ON THE TENNIS COURT.

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 398, 18 September 1928, Page 12

ON THE TENNIS COURT.

fJuy; Mow strung** that Winnie h late She knows we want her to make a fourth. May: Have you heard tin* latest new? uhout Winnie? Guy: No! Nothin*? wrong, 1 hop** May: Well, she has donned the wlt it • l»Ow and joined the W.U.T.U. Guy: And pray, what is that? May: Oh! you know, they are the tern ;>era nee fanatics. Byd.: Now, May, go slow; there are some of the sanest women anti most capable hoys I know who wear that little how. Guy: And Winnie has donned the low, you say? May: Yes! There Is a Mrs (’ox. a lecture, for them, visiting here. There has )>een quite a stir, and Winnie went to hear the lecturer, and became a recruit. Svd.: Oh! here she comes, anti surely she’s got the white l*>w on. Guy: Hullo, Win! we’ve been waiting for you. Hut. what’s your new decoration? Win : It means that I’ve joined the w.o.T.r. Byd.: That society with the alpha-| hetical name. ITay, what does that array of letters stand for? Win : You can pay your money anti take your choice. They call themselves Women's t'hristian Temperance Union The l»eer vendors say It stands for “We control the Universe.” while their friends read it, "We come to Uplift” May: What do you have to do to !>ooome a member? Win.: Sign the temperance pledge. Guy: Ami did you sign it? Win.: Of course I did. hut that was no hardship to me. I’ve never tasted wine or any alcoholic drink Byd : We’ve noticed you never touch the claret cup or cocktail, and have wondered why.

Win.: Grannie m*ver let rue tante it, and 1 promised hfr I never would. Guv: Why was that, Winnie? V/ir,.: Its a mu I story. \|> uur.t was piv« n a Vef and iron wine when she was ill She pot to like it, vnd it kill* I her. It nearly killed Grannie too. and that v as why |’\ * never tasted it May: But why did yon n«*><! to join the W.(\T.l\? VN’in.: Because I want to help others Mrs (’ox told us all about the brave women who marched in the snow and sleet sin/rinp hymns and prayinr. In th* streets until they shut up all the saloons In their village, and it spread to other towns. It was just like we res. of Pentecost. Then they started the W.C.T.U. Byd.: When and where was this? Win.: In l .S.A. alstut r»0 years upo. Now they have hranche* in 52 rountries, and about a trillion niemlters. Mrs fox sit id that we were horn in prayer, and all alorp it has prown through prayer. (Ju>: But everyone who drinks dots not become a drunkard. W’in : Granted; but he runs a fearful risk. And even small quantities of alcohol do preat harm to anyone, and ulso injure the rare. Byd.: Injure the race! What do you mean? W’in.: Aleohol is a racial poison. Mrs fox told us that we should have the finest rare in the world in our lovely land. It oupht to 1m» really, what we sometimes rail It, “Gods Own foun try," and yet we have so many in our hospitals, mental hospitals, at d puol.s. and the preater number of these are due to alcohol. Guy: Now, Win., draw it mild. Win.: It’s true Mrs fox pave us reports by judpes. doctor*, heads of

prisons. un«l I've looked it up, tuxl rend and I'm sure it's true. . \\ hat rubbish. l)o you incur t«) say that if I am a moderate (trinket < vil will happen to my children? Win.: It may; to many it does. Jt j> always the children who suffer. It’.* easy to laugh or to sneer, hut look around. We know how some of our o>\n puls have deteriorated because ol the cabaret and the cocktail. When they take alcohol they lose their sens, ol In 'M' y. and do* thin s they myi would do if they let the wine alone. Syd.: I'ut, Winnie, an* you going to start as a preacher? May: She'd make a lovely pleader, wouldn't she? <Juy: Ikrn't l»e so silly. May. W'H-i nie’s no fanatic, and shell never take the platform. Win.: I would it ! were capable Mrs <’ox made me think, and realise my responsibility. She told us that we who arc responsible for the curry in* on of the race should always aim for the bestThe flame of life should Ik* passed on clear and undimmed. The new lamps of life should In* lit only by the toreh of love. but. ehicfly owin\ r to tin* influence of alcohol, many lamps of life are lit bv unholy flames, and racial decay must follow.

May: Must y.JU wvur tlicir whim W in.: I'm p;uUil to bcluit# to *ht* u a'.T-I • I'm 11 oirl of their history, j[ i kmt ro-or 1 of iichiwement*. They M.i< the lii.s. to ntlcitipt internalioiiml r . f ( .’ in mi a worid-w ale M ale. Their motto is, “For tiod and Home and Jlu,i. iiiiy." I.eeaiise diunfl drink is lit* ,!*aifst ( iiemy to the home, they flj;ht .!l aIoUK the line. Hmuum! they Mi • v the evils of war, lon# before tini, <i♦* of Nation.-- was spoken about tlir' favoured <’ourts of National and In' iua..onal Arbitration to do away ith war. They wink for the three r>, as they call them, Prohibition, IV.ice, and Purity. They believe in the me standard for men and women. "A white life for two” is their slogan t?v«I.: It’s a broad platform. They i-crtainly follow the advice to “Hitch sour waggon to a star.” C.uy: A star! Id say a nebula. 1 ►«> tiny ever hope to «ain the»r objective? Win.: Yes. they lieliere, ‘according o their faith it shall be done.” Every •n tin y join in pruyu. and of cour? it' always noontide somewhere. Isn't it better to say with Blake: “I will not cease to tight. Nor will my sword sleep In my hand Till I have planted the New Jerusalem In New Zealand’s fair and fen ilt land.” than to just idly fritter away our time iud waste our life? You are proud, CJuy, of your war medal. la-cause it shows your loyalty to Din* king and country. lam prouder 'till of my white l>ow. which shows my levotion to the King of kings.