In two weeks they were ready, and eighty-four women (all mothers but four) with their little silken banner at their head, marched down to the first of the "rum-holes," and were met by the _landlord_ (curious misnomer) and told that they could pass on; that if they came in there, they would be sorry for it, &c. They had had no experience, did not know their power, were frightened, and hurried on. The second _landlord_ was a younger man, not so hard, and said, after looking over the company: "Why, is it possible that all the good women in town are after me in this way? Why, of course I will stop, if they all wish it; that is to say, I will stop if the rest will." "Mr. Warner, here is our paper; put down your name and say exactly what you will do; we are here on no idle errand." So he put down his name with the words: "I will stop if the rest will." "John Warner." They went on to the next one, who kept a bowling and billiard saloon as well as a drinking "hole," and laid their case before him. He was a young man, and enjoyed a prodigious reputation as a "ladies man," and of course put down his name under John Warner's, and was careful to prefix the words, "Ladies, I am your most obedient servant. Henry Hinkle." To make the story as short as possible, I will simply state that all but the first one on whom the ladies called--Hank Otis--stopped at once (doubtless at first to see how the thing would turn out) and then the ladies went down early in the morning and crowded into Hank's den. He came in, just out of bed, and was astonished to find his "grocery" crowded full of women. He had sworn to his cronies that if he ever caught "them women here, I will pitch 'em all into the street;" but on that morning, looking into the earnest faces of the crowd gathered about him, it occurred to him that pitching them into the street might not be a popular neighborhood movement, and so he did the next best thing--sent for his big easy chair, had a pillow brought for his head, another chair and pillow for his heels, and then cried out: "Ladies, I am glad to see you; I an always glad to see my neighbors, especially the ladies. Now, ladies, do take seats (there was not another chair in the room) and go on; I shall be delighted to hear you." They did go on; they cried, begged, plead, argued, reasoned and expostulated; they read from the Bible, they prayed, sang, and kept it up till twelve o'clock. A relative and very dear friend of mine was one of the company, and she has told me that she never witnessed such a scene,--it was enough to break a heart of stone. About twelve o'clock, they said: "Good morning, Mr. Otis; we will come again to-morrow morning." "Do come, ladies, and come early; I hope you will never pass without dropping in. I am always glad to see my neighbors, especially the ladies."