News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-03-24
"Am | My Brothers Keeper p

/ Never were those words from "IiOly
Writ" so impressed upon my mind
as when listening to our "silvcr
tongued orator." Wendell Phillips. n
short time before his death. A band
of reformed men had gathered one
evening in the old Bethel church i'm
! Boston, TO listen to words of encour-
agement from several gentlemen in
! terested in the noble temperance work
then enisting the attention of good
men and women-but before our W.
G. L. L. had developed such n work
ing force as we can now claim. The
audience was composed mostly of the
lower class of working men and WON
en,-those who we're trying TO live
better lives and become temperate.
Having never before met so large q
gathering of this class of drinking
men, the scene was full of interest to
my wistiul gaze, even before Mr..
Phillips arrived.
At the appointed hour he stood on
the platform, one hand ON the desk.
and the other behind him,-which /
have been told was his usual attitude
when earnestly speaking. His tall
noble form w9s of itself an appeal for
reform and manly living, and when
his smoothly sbaven face lighted with
such eloquence as is seldom heard, /
was spell-bound. Had his audience
been the most noble and cultured his
words could not have been better
chosen. Their beauty and sublimity
was not lost on the poor, quiet, lis
fnningr md 4
to catch every word as il fell from his
lips out of a warm, full heart, and
they we're helped, were lifted higher.
made stronger to resist temptation
After speaking as none other could
speak to such an audience, he paused,
and in lowered, impressive tones.
asked to be pardoned for an incident
in his own life, he wished TO relate as
a note of warning to those of his hear.
ers who might be tempted, as he had
been, TO neglect to speak TO n broth
er-man he might possibly save. Said
Mr.. Phillips: When | was n young
man, which would have been in the
early part of this century, was with
a friend with whom | had business
talk sitting under piazza in Charles
town. As we were in conversation, |
thought ! noticed a smell OF liquor.
and felt sure that it came from the
breath Of the young man at NV side.
My first impulse was to speak to him,
for although all, or nearly all, at that
time drank more or less had decid-
ed fully that it was an evil, and that
young people especially should not
drink intoxicating liquors. My sec
ond thought was that IL would dono
good to speak to him, and so / left
him. Seventeen years after that,
said Mr.. Phillips, " / was called TO give
"a temperance lecture i'm a small town
about thirty miles out from Boston,
for had then become deeply interest
ed in the work of trying TO reform
men and il possible 10 save the youth.
After delivering my lecture TO large
and attentive audience, and as the
people We're leaving the church. l
noticed a man pressing his way upto
! the place where \ was standing talk
! ing with Others who had waited 10
speak with me. As he came uearer.
the poor man in his worn. soiled
garments, took me by the hand and,
in tones of reproof | can never forget,
said to me, Wendell, Wendell, why
didn't you say TO me seventeen years
ago what you have said tonight,
and you could have saved me? Now
it is too late for any one else to save
me from n drunkard's gravel On.
Wendell, | am too far gonel Those
terrible words said Mr.. Phillips, "caus-
ed me to decide then and there, that
another chance TO speak TO one whose
breath gave signs Of strong drink
should never be neglected. for the
poor man before me was none other
than the young man who years be-
fore sat beside me on the piazza. My
vow then made has never been brok-
en-. And now, dear reformed broth
ers," said he to those before him,
take warning from bitter experience
and never pass anyone who needs
word of kindly warning or gentle re-
proof or brotherly help. You may
have power to save them
We are "our brothers Keepers
and we are more responsible for their
salvation than we are aware of unless
we give our prayerful thought and
seek help from One who is ever able
and willing to help us throw all our
influence in the right direction for the
best good, and the uplifting of all
within reach.-Mrs. NJ. A. +. Calef.-
Union Signal.