West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-08-26

ding, some how or other, getting
into the shingles, set the hay on
fire and it was all destroyed-ten
tons of hay, six head of cattle, the
finest horse in the county, &C., and
the Deacon was nearly crazed by,l
it The men in She store began
exclaiming and commenting upon
it. What loss,' says one. 'Why,
the Deacon will well nigh break
down under it, says another. And
so they went on specializing, one
after another, and the conversation
drleted on in all sorts of conjectures.
At last quiet man, who sat spit.
ting in the fire, looked up, and
said, did he hit the owlT V3naasi|
These women will not forget the
owl. Amid the general confagra-
ton that shall consume party dis
tinctions, hopes and triumphs, wo-
man will ask. '!Did we kill the
owl 2" a4imcla .aj foeat. 7r 70 s.l
The reason for this is two-fold.
1. Woman has a deep and an
abiding conviction that sheis COM
missioned of God to perform this
work. Not more certain was Moses
that bis mission to lead the tribes
of Israel from Egypt to Canaan
was God given, than is she that the
same divine authority has COM
manded her to wage war against
the evils of intemperance God
has spoken to her as certainly as
He spoke to Saul on the plains Of
Damascus. 1t resolves itself there.
fore into a question of fidelity or
treason against her God. Before
this, all other considerations shriv-
ell to nothingness. Descendent
of the martyrs who kissed the stake
and sung in fire, she metst on
through contempt, and scorn, and
persecution, and death. This fact
lies at the basis of these organiza-
tiors.l 1t explains the zeal and
hersism of woman in this cause.
Right or wrong, she believes this
to be a divine mission, and right
: or wrong there is no room in the
: campaign for either cessation or
compromise. .tt
Q. The second fact is, she has inn
plicit faith in the final success of
l. her efforts. This is the outgrowth
Of her faith in God. To her the
) theory of the Divine Sovereignty
3 is sublime reality. God is upon
, the throne. Through all defeats,
despite all opposition, He is carry
ing on His work Of subduing the
. world. Right is not to be forever
! in the dungeon nor wrong forever
9 on the throne. The day hastens
! when "Bel shall bow down and
Ell Nebo shall stoop himself" "The
Il Kingdoms of this world shall be.
Q come the Kingdoms of our God and
9 His Christ, and He shall reign for.
/, ever" Evil is doomed. God is
9 waiting for His people to put on
: their armor and to go forth to the
e contest, and He will rise in His
: majesty and sweep the earth O
= its last stain and gild it with the
0 glories of paradise regained
Such is the sublime faith of woman
Is it not scriptural as well as sub
l lime? Are not the promises o.
3 God beneath her feet? LIS it moi
y the ideal of the cross? Is hers not
e the vision of the son of God, when
: on the cross, He saw of the travail
of His soul and was satisfied
This faith is her support. II
e strengthens her in weakness. Ii
g comforts her in defeat. 1t inspires
e her with zeal. 1t clothes her with
0 power; and it renders impossible
} either despair or the abandonment
0 of her plans. Soldiers in this war
| fare enlist for life or until the sur
I render of the enemy. They ask NJ
y quarter and they accept no com
u promise. Nothing short of the ex
: termination of the legalized traffic
7 in intoxicating drinks will meet
8 the demands of this God-commis
stoned soldiery.
!, 4th. And this brings me to the
last thought: The 1eavera Of acon'am''
convictions wSU sooner or later leaver
the thinking oft5e notion and the age