The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-08-27
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 80
The Power OF The
White Ribbon

= 2 :
SO all the best young men in the
town belonged
boarded with a French widow
who was very kind and motherly,
bur she was inclined to ridicule the
lW. {. I. U. people. OF the four
sons, only the eldest could be in
duced to wear the white ribbon. To-
gether We attended the social meet
ings of the Pembria ". =
The whole community where my
school was situated was very
French, indeed. They believed in
wine and whiskey drinking and the
latter was a panacea for all Is that
the flesh is heir to. They were a
gay chattering set with kind hearts
and quick tempers, making things
as pleasant as they knew how, to
the young teacher who had cast her
lot among them.
One cold winter day when the
thermometer was about forty be-
low zero and the snow was piled in
great drifts around the farm house,
some relatives from across the Dor
der came to, visit the good Madame
D.. 1t was her brother, Mon
sieur p, and his dark-eyed,
handsome family.
AS soon as the guests were made
comfortable around the stove in the
cosy sitting room, Monsieur p
opened his grip and extracted there
from a quart bottle Of whiskey and
two bottles of wine. The whole
family with the exception of the
eldest son, exclaimed with delight
and jabbered away in their native
tongue, as Monsieur filled the tiny
glass and passed it around.
When the only two total abstain
ers present persistently refused to
even put the glass to our lips Just
to be social" as he put it, his sharp
eyes We're not slow in noticing our
white ribbon bows.
Then the fiery Frenchman
launched into a TRADE of abuse
against his offending nephew and
all other friends of the temperance
cause.
He finished with a very cxasper
ating smile and wave of his hand
toward me: All, bah, we" he said, |
Nam selle de Mattress with an
insinuating glance toward his
nephew.
| never will forget how angry
and outraged | was. During the
rest OF his stay in the house Mon |
sleur P was studiously polite
and did everything he could to make
up for the outburst of temper on his
arrival.
During the three terms that I !
taught among the French Canadians
careful attention was given to
scientific temperance instruction
Tor it was certainly needed.
Far, far over the sea in the man
slons of the rich and in the novels
OF the poor, the little white ribbon
mas been on its mission of love. Ev-
erywhere it is winding its wav
binding together in Christian love
and fellowship Gods children who
love Gods other children who arc
out in the blackness of dospair
lower and lower into tho
hell that man has made for them bv
the localized liquor traffic.
God hasten the day when Nv tho
power of the little white ribbon tho
liquor traffic shall be swept from the
face of the earth.
1t seems to me that Antoinetto 4
tlawley expresses the power Of tho
"hlte ribbon in a nutshell in her
poem "Thc White Ribbon"
seek It, the white, white ribbon, in
parlor and street and cars.
watch for its flashing message as
those who watch for the stars,
FOR though it be frayed and dingv
and worn on a shabby dress,
t lends its faithful wearer a charm,
You may never guess.
so wear it with pride, dear women
morning and noon and night.
Had to show wherever von 90
you're standing for God and
right.
oreathes of hope to the homeless.
II speaks of a purpose high.
'or God and home and country 70
live, to do, and die;