West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1883-09-19
NEWBURG UNION AND BAND,

Newburg modestly claims place
among the echoes. Nestled among
the hills, her force and opportuni-
ties for work not commensur-
ate with her desires nor equal in
magnitude with her sisters before
mentioned, yet | think, when you
hear from her you will love her.
August 18th the President of the
Union in the absence Of the Secre-
tary, writes: "Our principal op-
portunity for work presented itself
through our Band Of Hope. They
have done a good work. We have
Ito some EXTENT kept the ball NOV
ing. Undoubtedly the question of
Temperance, through the in
strumentality of our society, has
been agitated in all our social in
tercourse, and has resulted in
popular feeling that has controlled
our elections, which eventually
swept the Liquor traffic from our
village. 1t has drawn the lines
more distinctly between the two
contending armies. The Temper
ance friends are much encouraged
and more out-spoken in their
denunciations Of the traffic"
'Tis said that "Heaven lies about
US in our infancy" Does it not
seem true as well as a lovely
thought, when, largely, through
the influence of the children an
entire community says:
"Beware the bowl! though rich and bright,
Its rubies flash upon the sight,
An adder coils it's depth bene ath
Whose line is woe, whose sting is DEATH"
GRAFTON UNION AND BAND.
We too have heard this call, and
some so of us women have stepped
into active service for the Master.
Though our work, to be efficient,
has been mostly of a private char
acter, we are conscious of a great
awakening among us on the subject
of Temperance. Each Thursday
afternoon, the Church bell sounds
Temperance! Temperance I! Tenn
perance!!! And when we enter
that church and as one soul, send
up our petitions to the King who
has called us to the work, we know
He hears, and will answer with
success.
We are in unison with the Y. M.
Cain all work Of charity and in the
holding of Cottage and shop Meet
ings. We conduct Gospel Tenn
perance Meeting once a month in
which, at times, our Band of Hope
participates.
Financially we may seem to be
delinquent, having made no effort
to supply our Treasury, only by
the annual amount paid by the
members, feeling that the time has
not yet arrived in which public
entertainments for the support Of
this cause can be made a success.
Yet we are trying, if possible, to be
rich in good ouorks and IN faith.
We shrink from giving publicity
to the details of our work, which
consists in visiting those in distress
and poverty, and diminishing to
their necessities, (the financial out
lay of which is fourfold the amount
in the Treasury, which fund we re-
serve especially for Temperance
emergencies.)
We embrace every opportunity
to hold Temperance meetings in
the country, to help liberate the
inebriate, warn the rum seller,
and, if possible, persuade him to
discontinue the accursed occupa-
ton.
Having been permitted to see a
little of the fruits of our labors
(entering into that which has been
performed by others who have gone
before us) we thank God and
take courage. Our cry is, Be we
clean that bear the vessels Of the
Lord ? Our Motto is Total Abstinence
and Prohibition, and our Hope of
success is founded on the Truth
and Power of God, working through
the agencies which He is raising
up for the accomplishment of His
purposes. With such Command
er we must conquer!!
THE WORK IN WHEELING.
Though we have no organized
| Union from which to reOOrt for