The Press., 1897-08-19
Number 21.
w. C. T. U.

Tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 20, ie temper ance day at Willimantic camp ground. ''W stands for woman's war against wine stands for Christians along this line
 T is for temperance, all over our land
 U is for Union, united we stand,
 United against King Alcohors power
 Which seeks to destroy this fair land of ours,"
 There Is good deal sometimes in a name. It Is said that by giving the name of Tatiania to their baby daughter, the Czar and Czarina of Russia desire to con- vey to the empire the royal disapproval of the corruption and immortality which pol lutes high life in St. Petersburg. era tiania" Is the name of the heroine of one of the best known works of Pushkine, the popular Russian poet, in which the vices of the aristooracy are lashed with most unsparing freedom. The Empress particularly has endeavoredi in many ways to improve the tone of society in the Russian capitol, her prohibition of smok- ing by ladies in attendance upon her being only one of the many reforms she has at- tempted to introduce. Her efforts have met with little success, and now through her youngest born, "Tatiania," she inti- mates to her subjects delicately but un- mistakably that she shares the views of Pushkine with regard to the manners and morals of the nobility.
 In a chapter of her delightful biograph- ical sketch in McClure's Magazine, Eliza beth Stuart Phelps tells the story of her awakening on the temperance question. She was spending the summer as usual at her little retreat at Gloucester, and, in one of her evening rides, found her way suddenly blocked by an excited crowd in front of saloon whose very existence had been unknown to her. She thus describes her own previous ignorance and the effect of this tragedy upon her:
 "As for what Is known, in this country, as the temperance movement, 1t was as unfamiliar to me as the gossip of Tahiti was reared in circles which pursued their own propoltio of Christian charity in their own ways, and which knew but little of this form of ethical progress. In a word, 1 was without education for that kind of service to humanity, and had, hitherto, paid no more attention to.it than any woman of society. In fact, If the truth were to be told, l had, perhaps, little more confidence in the wisdom of its prevailing methods. Ignorance is al- vUava rraiudioa opd ' 1uoo y,ya3,,dIoad l.. proportion to mine. That Gloucester murder and the short hour spent in that devasted home, did for me what all the temperance conventions and crusaders oi America, generalled by braver and broad er-minded women than 1, had failed tC do. All my traditions went down and my common sense and human heart came up From that day asked no questions; had no replies; but gave my sympathy without paltry hesitation, to the worl done by the women of America for the salvation of men endangered or ruined by liquor habit"
 Like other great souls, Mrs. Phelps Ward is generous to others, stern witt herself. But in truth, the brave ana broad-minded women who have general led the temperance work would freely confess that, like Mrs. Ward, they new little or nothing of the need of temper ance work until something brought to them as to her an "arrest of thought. None of them, it may be safely said, on tered upon the work from an abstract sense of the need and and their own duty The details have differed but the process has been much the same in all cases as 1T the case of Mrs. Ward. And not one of them responded more nobly and fearlessly to the call of duty when once that call smote upon her ear. The story of tho meeting she conducted on the next Sab bath in the saloon where the murder tool place and of her subsequent work among those Gloucester fishermen is worthy ol a place among the most heroic deeds oi the temperance work. Mrs. Ward tells less than we would be glad to hear of he work, but It's results may be judged iron the fact that women came to her asking her ito stop their husbands from drink lng," and strange men stopped her in tho streets with the words, "I hear whom yol talk to folks they stop drinking. wisl you'd talk to me-"
 Our hearts have been gladdened to learl of the work which for the past four year has been carried on by the Christian Mems Union, of which Col. H. H. Hadley so well known as an evangelist, Is vice president and director. Over 150,00, have signed the pledge ,and nearly 100, % of the badges, white cross upon blu
 ground, are being worn. Colonel lIadle is preparing to have the greatest cam : paign for total abstinence the world ha ever known, to begin this fall