Essex Centre Y.W.C.T.U. has been in existence only a few months, but is doing a fine work among the children.
Point St. Charles Y.W.C.T.U. is in connection with a Young Ladies' Mission Band of that place. This united society is engaged in active work, and will be found to be a social power whose weight and influence for good cannot well be estimated.
These Unions report that boys under 12 years of age attending the Night Schools and Bands of Hope in connection with these Unions in some instances have come to the meetings under the influence of liquor, and nine out of ten attending the Night School, smoke their cigarettes or chew their tobacco up to the last moment before entering the room. Our young ladies, however, seem to have had a magnetism over these boys, their obedience and affection have been secured, and an interest also in better things, a result which older hands have tried in vain to accomplish. This is shown in the marked improvement in manner, cleanliness of person, and the giving up of tobacco and signing the pledge. The Flower Mission has brought a glow of pleasure to many a sick face as the little bouquet has been offered by the young ladies in the hospital wards, in the sick room of many homes, and sometimes in the jails. Into all these places the beautiful gifts of God have been taken, each cluster of flowers bearing with it a floral text of scripture, and the earnest prayer of glad young hearts, that God would speak through their offering, to forgive, to comfort, and to save.
Miss Scott, 26 Albert street, Ottawa, is Superintendent of this
Department.
CHAPTER X.
A DREAM.
No. 1.
I went to the regular meeting of a W.C.T.U., called for 3 P.M. I entered as the clock struck. The room was full of chairs and benches, a large room with few windows and dark corners. There were three hymn books on the table, and a dusty Bible. The clock ticked on, five minutes passed, ten minutes, and one timid woman entered, took no notice of me, but sat with her eyes fixed on the floor, a sad faced woman I saw as I looked more closely, a tired, hopeless expression in the droop of her figure. Five minutes more and two busy women came in with a rush. "What! nobody here? I wish people would be punctual," said one, "I can only stay half an hour," "I have another meeting," said the other. The sad faced woman and I were invisible, it seemed, as neither by look nor act did they acknowledge our presence. Then three more strolled in leisurely, one saying, "Oh, Mrs. A., is this meeting at three or half past? I really forget the hour." Afterwards a few young ladies came in, and seated themselves in a row, keeping up a whispered conversation in which the pronouns he, she, and I, were often heard. At half-past three the President came in, saying, "I am afraid I am a little late, my watch does not seem to be quite right." Taking a hymn book, she asked, "What had we better sing, Mrs. B., have you any choice?" No choice being signified, the leaves were turned over and over, and "Plunged in a gulf of dark despair" selected and read. "Will some one start the tune? Mrs. C. will you?" Mrs. C. looked around, waited a minute, and then asked, "Is it common or long meter?" Another pause. The little timid woman began a familiar tune, and had the privilege of singing the first two lines alone. The hymn finished, the President said, "As it is so late, we will dispense with the reading of the Scriptures. I will ask Mrs. A. to lead in prayer," at which Mrs. A. shook her head. "Mrs. C. then will you?" "Excuse me," said Mrs. C., so to the back of her chair the president prayed in a very subdued tone, and I knew just when she was through by the little rustle and moving of the chair as she arose. The secretary now read the minutes, after which the president said, "Those in favor of the minutes will signify it." Two or three hands went up. The treasurer's report was then presented, but no action taken on it. Although this was a large town there seemed to be no committees at work, but each member had been furnished with a pledge book, in which to obtain signatures. No one had any success to report, had quite forgotten it, except the little woman mentioned. She produced her book where the names of half-a-dozen were scrawled with a good thick pen and plenty of ink. Her report was received in silence. The president, secretary, and treasurer talked across the table in very low tones, the rest of the company whispered a little, finally Mrs. —— said, looking at her watch, "My half-hour is more than up, I must go." She walked out, followed by the young ladies. 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?