The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-05-18

THE HOME INFLUENCE.

farmer friend said to me not long since.
Indeed did not. If any spot on earth
could be considered safe from this aw-
full plague l thought it was the farm
home.
But they are," he continued. "a
days ago l sat in friends Office, oppo-
site a saloon, and counted thirteen
farmer boys among those who entered
that saloon during little more than
an hour"
The statement set me thinking and
set me watching as well. l fear it is
too true. Our town is small and has
perhaps few attractions, yet every Sat
urday evening sees the streets filed
with young people from the country.
The saloons are brilliant and busy.
Whose boys are there l cannot tell
God grant it may be neither yours nor
mine. Somebody's boy is there.
Dear friends, this question no longer
belongs to the city alone. The temper
ance question is yours. Unless you
take hold of it vigorously your own
households will be made desolate.
There are two ways of working for
temperance. One is to tear up and de-
stroy the evil traffic in intoxicants, the
other to spare no effort in cultivating
Whatsoever things are true and pure
and lovely" The first named method
has, / think, received the greater at
tention for many years. With what
oil ne Lott
earnest workers have been seeking in
the second ''more excellent way"
A company of organized workers, not
long since, held their sessions in
room where mechanic was making
some needed repairs. Manifesting a
strong interest in the affairs of the
meeting the workman was asked if he
had something he would like to say.
81 thank you very much" was the
immediate response, ''for l really have.
your last three sessions, and have been
much interested and pleased by many
things | have heard But ladies,
pardon me, beg of you; the feeling is
constantly present that, while your
work here has certain merit, it is
mostly valueless because you have com
menced at the wrong end. The tenn
perance pledge is a splendid safeguard
for the fellows who can summon suffi-
cient strength of character to keep it..
But to young man without home, or
with home in name only. who wants
and must have friends, society and
amusement, pledge-keeping is some
times an utter impossibility.
'But if young man has any sense of
right, any honor" the president inter
rupted severely
"He may have great deal of honor,
honor that nothing could tarnish, given
the right conditions; but his environ
ment is too much for him. He is ex-
pected to live in a prison, and he can
not do it."
There was moments pause, and
one of the ladies took advantage of it
to ask: "Will you kindly tell what you
consider the right end of this matter?''
THE home end" was the instant re-
Spouse, and the words were electrical.
There was not woman, young or old,
who did not respond to this quick, close
touch of truth with every throb of her
heart and every nerve of her body,
"You see before you, ladies'" the
speaker went on, "a man twenty-five
years old, who was practically home
less and motherless. do not say that
my mother did not love me, but | do
say that no human interest was even
allowed to interfere with the cleanli.
ness and order of the house. This was
her first and last consideration. had
a love and, | believe, talent for me.
chanics, and if | could have had the
tools | needed and a place that could
have called my own, with full liberty
to white, plane and carve. | should
not at eighteen have spent all my even
| ings outside with doubtful compan-
ions, AS long as there was no dust on
my bureau, no fnger-marks on the
door, no litter on the carpet, it made
small difference to my mother where
was. The back yard even was too sa
cred place to be desecrated with shay
ings, and though l would have beer
! satisfied with a cellar for a workshop
that was denied me. From morn
| ing till night ] never heard anything
| but eXhortations not to spill, not to soil
not to make litter, and to wipe my
| feet and put things where found them
Well, got into bad company
went into liquor saloons and dranl
with the rest. | never went home in
toXicated because / knew the conse
quences of not being able to wipe my
feet would be very disagreeable. i
certainly never occurred to me that m,
mother would care about my condition
outside Of the trouble and disorder
| might cause and the disgrace of be
ing seen by the neighbors. In this way
| precious years were wasted, worst
than wasted, and long before this
should have been utterly irreclaimablt
ii 1t had not been for very lovely anC
a very sensible old lady who won my
confidence and who offered me a home
She found me a teacher, provided me
with tools, and III exchange for thi
Kindness ! promised to stop drinking
and to spend my evenings IN the house
am now self-supporting and it viii
no. be long before shall occupy bet
ter position than my present one. SO
ladies, | know that if the mothers o
our boys do not take practical hold o
the right end of this matter of temper
ance, It might jus: as well be left alon,
entirely
| Is lot this a startling statement? VIII,
of Us is blameless? If the saloons o
your village are drawing your boys OF