The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-02-18
DISTRICT FOUR

one masculine. took part in a piece
called "A Bow of White Ribbon" and
they did their parts to perfection. The
same party with few more added
sung a song called 1T Must Co." and
they sure did make the song go.
One little maid. Miss Esther May
Reagan, recited a piece in which she
informed the audience that My Papa
Doesn't Drink" written by Mrs. VI. NJ.
Little. and the way she told the story
must have made the said papa feel
proud.
Mrs r. CT Blake sung a selection
with all the taste and artistic skill for
which she is noted. and Frank Gates
song. Your Mother is Loving You Yet"
touched the hearts Of every mother and
every son in the church.
But the piece de resistance Cas a GER
tain editor would say was the splen-
did address by the Florida state presi-
dent of the W. c. T. l.. Miss Minnie F..
Neal. delivered with an earnest elo-
quent grace that was simply charming.
She commenced by referring to the
state convention held in this city two
years ago and said that that conven-
ton. held in the Methodist church.
seemed to be an epoch from which to
date the commencement of doing
things. She said there were three cell
ebrated birthdays to commemorate in
February-Washingt Miss Willard
and Lincoln. The father OF his coun-
try-the beginner of individual free
dom. and the preserver of national sal
walton.
She said that Miss Willard was
| born leader, that if she had never been
known as the one who systematiZed
and developed the w. c. T. L. she
would still have been known to pos
| terity as an educator. Spoke of a re-
mark made by Miss Wizards mother
which seemed to he the foundation
stone on which she built the whole
fabric of her brilliant career. Her
| mothers advice was Ito enter every
! open door" and often when she was
| diScoura eed and scarcely knew wheth-
| er TO advance along certain lines of
| work. she recalled her mothers words
| and entered the open door. To many
| in the congregation il was news that
/ Miss Willard had visited and worked
| in this state three different times.
! The speaker spoke of her coming to
/ DeLand and almost the first words she
uttered the stepped from the train
! We're: oh. I have just come from Pa
| latka, where we started a fine union"
| Some one in the party asked if she
| thought they would stick. as two
unions had been started there before.
but Miss Willard answered. Never say
a discouraging word about the work
or dspara ging word about the work
erS"
1t was not however the words OF Miss
| Willard that accomplished so much
for good. but the every day life and
! constant work for the uplift of man
! kind. her constant fight not merely to
| put down the saloon but TO point the
way by which girls could be brought
to a beautiful womanhood and boys
invested with all the virtues that stand
for true and noble manhood.
The story is told of Miss Willard that
one day while looking at the goddess
Of liberty on the capitol a Washing
ton she remarked, there was wom-
an on the outside and she wondered
if there would ever he a woman in
side" Years later when the state OF
Illinois was called on for a statue Of
one Of her heroes TO be placed in the
Hall of Fame they honored themselves
as much as they did the woman by
placing the statue Of Miss Willard
there.
The speaker told of her trip to the
| I. /. 1.
ifornia. There were three cars of del
egates and the question was asked OF
each delegate, what had started her in
the work of the W. e. T. T.. and with
scarcely a single exception they an
Swered, the life and work of Mis-:
Willard" a work that was so much tbs
object of the life that she al one time
refused a salary OF two thousand five
hundred dollars as principal of a col
lege to take the position of preSiden
of a union without dollar OF Sala ~
Miss Wizards motto was be true
he faithful. and this motto the speak
! er urged upon the congregation. eSpe
cially the Younger portion of the audi
. ence that they adopt the same and :,
. their best efforts follow in the foot
prints Of this noble woman.
.