St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-09-17
CHAPTER Y.
THE MAKING OF THE LEAGUE.

IOus' even SlpoulS, bul With ught IN every
| lire of his face. l tried to cheer him
In my clumsy way by chatting him
about his league, but he did not blaze
up, as he often did 1t was thing too
near his heart for that. He only shrank
little from my stupid chaff and said:
Don't, old chap. This is a good deal
TO me. I've tried for two years to get
this, and if it falls through now I shall
find 1t hard to bear"
Then l repented my light words and
said: "Why, the thing will go sure
enough. After that scene in the church
they won't go back"
"Poor fellows" he said, as if to him
self, whisky is about the only excite
ment they have, and they find it pretty
tough to give it up, and lot of the
men are against the total abstinence
idea. 1t seems rot to them"
at is pretty Steep" 1 said. Cant
you do without it|
"No; fear not There is nothing else
for it. Some of them talk of compro-
mise. They want to quit the saloon
and drink quietly in their shacks. The
moderate drinker may have his place
in other countries, though | can't see
it. l haven't thought that out, but here
the only safe man is the man who quits
it dead and fights it straight. Anything
else is sheerest humbug and nonsense"
l had not gone in much for total alb
stinence up to this time, chiefly because
it's advocates seemed for the most part
to be somewhat i'll balanced, but as
listened to Craig | began to feel that
perhaps there was a total abstinence
side to the temperance question, and,
as to Black Rock, could see how it
must be one thing or the other.
We found Mrs. Mayor brave and
bright. She shared Mr.. Craig's ankle
ty, but not his gloom. Her courage
was of that serene kind that refuses
to believe defeat possible and lifts the
spirit into the triumph of final victory.
Through the past week she had been
carefully disposing her forces and win
ming recruits, and yet she never seemed
to urge or persuade the men. But as
evening after evening the miners drop
ped into the cozy room down stairs
with her talk and her songs she charm
ed them till they were wholly hers.
She took for granted their loyalty,
trusted them utterly and so made it
difficult for them to be other than true
men.
That night Mrs. MAYORS large store
room, which had been fitted up with
seats, was crowded with miners when
Mr.. Craig and 1 entered.
After a glance over the crowd Craig
said: "There's the manager. That
means war" And I saw tall man.
very fair, whose chin fell away to the
vanishing point and whose hair was
parted in the middle, talking to Mrs
Mavor. She was dressed in some rich
soft stuff that became her well. She
was looking beautiful as ever, but
there was something quite new in hel
manner. Her air of good fellowship
was gone, and she was the high bred
lady, whose gentle dignity and sweet
grace, Wulle very hlAlAhS' he1oC l."
miliarity impossible.
The manager was doing his best anG
appeared to be we'll pleased with him
self.
"She'll get him if any one can.
!, failed" said Craig.
l stood looking at the men, and flint
lot of fellows they were. Free, easy
bold in their bearing, they gave NJ
sign of rudeness, and from their FIRE
, quent glances toward Mrs. Mayor
could see they were always conscious
, Of her presence. No men are so trul,
gentle as are the westerners in tn
presence of good woman. They wer
+ evidently Of all classes and ranks orig
, inally, but now and in this country o
, real measurements they ranked sim
, ply according to the imam" in them.
, "See that handsome young chap o
dissipated appearance| said Craig
= "That's Vernon Winton, an Oxfor
: graduate, blue blood, awfully plucky
! but quite gone. When he gets repent
g ant, instead Of shooting himself h
comes to Mrs. Mayor. Fact"
"From Oxford university to Blac
a Rock mining camp is something Of
+ STEP" i replied.
p 'That queer looking little chap in tn
corner is Billy Breen. How in tn
world has he got here" went on NJ
n Craig.
Queer looking he was-a little mai
O with small head set on heavy, squa1
o shoulders; long arms, and huge hand
: that sprawled all over his body; alt
!. gether a most ungainly specimen of hi
manity.
!. By this time Mrs Mavor had finishe
, with the manager and was in the Gel
~ ter of a group of miners. Her gran
n air was all gone, and she was the
comrade, their friend, one Of ther
y, selves. Nor did she assume the 70
Of entertainer, but rather did she, wit
= half shy air, cast herself upon the
> chivalry, and they were too truly ge
- tlemen to fail her. 1t is hard to NAL
- western men, and especially old til
~ ers, talk. But this gift was hers, al
it stirred my admiration to see b
draw on grizzled veteran to tell ho7
twenty years ago, he had crossed Il
n Great Divide and had seen and do
what no longer fell to men to see
- do in these new days. And so she WI
., the old timer. But it was beautiful