News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-30
THE HAPPIEST WOMAN.

Bob Marshall lived in rough town
In Pennsylvania, and was the hardest
drinker of the many hard drinkers ot
the place. Not that he ever lay in the
gutter, or ever neglected his business.
No, he was a very industrious man,
had good house, a good, quiet wife,
and family of bright, well-cared for
children. He belonged to that class of
men who can drink heavily with little
perceptible effect.
He kept a jug beside him as he worked
and every hour or half hour, as inclina-
tion prompted, he would help himself
to a glass. But the LIQUOR did not
brighten his nose or his brain; neither
did it seem to becloud either. A fifth
of the whiskey which he took daily
would have sent one of his Deighbors in
to drivelling imbecility, and another in
to delirium-tremen
During the last temperance movement,
o Jealous worker in the cause, a little,
pale-faced woman, went to T. this
was Bob Marshall's home), for she had
heard it said that if any eople on earth
needed to be warned against drinking,
1t was these. Many persons had advised
against her going to this rough town.
She would be derided and insulted, they
said.
When she applied for the use of the
town hall it was denied.
I'VE know all you can say" said the
man applied to. "You can't tell the
driuking-man half as much about the
evils of intempel ance as he can tell you.
Almost every man in this town drinks,
and folks aint going to turn our to hear
themselves abused by woman who
ought to be at hCme minding her house
and children. You'll be insulted, and
perhaps assaulted, and the law will have
to interfere for your protection
The astor of one of the two churches
of T was absent. In the other
there were nightly meetings of prayer
for revival. So the little woman
could get neither church.
But that May evening, at half-past 8,
about the time when people were leav-
ing their tea tables, the town-b bell began
to clang In quick way, which startled
and alarmed everybody.
Some one said he guessed there was a
fire, and some one else, half hearing
this, reported that there Cns fire, and
soon the word was running from mouth
TO mouth, and men and BOYS and wo-
men were hurrying towards the town
hall from every one of the crooked
streets.
When goodly crowd was assembled
in the yard, and everybody was ask
ing everybody else where the fire
was, and why the bell was ring
ing, and what was the matter,
ETC., etc., the pale little woman ap-
ha Io1 ~
on dry goods box near, and began to
speak.
"My friends" she said
There was a lull in the talk all about
her, for her voice was clear as bell,
and surprisingly full for such little
body.
"My friends" she repeated, and this
time the words penetrated farther; and
those who had not heard her, saw her
standing up there.
The people massed about her, and be-
came silent.
You ask what is the cause of this
alarm. l will tell yon. There is grow
ing in this town tree against which I
must warn you. Listen When tell
you of the baleful influence it is exhal-
ing, and when point it out to you, will
you promise me to lay the axe to the
root, and hew it down and cast it into
the fire 2''
wish l could reproduce that speech
entire for you. But l could no more do
it than could paint the movement and
the music of river.
That assembly of pen in their artizan
clothes, or women in their kitchen
aprons, of children IN their school
dresses, caught there in the lengthen.
ing shadows, seemed turned into statues
by the earnest, eloquent appeal of
small woman.
The address was short, and a. its
close Mrs P said, =
~ would like to speak to you again
tomorrow evening. Will you come to
hear me?"
Yes! yes! yes'' was the response
from all parts of the crowd.
"Then meet me here at half-past six
tomorrow"
TIL, next day the authorities waited
on the determined little woman, and Of
fered her the use of the town hall.
This was the initiation of one of the
most noticeable temperance movements
which ever visited a little town.
Bob Marshall stood up against it, and
behind Bob Marshall stood scores of
other men, and behind these scores of
OF her men stood scores of women.
Many of Bob's neighbors, and friends
and cronies who had signed the pledge |
went to him with the story of their new
liberty and their new hope, and begged
him to covenant with them; to promise |
4born and their wives and their children, |
as they had promised, to abstain from !