In view of all these facts, so sad, so pitiful, ought we not for our own sake, for the sake of innocent children in our homes, for the sake of other women's children and other homes, and for the sake of society at large, in order to lead men and women, as best we may, towards all that is pure and holy, and away from all that is debasing and evil, ought we not to give our influence and our active help to this temperance work?
CHAPTER VI.
HOW WOMEN MAY WORK.
Every human being has influence, and we may not know the effect of our words or of our silence. The fact being generally known that one is a member of the W.C.T.U. has sometimes a great influence. Recently one of our temperance workers spent a few weeks at the sea-side. She had no occasion to speak of her temperance principles, but as the little white envelopes marked W.C.T.U. went out from the office of the hotel from time to time, it soon became known that she was a temperance woman. Mrs. —— one morning was very much interested to hear as she passed a bathing house near her own, "Here, take some brandy before Mrs. —— comes down," and the reply, "Mamma, she don't take any, and the bathing don't make her sick." It was thought a necessary preventive in this case, but there was a silent influence that conveyed its disapproval. Yet there are many ways in which women may exert more than a silent influence in this work.
1. In the Home.—The time has gone by, when it was thought absolutely necessary to have the brandy bottle on the sideboard and in the kitchen, and when it was thought to be flying in the face of Providence if one made a voyage or took a journey without this companion. Years ago even temperance people dare not exercise quite enough faith and common sense to enable them to put this thing quite out of their homes, so for every ailment, for spleen and spasms, for tooth ache and toe ache, for head ache and heart ache, this wonderful remedy was used. This greater than all quack medicines, for some of these do stop at some point in their healing power, but this was thought to be never failing in its virtue to alleviate, if not to cure. Women in the last few years have been wiser than the doctors, for while they looked only at alleviation of pain, wives and mothers began to look beyond that, at the probable acquirement of the taste for drink, and now this prescription is becoming less frequent. Let the women of Canada banish this liquor from their sideboards and kitchens, and from their medicine chests. Let it be given as medicine, only as a last resort, and by the advice of a careful physician. Let temperance papers be taken in the home, that young and old may see and know all that is going on in the world in relation to temperance. We have our political papers, our church papers, our fashion magazines, let us have, too, our temperance papers, books and magazines.
Encourage the children to become members of a Band of Hope, and, if possible, go with them occasionally to their meetings, thus showing your interest in their particular work.
We are glad to think the custom of supplying farm hands with beer is not prevalent in this country, but there may be places here and there where this has been customary. Here farmer's wives may provide a substitute in oatmeal drink, cold tea or coffee. These are a few of the many ways in which women may work for temperance in the home.
2. In Society—To exercise an influence for good it is not necessary that we should always sit pledge books in hand, and talk on the subject of temperance, but while this question occupies such a large share of public attention as at the present time, there will be few communities where it will not form one of the topics of conversation. Then a quiet declaration of principles is the stand we must take. If we wear the white ribbon, the badge of our Union, it will often save us annoyance, and help us when necessary to speak the whole truth. It very often happens that our position is assailed, and then we should be able to give a reason for the stand we take. To this end our women should read and search out for themselves arguments based on scientific investigation, with which to meet opposition. We need to inform ourselves, not only as to the evil effects of alcohol on the human system, but how it produces this effect, the waste to the country in drink, difference between communities where prohibition is in force, and where licence reigns, &c. In giving and attending entertainments, parties, &c., be outspoken in your disapproval of wine drinking. This is no longer running the risk of being singular in society, for some of the highest dignitaries of this land and other lands have banished strong drink in every form from their tables and entertainments. Mr. Moody said recently, "Eight years ago it was difficult for me to mix in English society without being constantly pressed to drink wine. Now, I may say, broadly, I am never asked to touch it, and at many places where I go, it is not even on the table." Much of this change has been brought about by the influence of English ladies of rank, and by their warm espousal of the cause of the Blue Ribbon Army.
Some of our ladies do not receive much company in this way, and have not this opportunity for helping on the right, but in quiet visits to and fro, their influence may accomplish much. To speak of a good temperance book to a friend, a book which we have just read, and in which we have been interested, to offer to lend it, saying you are sure she will be as interested in it as you have been,—this is not much, perhaps, but it is the sowing of the seed, which may produce fruit, such as we have not faith to think of, in the days to come.
3. In the School.—We have faith to believe that the schools will yet constitute one wing of this great temperance army, for we can never succeed fully without them. The voters of the present day may place a law upon the statute book, and temperance men and women will do their best for its enforcement, and find it a task beset with more or less difficulty. But the boys and girls in our public schools will be the masses of to-morrow. Let them be taught now the nature and effects of alcohol on the human system, and to-morrow they will vote intelligently on this question, and will stand by the laws they have made.