Why and How : a hand-book for the use of the W.C.T. unions in CanadaChisholm, Addie
History
Why and How : a hand-book for the use of the W.C.T. unions in Canada
Chisholm, Addie
Temperance -- Societies, etc.; Woman's Christian Temperance Union -- History
The low tones at the table ceased, the
books were closed, the ladies put on their extra wrappings and went
home. The little woman and I were left alone. "Will you let me see
your book?" I asked. "Oh yes," said she. "I got some of the young men
boarding with me to sign, and I hope they'll keep it. I pray they
may. I _thought_ the sisters would be glad. I wish I could do
more, but it does not seem worth while for _me_ to come to the
meetings. I cannot talk much, and I have so much to do at home. I can
work quietly there and among my acquaintances." As I passed the young
ladies on the way home, I overheard one say, "I am not going to the
Union meetings any more. Two or three do all the talking, and we
can't hear what they say." That evening, as I heard in my dream, the
president said to her husband, "I think once in two months is often
enough to hold our Union meetings. There seems to be nothing to do."
Then I thought, in my dream, that another year had passed, and I came
again to the same town, and wended my way to the place of meeting
where I had been aforetime. Meeting a gentleman near the door I asked
him if the Union still met there. "Oh," said he, "the W.C.T.U. That
died out months ago. Women don't know very much about business, you
see, it is hard for them to keep together."
_Was it all a dream?_
A DREAM.
No. 2.
A bright spring day I thought it was and I walked to the room of the
Y.M.C.A., where a Union meeting was to be held. It was not quite
three o'clock, but I met three or four ladies going in, who asked me
if I was coming to the meeting, and upon my answering "Yes, if I
may," she said, "Oh, certainly, come right in." One of them placed a
seat for me as I went in, and brought me a hymn book, asking if I was
a stranger in town and if I was a member of any Union. As I said I
was a member of ---- Union, she said, "Oh! then, you must tell us of
the work there." Then moving away, and coming back with a lady, she
introduced her as the president of the Union, and the president
expressed her pleasure at meeting another sister interested in the
work. Looking around the room, I saw a bouquet of flowers on the
table, writing materials and reports. Just then the clock struck
three, the president took her chair, gave out the hymn, "Work for the
Night is Coming,' read the 146th Psalm, and engaged in prayer. The
secretary then read the minutes. As the president asked, "Is there
any objection to the minutes?" one lady said that the first
resolution at last meeting was moved by Mrs. B., instead of Mrs. A.
This was corrected and the minutes approved, no other objection being
offered. The treasurer's reports and reports of different committees
were read and adopted. The pledge books produced, and many signatures
had been obtained. The president said, "Let us sing the doxology over
this," and it was sung very heartily. I noticed that all the members
spoke to "Mrs. President," not to each other, and there was no
whispering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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