Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-11-24
Temperance.
HOW WOMEN SHOULD WORK FOR
TEMPERANCE.

'tccOiHt VI our SEX but, as the river
when its channel becomes obstructed
seeks for itself another course by which
it finds its way to the sea. so, earnest,
ambitious women have sought for them
selves bv-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 Jaw
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
cd with a mothers S love and consecrated
with a mothers prayers, on which our
sons shall build a character that will be
power for good rs they grow to man
hood and become the future lawmakers
of our Nation. First. get our children
right on this subject: lie: 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 n fiend. and show them
the wreck and ruin it works. Lead
Vour little ones through the narrow,
dark allevs where broken hearted moth
ers and children testify to the manner
by which the liquor seller makes his
money.
Teach your daughters to dcspise the
gewgaws and bought wealth I'm
pres, upon their minds that behind all
that are the shivcring forms and flut-
tcrinn rags of numberlesS children who
are worse than orphans. Never cease to
take text for :, Temperance talk
around YOUR iircsides from every crime
or misd"mcanor proceeding from the
sale or use of : rong 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
rrIStomcd 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 cOIIn-
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 pcriShu~, es
pcciallv 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
pas, 1In;mprovcd to act the part of the
good Samaritan in their time of sick
ness and distress. 1t opens new feel
ingS, develops Il new nature, and brings
tie wrctchcd 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
" Ia d His hands upon those whom He
bn
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 circuln-
stances, we, too, might have stumbled
and fallen. Remember that Just in the
measure that we labor unsclhshly for
The good OF others will we he blessed
and strengthened.
g Tor count this thought TO be grandly true,
That il nohe deed * IL step toward God,
Lifting the soul from the common sol
To puscr air and Il broader view
\ man who has been an habitual
tlrtnkard for years has been in my hus-
bands employ under pledge that lie
would keep sober, and. upon the
strength OF his employment and good
resolutions. had bought Il com fort tblc
home for his wife and children, the
conditions being if he should fail in
paving a certain small amount each
month through his own neglect the
home should revert to its former own
or. With all this incentive to sober
ness, once and again has this man fail
..n, and after getting sober has wept Ike
u child and begged to be tried lust
once more, Upon inquiry. find that
this man had n drunken father and Il
drunken mother, and that his mother
died while drunk. WEen Il child he
Il hI -nI - N
spoon from his fathers glass Oh, how
ought we who have been shielded all
our lives from all such contaminat on.
vino have been hedged in with Temper
aucc 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 G..
r. L.. win such men from their cups,
and not only win them. bu. hold them
in the right way? | 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 familv and the world. We
must not sit with folded hands lament
ing our inability to do great things III
this cause. If only one talent has been
civcn us, we will not be accountable for
ten.
: Let us do with our might what our
hands find to do; always looking TO the
ncver-failing source of wisdom and
strength. PRAYER moves the arm that
moves the world. Let us then. in the
Language of great Temperance work
cr: Pray, as if all depended upon God
aud work, as if all depended upon our
selves" If we can not legislate. we
can agitatc. We can educate, and we
must consccrate. We may have but
little to do but that, but that little,
when faithfully done, may have an in
fiuence 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. \ crime beside which
the sin of slavery pales and sinks almost
out of sight. And when we remember
the National punishment that God yIs-
tied upon this people for the great Ma
tional sin of slavery. have we not rea-
son to fear that if this Nation does not
rise up in its might and say this shall
not be, that again God will lay H,s
hand so heavily upon us that we viii
make haste as of old to put this evil tai
from us9
1t is not a thankless task in which we
LII lf.