1877. 



GLE.V^INGS IN" BEE CULTURE. 



165 



lur %cim' 



*' Witli malice toward none and charity for all." 



—Litiroln. 



tjOWARD the close of our revival meet- 

 ings, rumors reached us of the great tem- 

 — ■ perance work that was beiug done by the 

 bands of Murphy workers all over the state, 

 and even in adjoining towns. As saloons 

 were rather on the increase in our town, it was 

 suggested that we send for some of these work- 

 ers to come in our midst, and sliow us how we 

 too raigtt do something in this work that was 

 doing such wonders tor the cause of temper- 

 ance. In answer to a telegram, four young 

 men came, and to our surprise did nothing 

 more than to read a chapter in the Bible, fol- 

 lowed by a brief prayer, and then exhort every- 

 body to com*' forward and attach their names 

 to this Murphy pledge, which I will give be- 

 low just as they brought it to us. 



YOUNG MEN'S TEMPERANCE UNION. 



" WITH MALICE lOWAED NONE AND CHAHITY FOE ALL." 



/, the tindersigned, do Pledge my word and honor, 



GOD HELPING ME ! 

 to abstain from all Intoxicating Liquors as a bev- 

 erage, and that I will, by all honorable means, en- 

 tourage others to abstain. 

 Francis Murphy 



During the meetings, hymns from the Moody 

 and Sankey collection were frequently sung, 

 and short speeches were made by anyone of 

 the congregation who felt disposed, or by 

 those who had recently taken the Pledge. 

 These friends told us the work was emphatic- 

 ally a work of the people, and that no talented 

 oratory was needed ; in fact that the most 

 powerful aids we could have, were short 

 speeches from our own townsmen, who had re 

 formed, and whose changed lives, in them- 

 selves, spoke whole volumes in favor of the 

 work. At our very first meeting, the first 

 name that was put down, was that of one who 

 had been one of the most hopeless in our vil- 

 lage and his example was so contagious, that 

 very soon the columns swelled to hundreds, 

 numbering very many who were moderate, 

 some that were hard, with the multitudes who 

 were not drinkers at all. It really did seem as 

 if some potent charm were embodied in that 

 mild and simple little Pledge, for with a har- 

 mony of feeling that heretofore had been al- 

 most unknown among us, people of all grades 

 and classes joined hands in the work, and 

 with every boy that came forward, no matter 

 v;hether from the lowest and most unnoticed 

 walks in life, no matter how disgraceful had 

 been his past conduct, kind and cheering 

 words and cordial handshaking were the new 

 order of the day, and it was no wonder at all, 

 that all the good that was in everybody, 

 seemed bound to let itself out, and to shine on 

 community around. 



Of course we had to carry the glad tidings 

 to the mission Sunday school, and a lot of our 

 Medina boys who would at other times have 

 been as ready to face a loaded cannon almost, 

 as to think of standing up before an audience 



and talking in favor of temperance, went out 

 to engage in the work, and were rewarded at 

 the very outset by getting the names of one of 

 the saloon keepers in the place. This man, 

 has had the delirium tremens several times, 

 and was in a state of intoxication when he de- 

 sired his name put on the Pledge, yet strange 

 to tell, he appealed most feelingly to those 

 present, to help him keep his Pledge, to come 

 forward and sign it and help hold him up in 

 his good resolutions. He also spoke of his 

 good old mother whom he had grieved so often, 

 and of the joy and pleasure it would afi"ord her 

 to hear of the step he had taken. The man 

 has so far as we know never taken a drop 

 s-ince, has taken a farm, and bids fair to prove 

 an honest and industrious man. Our boys 

 were so elated at their success, and so thrilled 

 with that peculiar joy that I believe always 

 attends mission work, that they were enthusi- 

 astic in their determination to visit every 

 town and school house in our country. Their 

 own feelings had been touched, and their 

 hearts softened to such a degree that they 

 talked of their past misdeeds, and formed res- 

 olutions for better things in a way that really 

 brought the tears to my own eyes. Most fer- 

 vently I prayed that nothing might mar or 

 turn them away from this good cause, and 

 that they might really go on as they started. 



Several weeks have passed, and the work 

 has gone forward and prospered. More than 

 a thousand have signed the Pledge, and many 

 of them are working now more earnestly in 

 the cause of temperance, than they did a few 

 days ago for the cau.se of intemperance. Their 

 faces have brightened up, they look resolute 

 and cheerful, and are clothed and in their right 

 minds, they are sitting at the feet of Jesus — 

 as I do verily believe, although they may not 

 be willing to acknowledge the source from 

 which this new life comes just yet — teachable, 

 and being taught daily. 



My friends, if the Murphy Pledge has not 

 been already circulated in your midst, you can 

 if you wish set about it at once, with no other 

 help than what you may get among yourselves 

 and the simple directions we give you here. 



Have some Murphy cards printed as we 

 have given them, and you are ready to call a 

 meeting. Go to all the ministers in the place, 

 or in the neighborhood round about, get their 

 hearty co-operatiou, and if you have yourself, 

 any spite or unkind feeling toward anyone, no 

 matter by what name you call it, get that en- 

 tirely out of the way. Perhaps the first thing 

 for you to do will be to fall on your knees iu 

 your closet and ask God to help you see your 

 faults, in such a way that you can extend a 

 kind and friendly hand to every individual 

 you meet, without any exception. No excuses ; 

 there is no combination ol circumstances that 

 need stand in the way of your doing your duty, 

 no matter what others ma}' do. " Malice 

 toward none and charity for all," is to be your 

 watchword, and beware how you forget w'hat 

 those simple lines mean. Appoint a meeting, 

 have it announced in the churches, and take 

 every possible means to get everybody to come 

 you can, consistent with this same spirit of 

 kindness. Have plenty of singing, selecting 

 such stirring pieces as " Hold the Fort," 'Res- 

 cue the Perishing," and the like, and get every- 



