Willmar tribune., 1899-03-01
Temperance Comment.
Edited by the Press Superintendent of the
W. T.. U. of Willmar.1

Edited BY The p Rrezs of the
The following is true story by It.
ia Allen Fellner, lately published in,
the "Ram's Horn," and we hope the
readers of the ''column" may find it
interesting and profitable:
NELL1E's NEW SHOES.
It was the night before the fall cleo.
tion in a beautiful Berkshire village.
The evening had set in with a strange
chill in the air, for there was some
thing in the sound of the wind that
seemed to herald the approach of win
ter in it's most forbidding manner.
For the first time in the history Of
the town, the perplexing question of
'no license" had arisen, to such an
alarming extent, that Mr.. Dean, the
village merchant, and influential citi-
zen in the village, was quite disturbed
in his mind concerning which way he
ought to cast his vote.
He had always voted for license,
quite conscientiously, for he was a
business man and heavy taxpayer,
and had never before questioned the
right or the wrong of doing so.
Tom Mcmahon, the principal saloon
keeper in the village, was a thrifty
money-making mamie was good
hearted and had always been liberal
and given quite generously to all the
village improvements. He was a
friend OF Mr.. Deans, and they were
also neighbors, as their fine houses
were on the same street.
Mr.. Dean had always voted for
Toms license. It was certainly not
Tom McMahon's fault, that so many
of the laboring men and boys in the
town were drunkards. Tom had to
live! He had rather an extravagant
family, and they had good many
things from Mr.. Deans store.
But somehow, tonight, Mr.. Dean
was uneasy, as he was preparing to
leave his store and not at all happy.
He had worked harder than usual that
day, to keep his thoughts from the
license question, but it was of no
avail, for in the afternoon the min
lister and his fair-haired wife had been
in the store talking with the clerks,
and he knew they were speaking of
little Nellie Broderick, who had been
so terribly injured several weeks pre-
vious, by her drunken father...Mr.s
Dean had heard them say that Nellie
could never again run and play or
even walk. He could not forget the
little girl, she had often been in his
store in summer time, and at times he
had given her candy, because she had
bright sunny hair, like his own little
daughter had had, and his little
daughter was dead.
OF course, no one could claim that
it was Tom McMahon's fault that Bro
derrick should go home drunk and
kick his little girl down stairs and in
jure her forever; but the accident had
greatly excited the village and the
church had taken the matter in hand,
and pitiful plea for no license had
been started, and the enthusiastic lit
tie minister and his pretty wife, had
echoed the plea from house to house.
Special prayer meetings were being
held, and much was being said in favor
of prohibition. Saloon keepers and
omce-seekers had become alarmingly
uneasy concerning the would-be result
of the election, and for weeks blazing
placards were hung on all the trees
and fences urging the taxpayers to
consider the necessity of the saloon
for the prosperity of the town, and to
vote for license, for the town could
not afford to lose the revenue.
The campaign had been a busy one
for the Christians, but they fought
bravely, knowing that God was on
their side.
Mr.. Dean was rich, be had many
friends in the town, but he considered
it wise thing for himself to keep out
of the fight. Every year before, he
had worked for license, for he could
sway many of the villagers with his
opinion, but this year he had no heart
in the work.
Mcmahon had been more than neigh
borly to him for a long time, he had
been almost attentive, but Mr.. Deans
long sleeping conscience was begin
ming to awake.
1t was most unfortunate that Nellie
should have been injured the night
that her father had worked for McMa-
hon, and taken his pay in drink. Had
it not been tor that, Mr.. Dean would
probably never have questioned his
vote for Toms license. But since
Nellie was hurt, he felt that he could
not help on the saloon. It would be
hard On Mcmahon to have to close
his place, especially while his daught-
ers were spending 80 much money in