A PAGE FOR Y's.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 231, 18 September 1914, Page 10

A PAGE FOR Y 's.

WHAT CAN UK DO? Illy Ada Melville Shaw.) A stud} of the Temper ante work done, or supposed to be done, or hoped to be done, by the temperance Committees of tin churches and Christian >oung peoplt s sot teties brings sharply to light this deplorable fart, viz., that, although sut h tom mittees ami organisations are deeply in earnest, the} accomplish little or nothing, simpl\ because they do not know what ought to be done, nor where, nor how, to begin doing. 1 hey view tin* whole lYmperance work and intemperance abroad as helplessly as a t it} bo> would .1 bit of land strewn with debris, overgrown with Weeds, and baked by the sun, but which, nevertheless, he wishes to tonvcil into a garden. lie knows tin desirability of flowers, lie realises that there is hard work to be done, and has vague ideas about weeding, digging, and possibly fertilising, but unless someone teaches hint how to make a gar den, what a bunglig failure that garden making will be. “What tan we dor” is the question the young and m» xperiem ed are .i'kmg. The ordinary ‘ ‘ temper am e lecture” does not answer. They want something definite. They want to know the things that ought to be done. The following partial list of su< h things may set them to thinking and doing. A hook on “house work,” its beauties, meanings, and desirabili ties, may be interesting reading, but it is the hand book which tells what and when and how that is needed. * This list is It's than the hand book. It is merely an index finger. 1. Reading-rooms are needed in many towns and villages; well lighted, airy, warm or eool as need be, amply furnished with tables, e hairs, the daily papers, good monthly magazines, su< h good books as can be secured, maps of State and country, county maps, dictionary, a few good games, and a supply of Temperance literature. 2. Drinking fountains, where birds, dogs, horses, children, and grown folks can get clean, abundant water, without contact with or obligation to the saloons (hotels). 3. Horse troughs and hitching places away from the hotels.

4. Where gangs of men arc employed in street or road work, or in building, many will be kept from the hotel if hot coflee, tea, or lemonade is furnished them tit a cost or free during the noon hour. A woman living in a bouse in front of which the asphalt pavement was being laid, made a huge pit* her of < offe r everyday and gave to the workers. “Just so you stay from the saloon,” she «aid brightly, when ihey thanked her. 5. Many a wide-open town is simply suffering from defied law . Set are copies of State laws that bear on liquor-selling. See ure evidence, consult good lawyers, formulate appeals, and petitions, and circulate them; visit the ministers and teachers. Young men and women can do all this, thereby creating sentime lit One thing will lead to another, till a real struggle* is on. 6. (iood Temperance meeting-. These should be possible. The held is full of workers. Plan ahead; con tribute and solicit funds; hire a h.ill; engage speakers organise a good choir; buy good songs; print good circulars; hu-tle, talk, give, pray, and you c annot fail to make a great sue cess. 7. Distribution of literature* is of greatest importance. More good Temperance literature i> published today than ever before. Shun stinginess as you would malaria; buy plenty ; keep w«• 11 tilled wall pockets in railway station, church, telegraph office-, groctrx or meat maikct, hospital, gaol, police station. Do not forget any, and do not neglect housc-to house visitation and id dividual giving X. Nearly all Christian young people work in Sunday School (iiw a “tempera ice picnic ,” at w hir 11 temperance songs, speeches, recitations, as well a> tcmperanc e drinks, will be in order. c>. Help the local Temperance organisation. Fall into line. Be leaders or followers, whichever way you can accomplish the most for the* holy cause. 10. Re al, genuine, consecutive study of world temperance work and th** need of it is essential to every indi vidual who would serve the cause effectively. For that reason e young people’s society should organise itself into a study circle, pure hasing books, leaflets, and periodicals. (iood wotk cannot be accomplished by unintelli gent workers.

11. Personal work for the* personal sufferers from drink is always at hand. There are widows and orphans to visit; drunkards’ wives and children to clasp hands with in prac tical helpfulness; drunkards them selve s to aid in the* struggle wi:h the mocker. 12. The thing that makes many missionary meetings and many I e*mptranee meetings “slow,” “dry,” “stupid,” is a certain quality of vagueness, indehniteness, that pervades them. Jesus said not alone “Be \e kind.” He si id, “Love vour enc mies.” He was always specific. Do something, if it be only to stop diunken Joe on the* street and invite him to go to a decent place with you to drink hot toffee. Do some* one definite thing that will let King Alcohol know where* you stand. Do something, be something, say something, think something; pray, speak, spend, and be* spent. Do!