The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-09-17
The Happiest WomaRin Town

From the Youths Companion.
Bob Marshall lived in a rough town
in Pennsylvania, and was the hardest
drinker of the many hard drinkers OF
the place. Not that he ever lay in the
gutter, or even neglected his business.
No, he was a very Industrious man,
had a good house, a good, quiet wife,
and a 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 haif-hour,
as inclination prompted, he would
help himself to a glass. But the Ii
quor did not brighten his eye or his
brain; neither did it seem to beCloud
either. A fifth of the whisky which he
took daily would have sent one Of his
neighbors into dwelling imbecility,
and another into delirium-treI"ens.
During the last temperance move
ment a jealous worker in the cause, a
pale-faced woman, went to T-(this
was Bob Marshalrs home), for she
had heard it said that if any people
on earth needed to be warned against
drinking, it 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.
"We know all you can say" said
the ma applied to. "You can't tell
the drinking-man half as much about
the evils of intemperance as he can
tell you. Almost every man in this
town drinks, and folks amt going to
turn out to hear themselves abused
by a woman, who ought to be at
home minding her house and children.
You'll be insulted, and perhaps as
sanlted, and the law will have to in
terfere for your protection"
The pastor of one ofthe two churches
of Twas absent. In the other
there were NIGHTLY meetings OF prayer
for a revival. So the little woman
could get neither church.
But that May evening, at half-past
SIX, about the time when people were
leaving their tea-tables, the town. bell
began to clang in a quick way, which
startled and alarmed everybody.
Some one said he guessed there was
afre, and some one else, halfhearing
this. reported there was a fire, and
soon the word was running from
mouth to mouth, and men and BOYS
and women were hurrying towards
the town hall from every n OF the
crooked streets.
When a goodly crowd was assem-
bIed In the yard, and everybody was
asking everybody else where the fire
was, and why the bell was ringing,
and what was the matter, etc, etc.
the pale little woman appeared first
on the hall steps. and then on a dry
goods box near, and began to speak.
MY friends" she said.
There was a lull in thetalk all about
her, for her voice was clear as a bell,
and surprisingly full for such a 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
became silent.
eYou ask what is the cause OF this
alarm. 4 viii tell you. There is grow
ing in this town tree against which I
must warn you. Listenl When / tell
you OF the baleful influence it is exhal-
ing, and when I 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?n
Xish 4 could reproduce that speech
enfi{e Tor you. But / could no more
do than ! could paint the move
ment and the music Of q river.
That assembly Of men in their arti-
san clothes, Of women in their kitchen
aprons, OF children in their school
dresses, caught there In the lenethen,
ing shadows, seemed turned into
statues by the earnest, eloquent az
peal Of q small woman.e
The address was short, and at It'll
close, Mrs. P-said,-
"a would like to speak to you agar
tomorrow evening. win you come
70 hear me?"