My Boy, And My Girl

[Synopsis of a lecture by Rev. G. F Hunting, President, in a unión temperance meeting at the First M.E. church, Xalamazoo.] In 1812 there were serious contentions in our country with reference to the way it was best to deal with the mother country for her oppreesions. But when word carne that the British had burned the capítol at Washington, all minor differences dÍ3appeared. So temperance people need iome shock, to weid differences of opinión concerning license, prohibition, taxation of the liquor business, and other factiona, into unity. Ia África, slaves come crawling in brutal subjeclion to their masters; in Turkey the subordinates come prostrate before their superiors in office, in cringing bondage. So we, before this monster evil known as the liquor traffic, seem to have bid farewell to manhood, as we bow before it, contrary to the better icstincts of our hearts, and are very tender of the legal rights of a few. We hear of there having been a stir down town; a lively time among the boys; the boya had had a row; some had been hurt; the pólice had amsted and taken a sqaad of boys to jai); vre receive it as general infornr.ation, newa in the abstract, in which e have no special interest. But when I take up the evening paper and read that my boy was engaged in a row, a drunken row; that my boy was battered, and} my boy for theft taken off to jail, this produces a shock. Sjme of thote who make it their business to set these man-traps and boy-traps, are generous and polite, and their places are elegant and attractive. But I beg of you, do not imbrute my boy, do not kill my wife. The elegant education which youfurniah him will, in from three to five years, gradúate him into some slum of vice, io a dark alley. The mother had spied the secret ikeleton. Her lace has grown wan, and care and aolicitude are stamped upon her features. But the thiug is too bitter to be talked about. What is now left of my boy are the einders of a wasted life. Dear friend, don't be afraid to display your temperance principies. Men run in flocks. Don't f ear to put on the badge. There is to be an election to-morrow, and there will be other electious, yet more important, more potent. What vote will help set back tbis tule of woe? What will thia bit of paper do for my boj? The second half of my subject ia my girl. Woman has always been the greatest sufferer from this monster evil. And my heart grows sick with h rror as I leel it now, as I see its victims roasted alive in the arms of ihis irun Moloch. My girl! whom I have tendei ly nursed iu my bosom and dandled upon my knees; my girl, the wife of a druukard ! Sae don't teil. She never told her roother. But I drop in of au evening, aud we sit and talk over the old home memoriee. She presses me to retire. But walk on. At twelve a heavy, uncertain tread sounds upon the doorstep. She flies to meet him, and greets him with all the wealth of loveshe first bestowed upon their wedded life. To-night my girl will lie dowu with this vile, brutal wretch to satisfy his lust, or, otherwise, be spurued from lam. And I must hold my peace. And this ia ' but the border land of darkness, My girl, I want to talk to you. Do you so much desire to ba married as to be willing to take a drunkard for a huaband? Aak yourself, aa you look down this vista of shauie, Can I not betttr afford to live single, thaa live the wife of a drunkard? If you have any affeotion for a young man upon whom these habita have fastened, don't deceive yourself with the deluion that you can reform him; the chances are enormoualy to the conIrary. ïear out that love irom you beart! Your fale will be that of the poor bird drawn into the open mouch of the reptile, until its fangs have pierced ita very heart! Mothers, I know the power of wealth and social standing. But let not their subtle influencea outwtigh temperance, purity, aud integrity in a young man offering his addres'ses to your daughter. Teach your daughters that the Jatter without the former, are of infinitely more importance than the former without the latter, iu the scale of their preeent and etercal being.