The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-06-21
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER.

ever suuntedi We're they opened aeains
Oh. yes But ia it not good thing to
shut up the gates of hell for two or
three months? 1t seemed that men en-
gagged III the business of destroying 9th.
ers did not know how to cope with this
kind Of warfare, They knew how 70
fight the Maine liquor law, and they
knew how to fight the National Temper
ance society, and they knew how to
fight the Sons of Temperance and Good
Samaritans, but when Deborah appeared
upon the scene Sisera took to his feet
and got to the mountains. It seems that
they did not know how to contend
against Coronation" and cold Hun
dred" and "Brattle Street" and "Beth-
any," they We're so very intangible.
These men found that they could not
accomplish much against that kind of
warfare, and in one of the cities regi-
ment was brought ont all armed to dis
perse the women, They came down in
battle array, but, oh, what poor success
for that regiment was made up of gen.
tlemen, and gentlemen do not like to
shoot Women with hymnbooks in their
hands. Oh, they found that cunning
for female prayer meetings was very
poor business. No real damage was
done, although there was threat of vio-
lence after threat of violence all over
ths land. l really think if the women
OF the east had as much faith in God
as their sisters of the west had and the
same recklessness of human criticism,
really believe that in one month three
fourths of the grogshops Of our cities
would be closed, and there would be
running through the cutters of the
streets burgundy and cognac and held
sick and old port and schiedam schnapps
and lager beer, and you would save
your fathers and your husbands and
your sons first from a drunkard S grave
and secondly from a drunkard's hell.
To this battle for home let all women
rouse themselves. Thank God for our
early home. Thank God for our present
home. Thank God for the coming home
in heaven.
An AlleYory.
One twilight, after I had been play
ing with the children for some time,
lay down on the lounge to rest. The
children said play more, Children al
ways want to play more. And, hall
asleep and half awake, l seemed tc
dream this dream: 1t seemed to me that
was in far distant laud-not Persia,
although more than oriental luxuri-
atice crowned the cities nor the tropics,
although moro than tropical fruitful
ness filled the gardens; nor Italy; al
though more than Italian softness filed
the air. And l wandered around looking
for thorns and nettles, but found none
of them grew there. And walked forth,
and | saw the sun rise, and / said,
"When will it set again?' and the sun
sank not And I saw all the people in
holiday apparel, and ] said, "When do
they put on workingman' garb ngnis
and delve in the mine and swelter at
the forge?" But neither the garments
nor the robes did they put off. And l
wandered in the suburbs, and said,
"Where do they bury the dead of this
great city," And looked along by the
hills where it would be most beautiful for
the dead to sleep, and | saw castles and
towns and battlements, but not a mau
soleum nor monument nor white slab
could | Sec And ] went into the great
chapel Of the town, and I said: "Where
do the poor worship? Where are the
benches on which they sit?" And voice
answered, "We have no poor in this
great city"
And wandered cut, seeking to find
the place where were the novels of the
destitute, and I found mansions Of am
Der and ivory and gold, but no tear did
I see or sigh hear. was bewildered,
and sat under the shadow Of great
tree and said, ''What am and whence
comes all this?" And at that moment
there came from among the leaves, skip
ping up the fowery paths and across
the sparkling waters, very bright and
sparkling group, and when saw their
step knew it, and when I heard their
voices I thought | knew them, but their
dDpllCl was sO ulltlEllu l1OlIl any tillbS
/ had ever seen / bowed a stranger to
strangers But after awhile, when they
clapped their hands and shouted, ''Wel-
come welcomed" the mystery was
solved, and ! saw that time had passed
and that eternity had come, and that
God had gathered US up into higher
home, and | said, Are we all here?'
and the voices Of innumerable genera
tons answered, "All here, and while
tears Of gladness We're raining down our
cheeks, and the branches of Lebanon ce-
dars were clapping their hands, and the
towers of the great city were Ginning
their welcome, we began to laugh and
sing and leap and shout, Home home
home!"
Then felt child's hand on my face,
and it woke me. The children wanted
to play more. Children always want to
play more.