The Monitor-register., 1896-10-09

is greater than usual. But l know where
to slip in"
Having taken the seats which, in some
seemingly magical manner were found for
them, the strangers looked about.
Certainly this was different from anything
they had imagined. This great crowd of
people, well dressed, evidently well-bred,
cultured and intelligent, gathered to heal
q temperance address! 1t may seem
strange to you, but it is true that with all
their literary culture and taste these girls
were so ignorant of the progress of the
temperance reform, and had so little
knowledge of the plans of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union, that their
only idea of a temperance address led
them to expect the speaker to set fourth
the woes of the d~runkard's family, Illus
trating by narrowing incidents. and ending
with the presentation of the pledge for
signatures. No wonder that the address
to which they listened that afternoon was
a surprise and a revelation. There was
no attempt to play upon the emotions.
The argument was clear and logical; the
sentences simple and in%cisive; the voice
strong and penetrating; the name of the
| speaker quiet and self controlled; every
statement simple and direct, and the
| appeal to tie conscience rather than to
| the emotions.
AS the two girls went back to the
cottage, having thanked Miss Cation for
bringing them, Laura said, swell, that
was worth hearing! But, May. she made
some tremendous statements"
Eyes, and do you know l can't think
\ what people are thinking about II half
she said is true, and 1 believe it is all
true! Are the people the world over as
ignorant as you and 1 upon this subj sctS
1t must be SO, for Christian men and
women kno wing about these things would
never rest until the cause is removed. l
| feel as if l should never rest again. l do
| not remember when have been SO aroused
to a consciousness Of a duty close at
hand"
"This is a sudden conversion!' returned
Laura. apparently only amused at her
| friends newborn interest.
"Call it that if you choose. l was never
so surprised in my life. Just think of
this great organization, stretching all
about the world, embracing 30 much, and
we knowing so little about it, to say
nothing of not being in it! On the one
hand, l never dreamed of the magnitude
| of the evil, or Of how it is intermingled
| with the affairs of the nation. % the
other hand, 1 I'm just as much surprised
at the wonderful growth of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union and the
work it undertakes to do. And about
the largest work they have on hand is to
overcome the apathy and ignorance of us
Christians. But, Laura, she referred to
so many things 1 did not understand at
all! 1 am going to the meetings to-mor-
row and find out the ms and outs of this
thing"
The next morning May went to the
early meeting by herself, Laura having
an attack of nervous headache which kept
her in for q time. May returned full of
her observations and experiences and was
quite ready to talk, and Laura had so far
| recovered as to be ready to listen.
"Why, I never heard anything like it!'
began May. "Laura, you may as well
wake up and study into this matter with
me. We have got to get at the meaning
of this new vocabulary that these women
use. This organization is the largest.
most cunningly contrived piece of
machinery that ever was invented! There
are wheels and wheels, all playing upon
one another, all SO we'll oiled with a mix
ture that these women know thes secret OF
that there seems to be no friction, and the
steam of enthuiasm keeps them all going,
and the belt of the huge machine is only
a strip of white ribbon, but it runs all
around the world! We are going to have
one of these wheels set up in SchOnset,
and you and I will have to ca try back
enthusiasm enough to run It'll"
"May Landersl do believe you have
caught it! You are the young woman
who said only yesterday afternoon, I am
opposed to cranks on general principles,
and here you are ready to turn a wheel in
Schonsetl"
May laughed at Laura's dismay, and
continued her talk. 81 rather think l
have caught something; one generally
gets what is in the air If at all susceptible.
Come, Laura, GO to the school of methods
with me. You may as we'll get your little
cup ready, and catch some of the drop
pings of wisdom that fall 30 plentifully
in this wonderful place. l found out this
morning that there is q wheel Of mothers
meetings and another of parliamentary
drill, and one that makes the wheels of
legislation go faster-grinds out sand 1
suppose-and another that runs counter
to alcohol in medicine, and one of the
women said something about forty
departments, SO I suppose there is a lot
more to learn. 1t is as in interesting a prob
lem as any l ever studied"
1t was the last day of their "outing,"
and the closing of the school of methods.
The meeting was a sort of a "Love Feast
and of course both girls were present.
Suddenly, to Laura's surprise, May rose
in the meeting. Her voice was very quiet
and very earnest. 81 want to tell you,"
she began, ''what this week has been to
me. I feel as If a new book Of Revelation
had been spread out before me, and it has
been like learning a new language; but l
think I have a smattering of it, and can
both understand and make myself under
stood, and it is a language which l mean
to speak hereafter, and in the use of which
I hope to improve. 1 game here totally
ignorant of this subject in all its phases.
1 feel somewhat like the heather woman
who is 30 often quoted in our missionary
rallies, who said, If you have known this
all the while, why haven't you told us
before?' We do not know just how to 60
to work, but we, my friend and l, want
some ore to go out to Schonset, and tell
the women there about the work Of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
and show us how to begin"
"Well, May, you made your maiden
speech this %morning!" said Laura, as
with Madge Canton they walked along the
avenue towards the Lewis cottage.
"And all because Madge Canton had the
courage of her convictions that first after
noon"
sit really seemed almost an impertinent