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

"Then meet here at half-past six to
morrow" .
The next day the authorities wait
ed on the determined little woman
and offered her the use OF the towr
hall.
This was the initiation OF n OF the
most noticeable temperance move
ments which Eel visited q little
town.
Bob Marshall stood up against it
and behind Bob Marshall stood scores
of other men, and behind these scores
OF 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 them and their wives and
their children, as they had promised,
to abstain from all traffic in drink.
But Bob good-naturedly but emphat-
ically refused TO take the pledge, dis
missing all their arguments with q
breath. He declared that his drinking
wasn't hurting himself or others.
1T is hurting others" the temper
ance people urged. YOU'RE at the
head of the 'hold-outers.' You're the
most influential man among them.
Fifty or a hundred men are standing
behind you, covered by you. Admit
ting that whjskey doesn't hurt you,
it's hurting them. If youll join the
movement, we'll reform the last man
of them"
Still Bob refused. If there were men
behind him, he had nothing to do
with their beng there; they put them
selves there, etc.
But the greater the opposition he
offered, the more determined were the
temperance people to conquer his will.
They ordered to the front their lOgi-
clans, their eloquent men, their persua-
sive women, till Bob's refusal, from
being good-natured, grew to be coldly
polite, then severely dignitied. AT
length, one day, he replied angrily,-
"LoOE here. Pm tired OF this! You
peddlers, get out of my shop, and let
me alone. Don't you come botherin'
me with this talk any more. I've
had enough OF this naggin'. You're
an impudent set of fellers to come ad-
vising me about my duty to my wife
and children. Which cares for 'em,
you or me? You'd bettergo and look
after your own wives and children.
Mine have more clothes and
better clothes than any of yours,
and the clothes are all paid for, and
that's more than some ofyoueansay.
Look out tor your your own homes,
and let mine alone. My wife amt 60
in to thank you for meddlin' about
her happiness. She's the happiest
woman in town now. Tend to your
own wives, l tell you again; l say
mines the happiest woman in town."
He sid the same thing, "My wife's
the hanpiest woman in town." to the
old gray-haired minister, sent to him
by the persevering temperance people.
The minister had married Bob to
the happiest woman in town; had re-
ceived the happiestwoman into church;
had instructed all Bob's children; had
been the f~amily-adviser and sympa-
thizer.
When Bob said to him, "My wife's
the best caredior-womanin town, the
happiest woman in town." the minis
ter replied
"But she might be the happiest
woman in any town, the happiest
woman in the world, if you'd stop
drinking"
"You don't mean to say that it
would make her any happier" said
Bob.
eyes, / do. OF course it would
makeher happier"
did she say it would?" Bob de-
manded, sharply.
Not that / know of, but there is
no right-feeling woman who is not
grieved and shamed by her husbands
drinking"
81 don't believe my wife's grieved
and shamed at anything I do, or that
she has ever been. My drinkingdoesn't
worry her. / never get drunk"
Suppose you ask her, the minister
suggested.
q viii; I'll ask her tonight" Bob
said, promptly.
s"And what them" said the minister.
III she says that it will make her
any happier to have me give updrink-
ing, Ill do it. I'll go to your temper
ance meeting tonight. Pll leave it all
with Susan"
"Goodl" said the minister, laying
his hand on the Others arm, and
feeling sure of his man.
That evening, after tea was over,
Bob said to his wife that he would
like to have alittle talk with her. So
they went away to the spare roomt to-
gether, and then he told her all about
it, how the men and the minister had
been talking to him, OF the arguments
they had used, ETC., ETC., OF how he
had boasted that she was the happi.
est woman in town, Of the ministers
reply.
Then ! told him, Susan, that III
leave it all to you, and I do; | leave il
to you. Arn't you happy, Susani
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