The Portland daily press., 1884-01-01
CHTLDREN's DAY.
meeting Yesterday at City sxalI-wh..
was Done-The Speeches.

/ Ahe speeches,
Yesterday afternoon the temperance mass
meeting tor the children was held in nj,
nal. The storm kept very many away. hn+
lne nall floor was fully half filled when Mrs
Huat, President of the Womap's Cb,ist;or
temperance Union, called the meeting n !,
aer' Inc desk was draped with the American
nag ana somewhat back from The rentro
| 'Ao stage was an arch of evergreen which
80 'ne lnotto OF the society in white letters.
- TUG cehtfe OF The arch ON an easel was a
large portrait of Mrs. r. B. HAYES. a pronip-
ent leader in the Woman's Temperance work
ine arrangements for the meeting wara avco,
isns and most OF the speakers managed n coma
utes. e near rr their time allowance of ten mir
with the exercisaaEresn were evidently pleased
and interest," than do niiaSAied with more care
sometime and the songs sung, tREe audiences
/ course familiar, were rendered with rfgfre of
will Earnest advice was given by the elo
| quent speakers, and no person present could
/ fail to be convinced of the usefulness OF sucb
| an organization as the Woman's Union. Wa
have but the heartiest sympathy and gratitude
| Tor the practical benevolence of its members
and the truly Christian work they have done
and are still doing, in our city and over our
| land
Mrs. Bent with the cornet, and Miss Nc
Gregor at the piano led the singing, and flow
ers contributed by Albert Drwanger and Os-
car Sturdivant filed the air with their per-
| fume.
The meeting began with the singing of
America and afterward the president intro
duced, to read the scriptures,
REV. DIR. HILL,
who said he had chosen one of the psalms as
the scripture selection and proposed TO tell the
children the reason for his choice. It is near
~ ten years since the woman's crusade began
In little Ohio town where there had been a
great deal Of drunkenness The men had
tried to stop the sale of liquor in this town be-
fore but not hard enough to be successful So
the noble women of the place took the matter
in hands. held a meeting and elected devoted
mother in the place not present at the meeting
as their president. The news was borne to
her OF the choice of the meeting and its urgent
wish that she would undertake the trust
While thinking, in much anxiety whether to
accept the position or not, her little daughter
running to her saying, "Oh Mamma, [ have
found such beautiful psalm 1.-THE mother read
tilt seemed like message from God, her mind
was cleared of doubt and became determined
upon the path where duty lay. And the same
psalm, the 10th, comes with like BLESSING
and encouragement to us to-day The move-
ment then begun had gone on, new methods
and avenues were constantly opened its pro- |
portions were becoming grander, its influence
more extensive, and its noble work is one of
tne signs OF the coming of the kingdom of |
Christ on the earth. Most appropriately in the |
original is the beginning and ending of the |
psalm with Halleluljahi
The psalm was read, and upon the ending of |
the reading, the Lords prayer was recited nv |
the children present, led by Rev. Mr.. King.
The president then introduced as the first
speaker of the afternoon the
REV. MR.. BAYLEY.
There was once, said the speaker pond of |
water low on the mountains. 1t came from |
the snow which melted there and from the |
rain which falling had trickled down the |
mountains side. AS more and more came the /
pond rose higher and higher, and as its waters
increased it's strength grew till it began to look
ground to see what it might do and where it |
could go. But in every direction steep and |
rough mountain walls confronted it and de-
spair of ever finding an outlet had almost pos
sessed it when a little narrow way appeared |
between two great high cliffs, and the pond
thought that perhaps its way of progress was
there. So it broke through and found a v~s.sf
AS the waters went on they canass-so chasm
and leaped it, and still proceeding other waters
mingled with it coming from trickling rivu-
let's, from brooks and melting snow.
Thus it went on for miles and miles, it became
river and saw things of which it had never |
dreamed before. 1t began to turn mills and
set machinery in motion, to bear up little
boats and even vessels on its waters, and f. |
nally it ieaped into the ocean. Even here it
found place for employment and became part
OF Inc great tides which rise and recede every
day.
1t is the Saco river of which I have been
speaking, but at the same time / have told |
you OF the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. 1t had Its birth ten years ago, in cir
cumstances of sorrow and trouble, bat as the
spirits OF those who had met together rose
God spoke and over the surrounding mountain
walls the movement went For these noble
women the formers of this movement said,
We will go to these saloon keepers and inn
piore them for their children and wives sake
to stop selling rum" And SO they did and la
bored splendidy and successfully for year or
two.
At length as in the case of the stream. the
movement branched out, began to turn wheels
and set spindles In motion and to lift IN MANY
a snatop and stately ship as its current rolled
on. And now in 81 States and some Terrific
RES there are 500O OF these unions with 100000
members. There are % departments in which
it works and each of these means separate
and distinct phase of exertion.
Que phase of its work and very hard one to
successfully pursue, Is TO stop men from drink
ing. Another, is to keep them from ever be-
ginning, and SO it comes to the boys and girls
who Will be the men and women of the future |
You are the ones who are to write our school
BOOKS, our review articles, our newspaper
articles, engage in all and every department.
of life.
We want you to know that this thing
known as liquor posons the body, weakens
tue brain, ruins the home, strikes down the
wife, and starves the child. We want you to
enforce the laws and not let them 90 without |
enforcement as some of the fathers of today
DO; and In every way to aid this stream of
temperance, grown 80 soon from q little stream
to q rushing, sweeping current.
The speaker cited single union AMI told of
the large results it had accomplished in the
few years past, and closed with an eloquent
plea 10 the children to remain interested in |
temperance work and to pledge themselves
anew to hate the accursed poison, ram.
The Mayor, who had entered the hall dur
ing the course of Mr.. Bayley's remarks, was
called upon by the president, but gracefully
excused himself from occupying any time that
Others had already been chosen to fill.
The next speaker was the
REV. A. K. p SMALL, DID,,
who referred, first, to the difficulty he expert
enced in speaking to the children before him,
the coming till.rs of the land. In the day of
that old mountain prophet there was great dis.
tress and anxiety, for no rain fell in one year.
nor the next, nor the next following. Sorrow
and gloom had settled down on the country.
The king knew nothing which could be done,
and his wise men were no wiser than he; the
green fields and fertile valleys were dry and
parched, for famine abroad in the land,
Everything was disheartening; all which could
be done of couse failed, when there came
grand union of little drops of rain, bringing
freshness, and hope, and returning prosperity.
All over this dear country of ours there has
been hunger, and suffering. and starvation
ever since we can remember; ever and anon |
have arisen earnest men who have put forth
earnest and devoted efforts to stay the tide of |
and @r,t tsa L. 4