The Republican., 1900-09-06

| taking alcohol as swiftly as a slave
casts off his fetters, and for the same
reason. To be healthy is to be able
to serve the weak and helpless, and
to multiply joy and wisdom among
both weak and strong. So, as 1 wish
to reach a high standard of health,
| am total abstainer from alcohol.
Second, l believe in total abstinence
from the point of view of brain pow
er. To be thoughtful, observant and
accurate, the brain must be active,
alert and sympathetic. Its atmos-
phere must be habitually clear and
calm, but it must possess the faculty
of taking fire" in inspiratio mo-
ments. To blunt the capacity for
| feeling pain is what is accomplished,
doubtless, when alcohol is taken to
quiet the worried nerves, or to stop
some ache or screw up the courage,
but at the same time the faculty for
feeling joy, the perception of beauty
and all the purely spiritual qualities
have also been blunted, and the re-
suit of frequent bunting is the ulti-
mate deadening. Better far to en-
dure with patience and fortitude the
present pain and worry than evade
it by killing the power to feel it.
To many women, especially those
of keenly nervous temperament, there
are innumerable points of contact
between their spiritual being and
everyday life, and sometimes every
point is a pain. But, oh, the folly,
the madness of drowning the spirit
ual being in order to escape the pain!
Yet this is what is done when the
worried, tried or suffering man flies
| to the wine decanter or the spirit
bottle for consolation. If we believe
in casting all our care upon Him who
careth for us; if we carry out our
belief, it is simply marvellous how
worries cease to worry us, and even
pain brings its own message of Di-
vine peace. 1t would seem that while
we walk in our own shadow, which is
the most misleading of twilights,
things and feelings are all out of
| perspective. and nothing is in it's
true proportions; but directly we turn
our hearts to God and walk in His
light, the phantoms of dread shrink
away, and the dragons turn out to
be but little worrying gnats, from
which our upward progress will lead
us into the mountain air of peace
which passeth all understanding.
I am, therefore. a total abstainer
because L place immeasurable value
on the thinking power and the power
to feel which my Heavenly Father
has intrusted to me for His service
and the service of man.
Third, / believe in total abstinence
! because as wife and mother and
mistress of household l am bound
to set the best example l can before
all-in my unselfish, industrious and
orderly ways, and in all matters of
food, drink, clothing, conversation
and general conduct, as well as in
my ability to give advice, help, re-
proof, loving service, pleasure and
comfort. If | lean on lower strength
than the strength of the Eternal, |
shall surely fail. My humble, night.
! ly prayer is that neither child, mol
husband, maid nor any employe shall
ever be the worse for my compan-
ionship and my presence in their
lives. If l took alcohol, | should be
making unguarded moments certain;
1 should be finging away my power
of self-control; and the principles
that govern the dear little kingdom
of home would be found to swerve,
! II, 80, hn INr
moody and changeful impulses.
Alcohol is the one arch foe of the
home. How could l, who, being
mother, am the headquarters of the
home garrison, have one arm thrown
lovingly round children, husband,
maids, and the other stretched out
to encircle their deadliest enemy?
am an enthusiastic abstainer because
of my home relationship.
Fourth, am total abstainer fror
the standpoint of citizenship. The
life of a nation is but the expanded
life of its homes. A country boasting
great prisons, enormous lunatic asyl-
'ums, workhouses and orphanages, is in
no need of newspapers to proclaim
the widespread misery of its home
life. just think of it! Not a single
prisoner, lunatic, pauper or "insti-
tuted'' orphan, but publishes the ex-
istence of an unhappy home! The
great determining cause of nine
tenths of the misery has been decided
by incontrovertible authorities of all
kinds to be alcoholic drink. | love
my country; how then could [ have
any respect for a traffic that so beg
gars her happy homes, and so disas-
trously threatens her future? Nay.
my lips have from babyhood prayed
Christ's prayer, 'Thy kingdom come"
and every year deepens my convic-
ton that each lHaing human being is
to help answer that prayer. So in
the service of preparing the way be-
fore the coming kingdom. | guard my
health, intellect, emotions, imagina-
ton, duties, example and aspirations
from the deadly poison of alcohol,
and | am total abstainer because |
am woman, a citizen and a Chris
tian-Mrs. Ormiston Chant, in Union
Signal.