The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-10-16
THE W0MEN'S WAR.
BY EUGENE J. HALL.


[ The following poem was recited by Miss Alice
Christie, aged nine years, at the Band of Hope
entertainment Tuesday EVENING"
Well Amos, I've been to the meetin', we held it
at Barkers tonight;
tell you the Lord IS a comm in al o his power
AN might.
The glad songs o Zion are ringin', in places not
used 10 the sound
Where our boys have been wastin' their evenin's
in drinkin an loa9iu around.
All over the laad that we 1--we in, in country an
We're goin' 10 give Mr. Tyndall q test O the
power o prayer.
I've been to the meetin' at Bankers. we give him
Sudden surprise;
When he looked mp am seen US comm tell
you he opened bis eyes.
He stared ut over the counter, each eve looked
rs big as the moon,
But we want TO be frightened in that way. we
walked right into the saloon.
He didn't attempt to oppose Us, he was willin' to
give us fair play;
He looked all around him an chuckled but never
word did he say.
There were lots o young men there a loafin',
reckon dozen or more;
When some on en- seen US a comm, they slid ont
the leetle back door
Some stood by The counter drinkin'; they hadn't
an atom O shame
An those who were pldyin at billiards went on
with their impious game.
The rest on 'cIn sot there a sippin' their whisky
their handy an gin.
to begin
gazed at the bright lookin' bottles behind the
tall counter displayed:
| thought o the lives they had wasted: I thought
o the graves they mad made
l thought o the boys they had ruined, by leadin'
EN- widely astray;
o the wrongs they had wrought on the HELPLESS
by stealth their substance away;
An ali o the power within me, swept over my
soul like a storm,
An littin' my hands UP TO heaven brayed for a
speedy reform.
While, out o the months o the sisters, who sol
EMMY llue!t by me there,
hundred impressive responses fined in with
my passionate prayer
Then We sung tnat glad hymn o salvation a. o
turn We, fJrWhy VIII We die2
An IL seemed To Ely soul in that moment, Gods
glory was comm so nigh.
We sang o The lowly Redeelaer, an those that he
persisted to save,
An when the last staaza was ended, the room
was as still a. the grave.
Bill Barker looked over his counter, the prospect
he didn't enjoy:
Twas plain to be seen he was thinkin' o. those he
had helped 10 destroy.
lie glanced at the row o. bright bottles before his
bright mirror arrayed,
Like one who Is proud o his power, nor cares for
the wrecks he has made.
But soon Yer his hard-lOOkin features n kinder
an softer look stole
Perhaps some good angel was tryin' to soften his
sin-burdcHei soul.
He looked sort O troubled an worried, an still
he had nothin To say:
nc 9eelIlc't 20 be quietly Wlshln We women were
All was still! till a wili-looBin' woman, wi
face Jest as white as Il shroud;
CTcpt steaithlly out o "a corner, an stood in the
midst o the crowd
Her hoiler cheeks spoke o starvation her sunken
eyes told odistrcSs;
Her quiverin lips q mute anguish 10 language
o mine can express.
She Iited her talon-hkc fingers high over her
head in despair,
An walkin straight up T. tae counter. she gazcd
az the rumseIIcr there.
He looked AT her pale, haggurd features an turn
ed with "a snUddcr away,
lie spoke not a word, but he listened to hear what
the woman would say.
Look! Look on your work here Bill Barker"
she cried with "a passionate wall;
" You have ruined my home an my husband
and sent both my young boys to jail.
They say am MAD. do you wonder? Your liquor
has brought all my woe;
l tell you your time is a conin'-God's Judgment
Is certain but slow.
Then turnin away from the counter she silently
passed from the place.
The rulnselers conscience was troubled, he
showed 1t all over his face
lis mind seemed to be all unsettled, his eelin's
he couldn't control
l knew that powerful struggle was goin' on
down in his soul
An, Amos reckon, no language can pcter the
way that he felt;
He looked kind o sorry an umblc, like one jest
peShhh 70 met
An when III a few moments after, we jined in
~ 80 I'll - Pis g, a., - 49,. -,
' my counter AZ iIoiseieSsl!
M, hiaS ~ v ~ - - - ili ~ Z .,
INC me- li,,,! ~ iiIsAti' ter pi"i an drink
III ~ Nlo ~ ny me wan
An Over fne!r F4u{A-iookih faces thc tears were
M, t.t.7iitil.ii 10 ltil.
A., a 1l ore pure r. ana sgieue, .,..
All al on ts tcI- III tH''I AiohehI tIle presence
4, 60, y ~. s s'Iisgtl; -, ,,;,, w.
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an ~ syt " 10, an gain nc start
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