The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. NationNation, Carry Amelia
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The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation
Nation, Carry Amelia
Nation, Carry Amelia, 1846-1911; Social reformers -- United States -- Biography; Temperance -- United States
I ran to a sister and said: "There is to be a change in my life."
On the 6th of June, before retiring, as I often did, I threw myself face
downward at the foot of my bed and told the Lord to use me any way to
suppress the dreadful curse of liquor; that He had ways to do it, that I
had done all I knew, that the wicked had conspired to take from us the
protection of homes in Kansas; to kill our children and break our hearts.
I told Him I wished I had a thousand lives, that I would give Him all
of them, and wanted Him to make it known to me, some way. The next
morning, before I awoke, I heard these words very distinctly: "Go to
Kiowa, and" (as in a vision and here my hands were lifted and cast down
suddenly.) "I'll stand by you." I did not hear these words as other
words; there was no voice, but they seemed to be spoken in my heart. I
sprang from my bed as if electrified, and knew this was directions given
me, for I understood that it was God's will for me to go to Kiowa to
break, or smash the saloons. I was so glad, that I hardly looked in the
face of anyone that day, for fear they would read my thoughts, and do
something to prevent me. I told no one of my plans, for I felt that no
one would understand, if I should.
I got a box that would fit under my buggy seat, and every time I
thought no one would see me, I went out in the yard and picked up
some brick-bats, for rocks are scarce around Medicine Lodge, and I wrapped
them up in newspapers to pack in the box under my buggy seat. I
also had four bottles I had bought from Southworth, the druggist, with
"Schlitz-Malt" in them, which I used to smash with. I bought two kinds
of this malt and I opened one bottle and found it to be beer. I was going
to use these bottles of beer to convict this wiley joint-druggist.
One of the bottles I took to a W. C. T. U. meeting, and in the presence
of the ladies I opened it and drank the contents. Then I had two of
them to take me down to a Doctor's office. I fell limp on the sofa and
said: "Doctor, what is the matter with me?"
He looked at my eyes, felt my heart and pulse, shook his head and
looked grave.
I said: "Am I poisoned or in an abnormal state?"
"Yes, said the Doctor." I said: "What poisoned me is that beer
you recommended Bro. ---- to take as a tonic." I resorted to this
stratagem, to show the effect that beer has upon the system. This Doctor
was a kind man and meant well, but it must have been ignorance that
made him say beer could ever be used as a medicine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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