Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-09-15

desires the pleasure of your company
tomorrow at 1 p. NJ. Please come
dressed in white, but conceal your sum-
merry attire under a water proof Or
some ample wrapping. NJ"
Marveling much at this odd whim,
we sought our friends home at the
hour designated. After the last ar
rival had been greeted, and cOmforta,
bly, denuded of her exterior chrysalides
alias cloaks, Marcia startled us by say
ing:
"Grls, you all know me and love me
you have faithfully kept your pledges
Of delay, though perhaps impatiently.
for which | should not blame you. ]
have waited in this temperance matter
hoping and praying that some of those
who have stood so cOldly alOOf, would
relent ana set us Il noble example
Some Of our brothers and friends,
and the tears glistened in her soft
black eyes, "are still Indifferent. To
night we will do what we can for theil
redemption, and if they are not made
Of stone we will brake down theii
adamantine haLteur. There are those
who, in the pride of youthful indepen.
dence, scorn Il frail bit of paper us a
bar TO drunkard's grave; but, God
willing, we will do what we can tC
win them from their dangerous lcth.
ugy."
Then she mlOlded a plan in which,
suffice to say, we acquiesCed. The
evening came apacc. AT an early hour
we sought the hall, ranged ourselves
side by side in Il number Of rear seats,
and awaited developments. A throng
gathered by degrees. Then ensucd
solemn prayer, thrilling music and
stirring appeals, till the familiar invi.
tation was at length given to those
who wished to join the great temper
mce army of the nation. With deft
fingers we lOosened our cIOaks, dOIfed
mr plumCd hats, and, two by two,
feaded the long and partially filled
isle and ascendCd the elevated plat
form. There was Il sudden rustic, Il
buzz, and then the hush of expectancy
fell upon the vast audience. For one
moment Niarcia's arm trembled upon
mine, and felt the thrill of the blood
iu her veins, and then, as camly as a
moving statue, she clasped her fair
hands one over the other, and her
clear, musical voice vibratel to the
farthest recess of the room:
Gentlemen she said, eve are here
tonight, Il band of twenty, with the
Loom Of girlhOOd upon our cheeks,
with brows yet smooth in the joyous.
ness of youth, with tresses untouched
by times iron hand, with hearts that
beat with hope and love. Gentlemen,
we are here to enlist under the banner
Of temperance. We this night solemn
ly pledge ourselves, God helping u.s.
here the beautiful head was reyerently
bOwed-"to abstain from the wine
when it is red within The cup. Never
shall the bright lips Of these pure
maidens be polluted by that which
drags men from the pinnacle of noble
manhood. Gentlemen" she continued
as she clasped the graceful waists Of
two of her companions, and drew
them more prominently forward, "it
the veil of years could drop, and yor
should see adOwn the futures visit;
these bright eyes dimmed and faded
the fair cheeks haggard and scanned
these smooth brOws scared with the
woe of the drunkard's wife, these snow
white robes exchanged for rags, fam
inc and despair stamped upon the in
nocent girlish faces, would it be :
pleasant picture? ! think not. Yor
would shrink back, appalled, at the
vision. And yet, gentlemen, as limo
cent in life's young morning has beer
how many a wretched creature, whosC
years are embittered by the demon o
drink, whose form, attenuated and fee
bic, and clad in pOyerty's worn ant
tattered garb, shrinks from the crue
blows of her drunken MASTER Die
the young maiden dream when he whis
pered loves sweet tale in her ear that hi
voice would one day be raised to curs
her? Did the bride, in her white array
think the warm, clasping hand Of tn
bridegroom would some day be lifteC
in infuriated frenzy, to bruise her ten
der flesh? No, gentlemen, no! Ant
yet you know, and we know, and oil
sad heart, she knows, that the heavel
of the happiest home is ruthlessl,
destroyed by the mad liend, alcohol
All, there are too many broken heart
already! Too many crushed lives t
be traced back to the blood hued an,
bloOd-stained cup Of death and degre
dalton. But, gentlemen, the name o
the 'drunkard's wife shall never b
ours to wear, for here, in the presenc
of earth and angles, we sOlemnly voy
that never shall one who imbibes tn
intoxicating draught, be it ever S
delicately, win our favor! We II
nounce the society of tipplers now an
foreverp
A glance of fire shot from her eye
as she ceased speaking, and stood lk
Il marble goddess, sceptercd an
crowned.
There was one long-drawn brcatl
like a sigh through the cOngregate
hundreds, and then that stunned al
dience was further stunned by I'll
sight of II tall, distinguished pcrsO
rising in their midst and pressin
re3olutely and swiftly forward.
He leaped upon the platform.
was Roger Earle, and, uttered in clario
tones, these words which thrilled I
through and through:
"This noble girl, friends, is TO be m
dear and precious wife. In my prid
and vanity l have nightly been in you
midst and withheld my name from I'll
list of liberty; the liberty to be purt
the liberty to be holy; the liberty to |
little lower than the angels and onl
a little, if | walk in the true rectitud
of manhood; liberty to be the tende
est husband to the dearest woman &c
ever made, for, Marcia" and he bel
towards her bowed and hidden fac
"Marcia, you will not turn from n
now, as in the past, when l record tn
J vow: Please God, my wife shall nev,
be drunkard's wife"
D "Amen," said the weeping, whit
haired minister, who from her chill,
/ hood had known the sobbing girl {
: closely pressed to Rogers heart.