Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-12-09
w. C. T. u. COLUMN.
to: ''God and Home and Native Land.
THE BRAHMIN'S SURPRISE.

The following is from the pen of a gentle-
man who has closely followed woman's WoIk
in America, Europe and elsewhere, from the
time of its ince ption.
One can imagine the surprised won
der of holy Brahmin at the great
mans Christian Temperance Union IN
London.
The time for the annual meeting
has come. Nearly thousand women
delegates-one vessel alone bringing
hundred and fifty from America
have travelled unbranded by any sur
veillance, many of them from the
most distant parts of the earth. Aus
tralia, New Zealand, India, China and
the Isles of the Sea send their best
women.
They meet in halls holding two
thousand, three thousand, and even
ten thousand seats, and thousands
seek in vain for entrance to the even
ing meetings. They are presided over
by lady of rank from the innermost
circle of the English Court, and by
lady from Am erica, who has gathered
under her presidency quarter of
million of women, earnest in every
good way and work. About five hun
dred pulpits are placed at their COM
mand for Sunday services in this
great city of five million inhabitants,
for which, however, they can supply
but two hundred competent women
speakers.
Great publishing offices in Chicago
and London, issuing many periodicals,
and showers like the autumn leaves
in number, leaflets, tracts, books,
around the world by scores or even
hundreds of tons. In Chicago their
gathering place is the "Woman's
Temple,'' built at a cost of million
dollars. State legislatures feel their
power, and at their entreaty pass en-
actments restricting or abolishing
the drink traffic, and enforcing sys-
tematic instruction as to it's evils in
of Great Britain also is feeling the
power of this vast combination for
the protection of the home and the
country.
To the Oriental obrerver, these
great annual meetings may at first
seem but for ''talkee- ee'-speech
es, votes, resolutions, the expenditure
of little breath. But when it's mem
bers separate, it is to carry to thous-
ands of communities around the
| IoLoo lo - Of
mercy and benefcence received at
the central meetings. 1t was the say
! ing of George Fox, the first of the
| Quakers, that lone man of faith must
always shake the community for ten
miles around him. Then what may
we not expect from the united, sys-
tematized and well directed efforts of
these thousands of women acting
Systematically under the experienced
guidance of this society?
Of one unit of this great company
a woman rot above the average in
ability, a tender and faithful mother,
a loving wife to an excellent mani
would say word, as giving an exam
pie of the effect upon and through
the individual of this admirable or
ganization of which have spoken.
She was quiet and retiring. She
had brought up her children with a
mothers exclusive and excluding de-
votion. Enthusiastically she lived in
the silence through the centuries
(for women) of the Presbyterian
| ~
to speak," however great her gift,
however full her heart. The wave OF
the woman's temperance crusade
reached the town of her residence
AS a preliminary step, women were
called together to hold meetings for
conference and prayer, each attende1
being expected in succession to pre-
side. So terrible was the ordeal that
for fortnight before her turn came
this strong and healthy matrOn would
find herself an invalid, and, on the
prayer meeting day, scarcely able TIC
walk. Gradually she lost the terrible
diffidence of self consciousness, and
found the courage of self forgetful
enthusiasm for work laid out for her
About her, as everywhere, were the
wrecks of once happy homes, pathet-
ic scenes of degradation of the mar
and of the misery of the wife and
children. The cause lay in three tav-
ems and score of even less respect
able drinking saloons. Guided by
the impulse and instructions of the
central society, she and few other
women prayed, persuaded, protested
persevered, and placed at length 6
complete restriction on the sale of IL
quor. The now courageous leader