The San Francisco call., 1896-05-04

the audience, the singing being led by the
Rev. Father Yorke. Miss Marie Georgiani
accompanied on the piano.
Father Yorke also read the prayer, and
the chairman spoke briefly OF the history
OF the League OF the Cross, its objects and
aspirations. He explained that the Junior
branch was composed of young men and
boys who took the pledge of total absti-
nence until they were 21 years of age.
Miss Catherine Block rendered ''You,"
Obliged to respond to an encore, when she
gave the old song, Il Cannot Sing That
Song To- might"
Professor S. J. Sandy sang Rocked in
the Cradle of the Deep" in splendid voice,
and Miss Gonzales gave two recitations in
way that delighted the audience.
The assembly sang America" and then
Harry Dinan, Miss Kirby and Miss Ma
honey entertained the audience.
The contest for the silver medal for the
best essay was most exciting. The con-
testants were as follows: Cathedral, Cor
poral Benjamin L.. Mckinley; st. Bridget's,
Sergeant James Touhy; Sacred Heart,
corporal James Carew; st. Francis, Private
Rudolph Ruff; Holy Cross. Private Will
liam Enright.
The conditions of the contest were: (1)
Literary merit, (2pargument, (3) delivery,
each essay being limited to 1000 words.
The judges were Professor Silas A.
White, principal of the Spring Valley
Grammar School; Miss Agnes M. Man
ming, principal of the Webster Primary.
and Miss Mary A. Roper of the same
school.
Corporal Benjamin L, Mckinley was
awarded the medal and Sergeant James
Iouhy was second. The others were gen.
erously praised for their respective efforts.
The prize essay is as follows:
"Why l Am Total Abstainer." There is
| perhaps other xuhj a,
SO mucn OF the thought and attention of the
civilized world at the present time as the ones
tlon OF the constantly increasing sale and use
OF intoxicating drink 1t is matter which af-
1ects man in every relation of his being-as a
sentient animal organism, as a free and INTEL
iigent agent subject TO the moral law and re-
| sponslble to his Creator for its violation, and
as a unit in the great social organism
In the physical life of man there are certain
substances which are necessary in the building
up and development of his bodily strength
and IN the repairing of the waste and wear in
cident to his healthful activity. When these
Suos st stances are taken into the system, each in
lts turn Is absorbed by the tissues and con-
Verteu INTO niesh, bone, fiber, muscle or brain
and becomes part and parcel of the man.
=, mnen men alcoholle liquor is introduced into
the system 1t acts like burning firebrand: it
infames and blisters every membrane that II
Iouches; 1t rushes to the head and ben umbs
Sa tne prain; II disturbs the pulsations of the
neart' IL ahects the respiration; and in fact
every organ OF the body rises with one accord
70 repel the intruder. Alcohol cannot in any
osr oense De called iood 1t does not build up; it
can only tear down and destroy; ana if its use
pc continued, the unsteady step, the palsied
nl, nanu, the pIoated face, the beary eyes and the
uiouuee brain tell their story to the world of
natures revenge for her violated laws
but there is another and more important
consioerationi man is more than a mere ami
MAJ pouy, 1od made him a little less than the
angels. He gave him an i'm m tai soul Horned
i IN hls own image and likeness, and a moral
na,s caw Dy tne observance or which he might pur-
onase ~ ior rhat soul the reward of eternal hap
pineSS. The awful manner in which ,nd,,1
gence IN strong drink destroys that image and
rAeness OF the Creator in the soul, and sets at
plainly exemplified in the thousands OF moral
wrecks that strew the shores of the ocean of
NE Its attractiveness is the secret of its
power. The spirit indeed is willing but the
nesh is weak; the young man who takes into
MS nsnd for the first time that poisoned cup
J would shudder at the thought of felon's cell