Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-04-17
BRANDON.

Next month, (ApriD, the W. c. I. I.
Of Brandon will celebrate the first ami
versary of its organization: for while the
great battle cry of Temperance had
reached rs in our snug little village, we
did not feel conscientious duty to gird
ourselves and go out to fight; until in
response to letter ofinquiry from Mrs.
Erwin, we extended an invitation to
Mrs. NJ j.. Wells to address us. She
came in April and her Womanly grace
disarmed our prejudices, as her clear
statement Of the great Temperance work
being done by women brought us to the
realization of our duty to join in the W.
G. T. U. She had touched our hearts,
and we could no longer be silent nor re-
main in idle, selfish neutrality; hence
forth we must march in the ranks 4
Union with forty regular members and a
Band Of Hope Of sixty members are the
fruit of her visit; and as we work on and
come into a deeper realization Of the
sweet privilege Of being in the work, We
say, Yes, we are glad we are in this
army
Looking back over the year work,
we find We are short of many Of the
snlans we enthusiastically. h0ped for: but
We are not discouraged, for there has
been noble zeal enkindIed in our
hearts, and remarkable awakening OF
the public mind to the drink question in
our town.
We have brought the question prom
inently before our people through mass
meetings, parlor meetings, juvenile con
certs. etc; our women have been brought
into sweeter social intercourses through
our banded efforts in this work; the
children are earnest and enthusiastic
in their pledged work against alcohol,
tobacco and profanity; and now we have
the gladness Of missing from our streets
the Turing golden sign Of one Of the three
saloons our town has supported for
years. Another will go in few weeks
and the one remaining can sell only un-
der the gallon license and will, we be
lieve soon be starved out
To our townsmen we largely owe this
greatest success; for ministers, lawyers,
physicians, merchants, men of every
profession have nobly come to our aid
The development of public sentiment in
our favor has been remarkable.
On April II We shall held respon
sive service in respect to John B.
Cough, using the appropriate leaflets
for the service by our national
President.
Our local President is spending some
months on the coast, where she is meet
ing prominent w. G. 7. U. women and
cleaning from their experience that
which will build us up stronger
and more happily. Her absence afflicts
US, but it is developing the latent ex-
ecutiye ability and courage of the vice
presidents.
We hold bi-monthly Thursday after
noon meetings for devotional service and
business discussions, and the members
of the Band of Hope are taught in
well organized Temperance Sunday
School. They had an interesting exer-
else last month, in which each child was
given one of the pretty certificates Of
Band of Hope membership, and signed
the subjoined triple pledge. 1t was
moving to see sixty children holding the
blue ribbon bound certificate which
proclaims 'mca uita Uota.
Some one has said the children's hand
are on the latch that will open the door
of the Millennium and trusting in the
promise "a little child shall lead them, .
the white ribbon host confidently believe
# the children who are gathering into
Bands of Hope all over our country are
trained to habits of abstinence, the
drink curse will die out with the present
appetite dwarfed generation. God
grant it
BONNYBEL WILLIAMS.
Brandon, Miss, March %, 1886.