Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 9, Number 24, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 14 December 1878 — Page 1

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Vol. 9.—No. 24.

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ground of his objec'lon is that it tends to break down a regard for the truth.

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pArER FOR THE PEOPLE.

SECOND EDITION.

Town-Talk.

TEMPERANCE

Is still occupying considerable of the talk of the town, and T. T. is inclined to contribute a little further toward the discussion. He believes in agitation, and that the truth always comes out ahead in such oontests. And, as the present phase of the temperance movement is in the direction of criticising methods of proceeding, T. T. will free himself of some ideas which have long been waiting a proper occasion for expression. T. T. lays to his heart the flattering unction that through his column he has always shown himself the staunch friend of the temperance cause, and that therefore he is entitled to the privilege of criticising. He does it, not to carp and find fault, but to stir thought and promote better methods. T. T. does not

OBJKCTTO TEMPERANCE PLEDGES, but he does object to the manner in which Mgnatures

are

obtained, and the

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pledge is a solemn thing, and ought to be so regarded. The community, from childhood to manhood, ought to be trained to a high regard far the truth. The word once passed It should not, on any account, be violated. And that it may not be violated there should be deliberation and caution in passing it. T. T. was present at a meeting—no matter when or where—at which this question was discussed,—it was a large one, and made up of the best classes In the -community—and more than nine-tenths of those present rose In response to a request that those who had signed the total abstinence pledge would rise, and when the request that those who had neVer violated the pledge would rise, not one tenth of those who had signed the pledge rose. Nine-tenths of those in that audience who had signed the temperance pledge had violated It. Some had signed It a halt dozen times. T. T. believes that in the city of Terre Haute nine persons can be found who have violated a temperance pledge for every one who has kept It—or, If not so large a proportion, at least a majority. No man, or community, can afford to go through the process of making a pledge and violating it. It debauches public and private conscience. Now how does this come about One feause is the custom of

PLEDGING CHILDREN.

It is easy to persuade a child to make a pledge, especially when there are many doing so. There are few who have not seen hundreds of children at a temperanoe meeting flocking up to take the pledge. Many of them do not know what they are about. Many who do know a?e aoting thoughtlessly, from mere Impulse. The result is that sooner or later, aud generally it is not '.ong, nearly every one breaks the pledge. When the next temperance movement comes they go through the same process. A child should only be allowed to sign pledge after thorough and careful instruction as to the nature of it, and its binding force, and then only for a limited time. Parents ought not to allow Jthelr children to sign the pledge except for a limited time, and then they should ace that the pledge to rigidly kept during that time. The imall results in favor of temperance gained by the pledging of child re# does not compensate for the evil results upon tbe cause of truth. It may be asked if every child ought not to promise that it will not do wrong There are two answer* to this question, The fixct is that while every child ought to be fully prepared to do

aud there can be no objection to as expression of that purpose, great care ought to be taken iu allowing that expression to take the form of a solemn and perpetual pledge. Tbe other answer is that it Is quite probable that the child Is not yet fully competent to decide that it la wrong to use wine, elder, or beer, as a beverage, and very possibly may change his opinion on that subject. But a pledge may not be violated on the ground of a change of opinion unless it be made on that condition. T. T. has long been opposed to allowing, and much more strongly opposed, to per­

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suading children to take the total abstinence pledge for a Mfe time. His opposition does not come from any low regard tor temperance, or of the proper training of tbe ohildreu in reference to this subject, but from his high regard for the sacrednees of a pledge. The method of securing

THE PLEDGES OF ADULTS

is often objectionable, also. It would be of Invaluable benefit to the young men of Terre Haute if they would let all intoxicating liquor alone, but does the pledging of the young men secure this result It fails too often, to Justify the general practice in securing these pledges. They are at a temperance meeting, a strong appeal has been made, and they are urged to sign the pledge. Perhaps young ladies are sent, or go of their Own accord, to persuade them to do so. They yield to the pressure of circumstances. They didn't intend to sign. Thsy wouldn't have done so if left to themselves. They wouldn't have have signed the pledge if they bad waited to think of it over night. But they do it reluctantly, or from Impulse! saying nothing of doing It In fun, and think of it afterwards and the more they think of it the more they wish they had not. White it is doubtless the case that, now and then, one is caught and saved in this way, it is also true that with a vest majority it is only a question of time when that pledge will be broken, and tbe scattered ones who are helped in this way do not compensate for tbe many who trained in a disregard for their word. While in the case of the intemperate, and those in danger of intemperance, a pledge solemnly made will often help to hold them firm to their purpose bf reform, and many a man, If he can be induoed to sign a pledge, has such a regard for his word that he will keep It and abstain from drink when otherwise he wou!d not, yet, with tie great mass who are induced to sign under the persuasions of an eloquent public speaker, or the more potent influenceof a woman's voice, this is not tbe case. Generally those who yield easily to such influences to take the pledge, yield with equal or greater ease to the temptation to break it. Tbe pledge when solemnly and thoughtfully taken may be a great help to the cause of temperance, but when taken carelessly or from Impulse it does injure the cause of truthfulness. Much the same result comes from taking the PLEDGE FOB THE SAKE OF THE INFLU-

EJFCE.

Probably nineteen-twentleths of those who sign the temperance pledge do so, not because they need it, but for the laudable purpose of exerting an influence in lavor of temperance. They sign and sign over and over' again to set a gqod example. In fact it is sometimes the case that it is done not so much to exert an influence as because it is expected, and it is not popular not to do so. Tbe result of this is that the pledge fails to bf sacredly kept as It should be. T.T. believes that there are comparatively few of these who take a drink on the Bly, and yet there doubtless are some. They did not feel the need of the pledge, but took it for the good of others, and think no great harm done if they take a littlo liquor now and then when nobody knows it. But

THE MEDICINE DODGE

Is the favorite method of whipping the devil round the stump in this matter, And it is pitiable to see bow readily people resort to this dodge. If they think wine would do them good, or a little beer, then tbe wine or beer is or dered, and they take it "for medicine." Whatever does a man good Is not medicine. There is no disease to be cured, but it is better for the man, he thinks, to take it. And tbe lightness with which these pledges rest on men's consciences la seen In the ease with which they oast them off under a obange of circumstances. There are those who take a European trip and do not taste wine or beer, but they are rare exceptions. As soon as these people go into a country where wine or beer drinking is oommon, they forget their pledges, *ni while among the Romans do as tbe Romans do. T. T. protests against this kind of pledging. And his protest is in the iuterests of truthfulness, The pledge should be need more carefully and Judiciously than has been the ease in tbe bands of tbe temperance people 9

A Woman's Opinions.

BY A NEW CONTRIBUTOR. i.y: THINGS THAT VKX US. "O, the little annoyances of Ills. How trying they are!" I exclaimed to myself as I sat with last week's Mail In my hand, and noticed that the type-setter bad insisted on potting "Mm." where I had written "Mr.," and had besides omitted one whole Una. Mow if the entire article bad been left out the public would not have lost anything, but as It was, Ihod lost something I bad lost my temper—and about audi a trifle that when a fellow scribbler, of tbe female persuasion dropped, in I was alqpost ashamed to tell her what had ruffled my serenity. She laughed in a hearty but sympathising way and said: "Why,

TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14.1878

that is nothing. In my contribution last week, tbe type-setter omitted one whole paragraph, tbe very beat one I had written, and so destroyed tbe connection that tbe ontlre article was spoiled besides that, in oue place, where I spoke or the 'beautiful intuition of women,' I found the printer had made me describe tbe 'beautiful intentions of women.' A lady friend wrote a description of a medicinal spring whose waters, she said, were particularly beneficial to the liver. The type-setter changed one letter, and caused her to deaorlbe the waters as very beneficial to lovers, though In what way he did not condescend to tell us."

I had a good laugh at these incidents and began to congratulate myself upon meeting with no woise lucit. Our writings are like our obildren: we impress upon tbem certain ideas of our own and desire very much that they abould represent those ideas, but they don't always do It, and *e must make the best of these mistakes, hoping that people will charitably say of both our writings and our children, "They do not fulfill the best intentions of their author."

It is tbe little vexations of life that cause us to grow old and Irritable. When a great sorrow comes upon us we can call religion or philosophy to our aid we can have our secret struggles, our hours of prayer, our nights of despair and frem out the depths of all this anguish comes tbe strength to bear our burden bravely, patiently, oheerfully, and this noble resolution often gives new beauty to the face, smoothes out the wrinkles of Impatience, imparts a tender sweetness to the mouth, and shines forth from the eyes with a calm and holy light. But alas! for the trifling commonplace annoyances that beset us on every side. They come upon us unawares, and our patience and our selfcontrol fly to pieces. We become momentarily disintegrated. Our nerves are unstrung, our minds unbalanced, and with a hasty impulse we say or do something which we regret and wonder at when sober second thought comes to the rescue and collects our scattered forces. After awhile these petty vexations, so hard to bear and yet so unavoidable, begin to leave their footprints upon the faces of their victims. Two little lines appear between the eyebrows, so faint that a smile will chase them away, but deepening day by day till at length they are indelibly engraved upon the brow. Then two more lines creep around tbe corners of the mouth, hover gently about, appear, then disappear, and finally come to stay. Did you ever observe closely tbe men and women you meet upon the street Ninety-nine out of every hundred bear upon their faces the unmistakable signs, not of some great bereavement, not of an evil temper, but of tbe thousand and one little cares and worries that area part of every human life. These impressions appear much more plainly upon the faces of women because men can cover with a beard the mouth, that sensitive and reliable index of its owner's character and because, on acoount of their many companions and means of entertainment, men can smooth away these wrinkles with laughter and amusing conversation, while women have the same annoyances, day by bay, but not tbe relaxation when their tasks are fin lshed hence the lines lengthen and deepen on their delicate faces until the plump, rosy cheeked girl is transformed into tbe thin, careworn woman, and people exclaim: "How strange that she should lose her beauty so soon. What can be the cause?" Women are apt to think that men do not appreciate the little annoyances of home. Probably this is true, but men mif bt with equal truth exclaim that we know nothing of tbe vexations oonnected with business. It Is not so much of a responsibility to prepare the food and clothes after they are brougbtinto the house, as it Is tosee that the money isrready when it be comes neoessary to purchase these articles. The troubles of men may be more serious, but they cannot be more trying than those of women. When we sit around tbe fire on a winter evening and relate amusing Incidents of John's blunders and Tom's mistakes, and all enjoy a laugh, one oan hardly tell why she was vexed when It occurred, now that it seems so ftinny to tell about it, but it is one of those cases where "distanoe lends enchantment to tbe view," and tbe longer ago It happened, tbe easier it is to smile at the reoollection

Almost every woman who reads Helen's Babies or That Husband of Mine throws the book down with the exclamation, "My babies were both brighter and more mischievous than Helen's Babies, and as for my husband —well, I think a book could not be written which would do him justice." O, the unwritten history of these wonderfa! babies, these vexatious aud yet lovaable husbands! What volumes they would make, and yet tbe half would not be told. I wish I might digress here and relate some of the charming remarks of tbwe little folks, but unfortunately I started out to tell tbe other ride of the story, and I like to see a writer keep in sight of her subject and not branch off on the numerous topics

Theodore Tilton,"Heart's-Ease," Dec. 19th. Admission: only 50,35 and,25c.

that continually suggest themselves. These household annoyanoes of daily occurrence, for which there ia no remedy and never oan be, must go on to the end of tbe chapter. Bridget sooura the verandah and steps to a state of snowy whiteness, and Immediately afterwards an honest ranger, with a generous slloe of bis farm on tbe soles of bis boots^ hammers at tbe front door and Inquires If you want to buy any apples. You go to tbe kltohen and prepare your busband's favorite dish, but fust as it is placed in tbe oven you are called to tha parlor. As soon as possible ynu rush back to tbe kltohen, and behold a burnt and ruined pudding. You spend hours ruffling a dainty apron for Susie, and the next day she comes in with it hopelessly torn from top to bottom. You put your sitting room In order, give the last finishing touch and as you start down street take a backward glance of pride at its exqusite neatness. After a few hours you return, bringing a friend with you, and usher her into your tasty sitting room. A scene of chaotic oonfuslon meets your eye. Your little daughters have entertained company during your absence. Remains of tbe feast are scattered about the room so, also, are the dishes and dolls and chairs and the long dresses, always essential to such an occasion, and your favorite plant has been knocked off the stand, and lies withered and broken among tbe ruins. If your friend be herself the mother of a family she will laugh at your dlsoomfiture and assure you her own home has often looked ten tlmee worse if she be not, she will accept your apologies gracefully, and afterward make remarks upon your housekeeping. Then one is apt to forget the old adage that "Little pitchers have big ears," and if you happened to say of one of your acquaintances that she pinched her feet dreadfully, it would discompose you somewhat, next time she called, to have your youngest innocently ask: "Do yob wear awfully tight shoes My mamma says you do." This was done a short time ago, and this same little girl was one day teasing her mamma to know why a certain neighbor lady did not let her daughter come over and play. "Oh, I don't know," was the thoughtless reply, "I suppose she's got her back up about something." The next morning this dear little girl's parents were eleotrlfled to hear her exclaim,"Mamma,

Mrs. B. hasn't got her back up, for I went over and asked her!" I must pass hastily over the annoyances of servants, of children, of traveling agents, of oallers at inconvenient hours, and devote a little space to

THOUGHTLESS HUSBANDS.

No husband would purposely and with malice aforethought add one straw to the wife's burden, yet by his thoughtlessness he often causes more annoyance than everything else she has to beat. He is late to his meals he deposits hat, coat and boots wherever it is most convenient he opens half a dozen newspapers and leaves them lying on the floor be eats an apple and puts core and parings on the table, and to make them look still worse, he covers them with cigar ashes he goes to tbe neatly arranged washstand and reduces it to a state of confusion. If you say that it will require a number of steps to put all these things in order again, he will say, "O, well, you have nothing else to do.' But by far tbe most exasperating thing these husbands are guilty of is coming in upon you just at meal time with un expected guests. I never knew a woman who had not experienced this annoy anoe. A friend of mine found herself one teribly hot Fourth of July without a servant. She prepared a nice dinner for her husband and then told him that she would dress herself and child and be ready to go down with him in the evening to see the fireworks, and be might expect just a "pieoe" for supper, At six o'clock, as she was putting tbe last touches to her toilet, she was thunderstruck to bear ber husband say: "Walk in the parlor, gentlemen," and find that he bad brought two friends houie to supper. No fire in the cook stove, nothing to eat but the remnants of dinner, already supper time and she dressed to go down street!

Another gentleman said to bis wife in iiie morning: "I am going to Indianapolis and will be back at seven this evening. Can you delay supper f" Of course she could, and did, and at five o'clock, before tbe fire was made in the kitchen, he came home, bringing a friend to supper, carelessly informing his wife that be missed the train. Imagine her feelings, to be obliged to keep them waiting two boors for a meal which might Just as well have been ready at five bad she known tbey were coming.

These instanoes might be multiplied Indefinitely, every lady contributing from her own personal experience.

Now, moot woman are reasonable about such things. Tbey am willing to entertain their husband's company, but their kitchens are not like a restaurant, where one may order any variety of dishes for any number of people. All they want is a little notice that their guests are coming, and when a boy oan be hired for ton oents to carry a»neto it Is the husband's duty to send it. A man is

apt to think that if be stops on the way home and gets couple of cans of oysters he has solved tbe entire difficulty. If you try to talk to your husband and toll him how much nicer you would have bad things if you bad known his friends were ooming, he will say, "What is good enough for me all tbe time is surely good enough for oompany-once in a while." But this Is no argument to a woman with a commendable pride in her housekeeping. It Is all very well for people to say tbatffwe should always have our tables so well arranged that we need make no obange. That only proves that tbey don't know anything about it. If tbe fine linen and the Icostly china are put into common use, tbe husband, of a moderate income, will find that be will have to replenish and. replace these articles much oftener than be can afford. It is a pleasure to„know that we have something nice in reserve which we can bring out in honor to our friends when they come to viaic us. The same thing may be said of our daily food. It is good and wholesome,^but not so choice and dainty as we should like to set before our guests in appreciation of the pleasure their visits afford us. But tbe annoyance of unexpected oompany, like all our other trials, must be borae as gracefully and cheerfully as possible, for how gladly would we bear tbe little vexations of our careless husbands rather than feel that their affections were alienated from us or centered on some one else and these little children that so worry us will soon grow up and leave us and we will long for the days when they tried our patience sorely but filled our homes with love and sunshine.

AN OLD STORY:"

»*iBY A NEW WRITER. Several weeks ago the readers of our valuable "Evening Mall" were treated to a spicy article entitled "Married Ladies Flirting." I had intended at the time to notice it, but considering the foot that the subject had been well handled, and also pretty well exhausted, concluded I had better wait until the remembrance of it bad partially died away, and by this time would again be fresh in the minds of tbe public.

Oar worthy contributor has assailed the delicate subject with much foroe, and many points of her topic are well brought out. Though offering no disrespect to the fair writer, there are some items contained therein upon which we deoidedly disagree. The article is no exception to the general rule, where the name of woman is concerned. As it is usually the case, much has been said against, but nothing for. My object in picking up my pen to-nlgbt is not to defend, nor yet to advocate, the cause of flirting, either with married ladies or single (may I go farther and say gentlemen ?—but come to think about it, they are never guilty of such indiscretions), but merely to show some of the causes from which emanate the actions of many of our fairest ladies. As I am counted among the strong-minded, independent women, I may as well try and maintain my well-merited, hatd-earned reputation, and make my assertions from a strong standpoint that is, in tnany, many more cases than one oould imag ine, men, yes men—now, dear reader, do not be shocked at my unbounded audacity—again Will I repeat it—men, the husbands of the oondemned class of flirting ladies, are too often the ohlef and only cause of indiscreet, unwomanly actions! Oould our contributor read even one obapter of the lives of some whose names are oftimes lightly spoken, she might, perhaps, be less severe in her criticisms upon our sex.

Scarcely a day passei hut we tee bright, warm, loving young girl go out from her home, where love and kindness reign supreme, to share tbe fortune, be it good or bad, with the husband she has chosen or it may be, who has chosen ber. Let me aak, what are the hopes, expectations, prospects of this young girl who voluntarily threes aside all things for the man she loves? It is with feelings of pride and happiness she realizes—or thinks she does—that she la to be tbe wife, oompanion, friend in honrs of prosperity or dark mlsforntne. Alas! alas! it may he weeks, months, or it may be years, this lady—remem ber I am speaking only of some of tbe flirting community—awakens slowly, but oftentimes too surely, to find the wife, companion, eta, is merely tbe housekeeper, the tool, object of convenience. How many of these husbands of this unfortunate class feel when tbey have contributed a few dollars to tbe minister's mite, also added a small sum to the county coffers, that tbey have purchased apiece of property, and that property a woman—he yet free to roam tbe world at will abe tbe fettered slave at home!

The sun has gone down, the gas is not burning too brightly, so with tbe reader's permiaslen we will take a stroll through one of tbe loveliest little cities In existence—our own—to see what is going on, and It may be that during our walk we might possibly come across one of these husbands.

Let us first take a aly peep into our to find more cheerful, brighter, more in

Bociety

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Ninth Year

teresting companions than tbe wife, the mother of his children. He goes out to seek, only too often finds, gay oompany, while she, tbe cbeerlew, neglected one, remains to watch over and guard their household treasures—his children, hers, theirs! I fear I have unknowingly wandered from my subject and brought forth woman's wrongs, Instead of her rights, so to return to it, I will say it is a close while I whisper, 'twas uot one, but many of the husbands. Where are the wives of these men Often flirting, to be sure. But ob! how much oftener at borne alone—thrown upon their own resources for instruction, society, am usemen and pleasure—if fortunate enough to have any. Tis true, tbe husband has been borne from his plaoe of business, but the great care of a family, the work and drudgery of the day, has made the wife weary and weak, tired and worn. Why should he remain at home. 'Tis too dull, too cheerless for him. He suddenly remembers business of importance—which will admit of no delay—a friend with whom he has a business engagement. Yes, business it Is business gambling and billiard balls. Who are tbe occupants? We know, but we'll not tell. A few more steps and we will visit tbe club rooms, theaters, saloon and many otherjplaces we oould mention, and see whom we shall find. All places of.anausement]are well filled, but with whom Is it the small boys? Nc, no. Is it our young men? Very rarely. Now we will not do as Talmage has done, tell what he saw, but who we saw. Do not anticipate, dear reader, and think 'twas one of those married flirts—far from it—but hold your ea well known fact, there is no effect without its cause, and vioe versa. Many of these warm, loving, true wives seek consolation in

and unconscious­

ly fell into tbe habit of flirting. Once contracted, it is hard to break, harder because they foolishly imagine these flirtations furnish food for a hungry mind, a starving heart.

A certain well known lady of this city—married, of course—haB received attentions from high and low, rich and poor, old and young, the learned and the ignorant, gentlemen of all classes, all professions, to use an old expression, has flirted to her heart's content, entertained hosts of gentlemen friends with cards, music, refreshments, seemed the "gayest of the gay." When tbe door had closed upon the last guest, I have known her to sink into a chair and shed tears—tears of blood, if such could be— •r drench her pillow night after night with tears, such as she alone oould shed, because she was denied that love, encouragement and kindness by the one who should be the first, ever ready and eager, to bestow. XJ

Could those who sometimes lightly speak ber name, hear the wee, small voice down in the bottom of ber heart singing the old, old song, "I'd rather be queen of one true, loving, manly heart, than monaroh of a cold and selfish world," their feelings would no doubt be changed from what they now are to those of tbe deepest sympathy. This, dear readers, Is not the imagination of an imaginative mind, but the actual, lifetime experience of one who knows why some married ladies flirt. I ask the Indulgence of the reader but one moment more and in oonoluaion will say if the new contributor, or tbe public, will point me out any man wbo Is the kind, attentive husband he should be, and he has a wife who flirts, I will say that God made her for a woman, but she Is wanting in that womanhood which constitutes tbe true woman! F. E. M.

l» THE WHISTLE NUISANCE. EDITOR MAIL..—Pleas© allow a long suffering community the use of your columns in calling attention to an outrageous nuisance that our City Council should promptly squelob, viz the Steam Whistle nuisanoe. Thera Is no common sense or reason for the blowing of tbe whistle at tbe nail works at VA o'clock a. m. and at some other establishments in tbe city for the purpose of calling up a few helpers at the furnaces st that hour. If these men are to poor to afford alarm clocks let a public subscription be started for their benefit. More than 10,000 people are awakened by tbe long oontinued blowing of steam whistles from 3 to 0 o'clock a. m. Many of tbem tired workingmen, that need all the rest tbey can get, and mothers with restless intents, to say nothing of sick and delicate persons. Tbe writer has beard some of our best physicians say that it was a very great injury to many of their patients. No steam whistle should be allowed to blow inside the city limits between the hours of 9 p. m. and 0. a. m. they are an! outrsgeous nuisanoe between those hours and should be abated, let petitions pour into tbe council from each ward praying for an abatement of tbe steam whistle nuisance.

SIXTH WARDER,

MCELFRESH & GILBERT, who are doing an immense amount of business at their Phoenix foundry, this season, have| furnished the boilers for the new wator^ works at Paris. They are three in mun?» ber, forty Inches in diamater.

HOLIDAY trade Is beginning to rush.

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