Page:Women's War with Whisky.djvu/23

 street stopped to learn something of what was transpiring in the centre of the surging mass of humanity, through which they were obliged to force their way, and by stopping, only added to the confusion. Thus this strange scene was prolonged from half-past two o'clock in the afternoon until six in the evening—until the gong-beaters, drummers, and organ-grinders had become exhausted, and the mob was weary of its own riotousness. The concert of discordant sounds having dwindled away to a spasmodic tin can or two, the spectators gradually retired. When the way was cleared, the ladies also took leave, having endured for three and a half hours such things as would have commonly driven them mad with fright, or caused them to faint or go into convulsions. If there are those who do not believe in divine interposition in certain cases, here is a problem for them to solve. Where did the strength of these women come from? If you were to meet any of them in the ordinary affairs of life, you would say they are not bold or courageous women. Are the weak made so strong simply by feeling that they are on the side of the right? If so, what an argument for the right!

ay the 16th of April to the Webfoot Sa is place, and asked ew his policeman's c., collected a large me friends had sent ere placed on the vd in the street and ompletely hemmed ss, and endeavored ngs and drums, tin d shoutings of the not heard even by ing a serene and d Pandemonium. ety, hurried to the eby increasing the were street idlers, oughest, if not in- called for and out- in remonstrance. have been nearly the protection of 7. Although they nem felt so firmly e, that not one of it was that others more ungovern- about, and win- out of the saloon, himself. ad collected, fill- up and down the As they were returning to the church with sad and solemn faces, they were met by a venerable gentleman, who stood with white head uncov- ered as they filed slowly by like wearied soldiers. More than one man that day was convinced of his sins; and quite a number of drinking men declared themselves converted to temperance simply by witnessing the depths of degradation to which the habit of selling liquor could bring a man. These men went by the name of "Moffett's converts." Among the children whom Mr. Moffett was trying to press into his ser- vice, was a little son of one of the Crusaders. Being told to beat a drum, he took the sticks and threw them among the crowd. On being threat- ened with punishment if he did not recover them, he ran in among the crowd as if to look for the lost sticks, but instead made his way to his mother, who was kneeling in prayer, and remained by her side until she left the place. The wife of an Irish drayman said to a friend of the Crusaders, "My husband is a drinking man, and many is the dollar he has spent at Mof- fett's, but he says he will never buy another glass at that place." Perhaps nothing that has occurred since the commencement of the Crusade has proven a stronger argument for this movement than the conduct of this one man, who, previous to these events, was generally supposed to be a very fair man; but who, excited by the fear of pecuniary losses, has ex- hibited unconsciously the more serious losses he has sustained in himself by the liquor traffic. It might be asked what the police were doing all the time that gongs, drums, tin cans, and other discordant instruments of noise were making a disturbance upon the street, and men were engaged in warlike demon- strations against each other. Apparently they were awaiting an intimation from some one as to whom they should arrest. they had been reproved by the ladies for too readily and too roughly On previous occasions obeying the requests of Mr. Moffett. On the occasion of their arrest, too, Judge Denny had dismissed the complaint. Besides, it is to be presumed