Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-08-06

Dear Edit0r:-When visiting your
lovely village two years ago, was
charmed with its natural beauties,
while its social life was equally charm
ing and at the same time surprising.
All these advantages still remain, and
we seem almost to have taken up the
thread of life in Island Pond just where
we dropped it, broken, two years ago.
All these thinGAfeenp to be unchanged,
but there is a marked difference, new
ertheless. 1t is not observable in the
outlines of the hills which have stool
so patiently for ages about this pleas
ant little valley, nor yet is it found in
the genial qualities and self-forgetful-
ness of the friends, which more than
anything else, makes the stranger in
love with this village. But in q deep
er and more important sense, / think
it is to be discovered in the moral at
mosphere of the place. These churches
have not been planted in the midst of
your homes in vain. Their very pre-
sence is constant protest against the
influence of wickedness, and when
sustained, as | have reason to believe
they are, by earnest pastors and active
members, they must convince even the
most careless that there is something
in religion worth striving after.
1t is no doubt due to this increasing
religious sentiment that the temper.
ance cause has sprung up and attained
such sudden and surprising growth
in your midst. for it is probably quite
true that the most self-sacrificing sup
porters of these churches are equally
active in this new temperance move
/ ment, Indeed, brotherly love and
helpf'llness is only one phase of the
grand reformatory movement of the
age, whether it be found in the Chris
tan Church, in the Temperance Hall,
| or in the asylums where sweet charity
performs her labors of love. Surely
Jesus, the Great Reformer and Found
er of the Church, did not neglect to
cure the blind, to heal the sick in body,
even when on earth he was engaged in
the work of drawing all men unto
Himself. So | think there is one ele-
ment of virtue in your Temperance
Society and one omen of success in the
fact that its work is sustained by ear.
nest Christians.
While listening to an admirable
lecture on temperance the other eve
ming by one of your ministers, to the
stirring songs and earnest words OF
other pastors, my thoughts were led on
just as have indicated. and indeed
they were SO busy that am very much
afraid cannot give suitable report
of the meeting, as you request. But !
took notice that the cream of the senti-
ments expressed by the lecturer and
speakers were to this effect: that tenn
perance is indispensable to the happi-
ness and well-being of mankind that
the temperance cause should be a
prominent one III every community
and that leading citizens should be
among its most earnest supporters
that temperance in its broadest sense
includes all virtue and as such it should
clasp hands with the Church and
that all true temperance workers may
become ''Stratton" to some future
Cough" AS listened to the enthusi-
astic speeches and to the songs, sung
only as pure, sympathetic womanhood
can sing when there is helpful work to
be done, could but think, how much
there was in the balance in favor of
the temperance cause, and how many
helping hands there were stretched out
to him who would sincerely and ear
nestly struggle against the temptations
of his own, hurtful passions.
IDA HAZELToN,
|