THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.
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dark and threatening, that confront it. Conservative in a high degree, they move cautiously, though not timidly, to effect their purpose. Feeling in a higher degree individual responsibility, more fully realizing that their co-operation is needed, they respond most heartily and cheerfully. The time has passed to be satisfied to cultivate the roses in their own gardens; they long to make all solitary places glad, all deserts rejoice. They are eager to take part in all enterprises that have for their object the social and economic interests, not only of this, but of all lands. With a keen desire for the necessary equipment, they have prepared and are preparing themselves for whatever will place them abreast of the times. They are not in any sense forsaking the interests of the family life, the Christian home, the foundation stone in the cause of freedom and justice. No, no; more than formerly they love it, and set its base broad and strong in faith and hope. In Sunday-school work they are doing much. While lawlessness of thought and lawlessness of life seem to invest the great social and political questions of the day, they plant themselves upon the Word of God, where all questions of humanity and civilization may be settled and give time and energy to guiding the young along the paths of truth. Sabbath after Sabbath they gather the young about them and time and voice are consecrated to instruction in the pure, the simple word of revelation. In the county, state and national conventions they take part with success. They are not occupied with the mistakes of Moses, nor possible errors of dates and numbers in Genesis, nor of the probabilities as to two Isaiahs or three Daniels, but in the Word which is supremely and authoritatively God’s will concerning the race of man. The Christian Association, Christian Endeavor, Epworth League—all have now their personal, powerful help. The voice so long attuned solely for the quiet fireside sends its sweet melody out to the great congregations, stirring the hearts and wills of mighty gatherings. In the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union they are doing telling service. Nowhere on the continent has prohibition succeeded as in the South, and the work is largely, if not solely, due to the efforts of the women. If they persevere, continue true to their trust, in the near future, I doubt not, that the destroyer, intemperance, will be thrust out from our borders/ The contest is not over, and the women are not planning to retire, because success has crowned their efforts. The foe is cunning as well as malignant, and hydra-headed, springs into vigorous life whenever vigilance is remitted or watchfulness abates. The enemy is most deadly among those not self-sustaining since their enfranchisement, the ignorant and improvident. Among these a great work is being done without respect of age, condition, or color. These are taught, strengthened, guided and removed from temptation by banishing the death-dealing saloons from their midst. There is much patient, persistent work along this line—much self-denial and prayer as well as work. I know one who rides five miles through all kinds of disagreeable weather to teach a school of negro children the necessity of total abstinence. She is a woman of culture and wealth, and the six years she has weekly given to this work is telling upon the settlement, as no whisky shops cast their dark shadows in the village where her work is about done.
As regards the privilege of the ballot, the women of the South have not been very pronounced. They are not sure they need it, do not know that they want it. Their indecision does not grow out of the fact that they fear the stones or broken teeth that Mr. Richard Harding Davis declares English women sometimes meet in the exercise of the ballot. They are not sure such disorder would obtain were they invested with the prerogatives their brethren have accorded to themselves. Nor are our women afraid of passing through a crowd to deposit the ballot, nor do they think leaving home for the time it would take would cause hurtful neglect of other duties, nor do I think they regard the study of politics damaging to their morals, nor is it because they fear differences of opinion may mar the family harmony, since difference of opinion on other subjects has no such effect, nor do they hesitate because they are not sure which political party should have their support. Not this, certainly—to a man, every woman, white or black, would vote for the prohibition candidates. No;