The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-11-29
Temperance.
HOW WOMEN SHOULD WORK FOR
TEMPERANCE,


seeks for itself another course by which
1t finds its way to the sea, so, earnest,
ambitious women have sought for them
selves by-ways wherein to SOW the good
seed of Temperance which might per-
haps have been overlooked if the broad
er channels had not been closed. All
will admit that woman is the true edu-
! Gator OF the human race, The first law
! maker provided by nature for the child
is the mother. And for the first ten
| years our power is absolute. Let us
then lay broad and firm foundation
of strong Temperance principle cement
ed with a mothers love and consecrated
with mothers prayers, on which our
sons shall build a character that will be
power for good as they grow to man
! hood and become the future Lawmakers
of our Nation. "First, get our children
right on this subject; let them grow up
with an utter aversion to strong drink. !"
Teach them to shun tobacco, liquor and
cards, the three great evils from which
! springs all manner of crime Teach
them that rum is a fiend, and show them
the wreck and ruin it works. Lead
! your little ones through the narrow,
! dark alleys where broken-hearted moth
crs and children testify to the manner
by which the liquor seller makes his
money.
Teach your daughters to despise the
gewgaws and rum-bought wealth. I'm
press upon their minds that behind all
that are the shivering forms and fut-
tering rags of numberless children who
are worse than orphans. Never cease to
coll
around your tiresides from every crime
or misdemeanor proceeding from the
sale or use of strong drink which comes
under the notice of your children.
Training the boys Alright is the sheet
anchor of the Temperance cause. 1t is
purifying the stream at the fountain.
Let not our young men grow up ac-
| custOmed to see men of dissOlute hab-
its and impure lives honored as citizens
with public offices of great trust. Hold
out to them all warnings and all coun-
sci lest they bring our gray hairs down
in sorrow to the grave.
And when we have done all this in
the domestic circle, is there nc other
work waiting for our hands? Can we
not help to rescue the perishing, eS-
peoially among the Incorporate Of our
own sex? Hearts that have become
hardened by strong drink and evil as
sociations have sometimes yielded to
the power of sympathy and kindly
words fifty spoken. Let no opportunity
pass unimproycd to act the part of the
| good Samaritan in their time of sick
ness and distress 1t opens new feel
| lngS, develops new nature, and brings
! the wretched Outcast into the family of
man. Show them by our acts that our
earnest desire is to do them good. Do
we not sometimes forget that our Di-
vine Master not only healed but actual
| ly lad His hands upon those whom He
sought to save? Throw the broad man
tie of charity over their failings; we
know not to what temptations they may
have been exposed. Perhaps if we had
been surrounded by the same circum-
stances, we, too, might have stumbled
and fallen. Remember that just in the
measure that we labor unselfshly for
the good of others will we be blessed
and strengthened.
For count this thought to be grandly true,
That noble deed is a step toward God,
Lifting the soul from the common sod
To a purer air and broader view"
A man who has been an habitual
drunkard for years has been in my hus-
bands employ under pledge that he
would keep sober, and, upon the
strength of his employment and good
resolutions, had bought a comfortable
; home for his wife and children, the
conditions being if he should fail in
paying certain small amount each
month through his own neglect the
home should revert to its former own
er. With all this incentive to sober
ness, once and again has this man fall
en-, and after getting sober has wept like
child and begged to be tried Just
once more. Upon inquiry, find that
this man had drunken father and a
drunken mother, and that his mother
died while drunk. When a child he
was fed on the accursed stuff with a
spoon from his fathers glass. Oh, how
ought we who have been shielded all
our lives from all such contamination,
who have been hedged in with Temper
ance influences, to pity these poor souls
that are struggling through life, carry
ing burdens that we know nothing of.
How can we, the women of the W. c.
L. U., win suoh men from their cups,
and not only win them, but hold them
in the right wayp | believe speak the
sentiment of every one of our noble
band when say that we are ready an
eager to do anything within the sphere
OF Christian women to save the drunk
ard to his family and the world. We
must not sit with folded hands lament
ing our inability to do great things in
this cause. If only one talent has been
given us, We will not be accountable for
ten.
Let us do with our might what our
hands find to do; always looking to the
never-failing source of wisdom and
strength. Prayer moves the arm that
moves the world. Let us then, in the
language of great Temperance work
er: pray, as If all depended upon God;
and work, as if all depended upon our
selves" If we can not legislate. we
can agitate. We can educate, and we
must consecrate. We may have but
little to do but that, but that little,
when faithfully done, may have an in
fuence for good. 1t will cheer the
hearts of other earnest Workers for the
right, and. in some degree, perhaps. dis
courage and weaken the power of the
enemy. Intemperance is the great
curse of our age. A crime beside which
the sin of slavery pales and sinks almost
out of sight. And when we remember
the National punishment that God Wis.,
tied upon this people for the great Ma
tional sin of slavery. have we not rea-
SON to fear that il this Nation does not