears, her brain whirled and she
stopped short in her speech.
The president stepped forward to
hand her her notes, but she waved him
back and made desperate effort to pro-
coed. But in vain. She had not the
courage to go on and had forgotten
what she was to say. The people from
Bennings laughed out loud and poor
Sophronia. staggering back to seat,
burst in tears. The audience was sober
ed instantly and there were many
hearts which were profoundly touched,
many eyes which were sympathetically
wet. But Sophronia did not know this,
for her mother put her arm about her
and led her from the hall, when, for
the first time in her life, the young girl
Mrs. Marbrook would not have known
what to do in this emergency had not
assistance been close at hand. The
young man who had saved Sophronia
from falling when she tripped on the
drugget and who had been an interest
ed observer of her sad failure, had fol-
lowed her out and now eagerly offered |
his help in conveying her to hotel,
which was fortunately near by.
Mrs. Marbrook was only too glad to
have aid from any source whatever,
and was profuse in her thanks to the
young fellow when at last poor So
phronia was safely deposited on the sofa
Of the hotel parlor.
Poor little lecturer! when she recov-
cred from her fainting attack and real
Zed her comDlete failure sha sobhod ne
4 her heart would break, unheeding
The presence of the stranger, who lis,
tened with compassionate face to her
aments.
80 mother! 1 shall never, never hold
up my head again! l did not think it
would be so hard to stand before an au-
Hence; but was fairly sick with fright
md the words of my lecture went right
nut of my mind. And of course have
lone more harm than GOOD. q dear T