The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1884-07-11 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

ANOTHER LARGE TEMPERANCE GATHERING.  Another large gathering in connection with the temperance cause was held in St. Mary's schoolroom OD Monday evening, when the attendance was very numerous. The rector, the Rev. J. H. Seott, occupied the chair, and was supported by the Rev. H. Pelham Stokes, Rev. Owen Manse!, Rev. Canon Stephenson, and the Rev.—Kennedy. After singing the hymn "Rescue the perishing," the Chairman offered up prayer, and afterwards addres-ed the meeting. He expressed the great pleasure ho always felt in taking part in meetings such as the present one. The society recognised three principles, one of which was that it enlisted everybody in the work. It was founded on what was called the double basis—that all, whether abstainere or moderate drinkers, could arteist in the cause. They desired to impress upon all that it was a reiestion in which everybody was interested. It was a social question, aid the operations of the society were based upon Christian principles. Wherever the advocates went they pit side by side with the temperance work the gospel of Je4re Christ. He was very glad to say that in that parieh they had a very fl mrishing Band of Hope, and he hoped those parents present would be stirred up that evening to make their children join it. The hymn "Stand up, stand up for Jesus" was then sung, after which the Rev. Pelham Stokes delivered a long address. He said he had wondered why he had been asked to come there and speak after they had just had such a splendid meetine, but he believed they c uld not have too many meetings of that sort, and he Was therefore very pleased to be present. A friend whim he met in the train said to him that the Blue Ribbon Army was making a revolution, and a tin rough change in the nation. Tne Yeomanry week at Weymouth was very different now from what it used to b., and the young men instead of spending their money in the way they formerly did were now steady, and returned to their homes in health, instead of having to call in the doctor at the close of the training. He (the speaker) had not known what a day's illness was since he put his hand to the pledge. Men ' had come to him and asked him to enrol them as they saw he was wearing the blue ribbon, and he thanked God for that litt.e piece of ribb m. He was wanted some time ago to speak at Winchester, and when he got out at the station he noticed five porters wearing the blue ribbon, and directly they saw him with his piece on they rushed towards him, ani wanted to carry his little bag. He told them he could carry it, and he then notized several passengers on the platform calling for porters. By wearing the blue ribbon he thought they could be a great help to others. He hardly knew in speaking on temperance matters where to begin ; he c mid take the social side and he could take the thrift side, but there were a few observations he desired to make, and he hoped they would not object to a little homely chit chat from a rustic country parson. Man's help was very little, and what they wanted to recognise was that Josue was the perfect man, and the same yesterday and to-day and for ever. Let them make Him their bosom Friend, they could not do anything for the cause unless they laid down their lives for the brethren. Some wonderful temperance missions had been held, and he (the speaker) had received so many invitations to attend meetipga that he hardly knew sometimes what to do, and he remembered once bearing his old coachman say as he brought him the tenth telegram that day, " This will shorten master's life.'' (Laughter.) In order to keep up the work of these missions, they wanted weekly meetings in every pariah, and he intended to start them in his own parish at once. They would be varied, one would be a right down good hot temperance meeting, another would he a prayer meeting, and the third would be of another description; their meetings would be a refuge, and he wanted every one in his parish to know that they would be free and easy meetings, and that rill who attended them would he welcomed. They had made a rule that every member of their society should take up a case. He had a little cobbler to take charge of, and he got him to take the pledge. Afterwards he sent him and his wife a flitch of bacon and some groceries, and the next time when he called to see them he found them very happy, and the wife sail the flitch came in very handy. (Laughter.) Their work without sympathy would come very far short of perfection. Sympathy was love, and they were not only to tell their friends that they loved them, but to prove to them their love. He releted the case of a housekeeper who told him of her love for Mr. Moody, and spoke in a paraging tone of the Church of E gland clergymen, who were cold and reserved. He thought that was a lesson for him, and he determined to learn it. After urging co- operatiott and no h ilf-heartedneee, the rev. gentleman allude 1 to the readiness with which clergy' men were found to go out to the leper hospital, to • tain death, at thebiding of one of the inisaionary societies. After referring ti the attack by convicts on a warder at Dartmoor last week, the speaker concluded by a reference to Mr. Cumberland and his thmeght reedit g. and said as Mr. Cumberland could not succeed in his thought reading in the House of Commons without holding the hand of Mr. Aehmead Bartlett, nelt;her would they be able to carry on the work of the socie,ty u, less they depended on, and were led by God. Ihe hymn, "There is a gate that stands ajar," WM then sung, and Mr. Owen Memel afterwards addressed the meeting. He said this was his third meeting during his stay in Weymouth that he had had the pleasure of addressing. He wanted them to look at the (potion to a reasonable manner, and to know that the reason why they should j ,in the society and try to stamp out this evil was that it was the parent of No many of their in.. (He ar, hear.) The rev, gentlr man referred to the case of suicide of a young man in the Mersey, who had requested th +t no enquiries should be made about him, as his life had been wretched through his having given way to drink, and said tint 200 or 300 letters were received from orate asking