Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-02-28
BE- UTlFUL LIFE Re mElaBEREo

lbE.AuIlFUl lJFE Re gEMBEHE0
vvillmar ". c. I. U. Have Successful
Meeting. Rev.. Llvlngstone's
Address.
The Francis E. Willard Memorial
meeting Of the Willmar Women's
Christian Temperance Union which
was held at the home Of Mr.. and Mrs.
j. II. Olson and of which mention
was made in our last weeks issue
was an occasion thoroughly enjoyed
by the many that were present.
After devotional exercises, the US
ual business session was held, Mrs.
Severt Osmundson presiding The re-
ports of the secretary and treasurer
We're read and penny collection fol
the Unions flower mission was taken
up.
The program proper opened with a
song by all, the favorite hymn Of
Mrs. Willard. Rev. Spencer Of the
Presbyterian church read portion
OF scripture, Luke X, and offered
prayer.
Rev. Livingstone of the Swedish
Methodist church delivered an elo-
quent talk on the life and character
of Francis Willard, which the Will
mar Tribune has the pleasure of re-
producing in this connection.
A vocal solo by Eben E. Lawson
was followed by "Tribute to Fran
els E. Willard" touchingly rendered
by Mrs. Craswell. Mrs. C. E. Oberg
sang feelingly GLOW Beautiful to be
with God" Mrs. Mcintyre acclaimed
in a charming manner a poem on
"The- Wearing Of the White Ribbon"
Miss Marie LANCE read an inspiring
poem, GLOW Still She Stands" which
she preceded with a very interesting
talk. A vocal solo by Miss Con-
stance Graveyard was thoroughly en-
joyed by all, as was also the reading
'@The Last Hymn" by Mrs. J. D. Par
nell: The program closed with a
song after which a collection for the
furtherance Of the w. C. T. U. work
was taken up.
The following is Rev. Livingstone's
address referred to above:
Since ages past women have been
the personifcation Of the worlds
highest ideals. The purest thoughts
and the noblest conceptions Of the
human mind have always been ex-
pressed in the figures Of women.
When the old Greeks wished to
transform into visible forms their
highest thoughts-"Liberty" an d
"Justice;" they used the figures of
women. If we turn to the inexhaust-
ible realm Of literature we do find
even here wonderful achievements of
women; and, if she has not always
been the writer, she has been the OBJ
ject of the writing. Open with rev.
erence the greatest book ever writ
ten, the Bible, and do you not dis
cover, probably. to your astonish-
ment, that two of the most divine
virtues: Glove" and "Patriotism;"
were represented by two women ;
Ruth and Esther. ~. =.
It is no wonder then, if the newest
world should have the honor Of in
Producing into this immortal gather
ing, one-who, I dare say it, is, or at
least ought to be, the American ideal
personifed, Francis Willard. She
came from a poor American home.
Probably fate had decided it to be So.
Let US not weep over that fact; be-
cause, from the poor have come the
greatest leaders from Moses to Lin
coin. From the poor have come the
greatest poets from David, with his
shepherds crook, to Burns with his
plough. From the poor, have come
the inventors, like Watt and Steven
son. Some of our greatest artists,
like Corot and Millet were reared in
peasants cottages. Our great scien-
fists, like Newton and Ferguson, have
been trained in the schools of adver-
sity. And last but not least our
greatest benefactors, from Christ
himself to Francis Willard, have
drank Of the bitter fountains of pow
erty, misunderstanding and sorrow.
Owing to the short time given me I
shall not stop to consider the fact,
that SHE WAS known but simply
give few reasons which, according
to my mind, caused her to be known.
There are three things, which 1
think have immortalized her memory
and with burning enthusiasm written
her name in the annals of the world.
First, her message, second, her wav
Of saying it and third her sacrifcial
life. Her message was three-fold-
Temperance, Purity in Politics and
Women's Rights. She realized early
in life that the institution we call
Saloon is our greatest enemy. When
she saw the drunkards, the forsaken
and the hopeless, in their pitiful con-
ditions, directly or indirectly caused
by the saloon she declared in force
full and eloquent language, that the
saloon, wherever it exists, is rob-
| her and a murderer II ID wo,.thv IF