countability therefor, and recognizing the brotherhood of humanity accept the responsibility and fulfill its obligations !

One can see from this last article the striking bent of her mind. She was traveling about the country and corresponding with a dozen papers. She did not write fanciful little nothings; she saw trees and skies and flowers and streams (for she was a lover of nature) but did not write about them. Albeit a woman, she was a statesman in brain and heart, and saw what a wise statesman might see -what transpired in legislative halls, what mayors did in company with their saloon followers and how the laws were obeyed.

Great in intellect, great in soul-planned by God for great things! A person said to the writer a few weeks ago, one who had labored with her and knew her intimately: "Had she lived a little later in the world's history she might have been Secretary of State in Washington; for she had the intellectual breadth and strength and astuteness sufficient for the highest statesmanship."

Yet she was never masculine or unwomanly; only a sweet-souled, prayerful, holy woman, as the following contribution to The Union Signal will show. The "elect women" of the W. C. T. U. were asked to tell what their work had done for them.

She gave this to the

WHITE-RIBBON LOVE FEAST.

As I read the questions sent me by the editors of The Union Signal, quickly the long ago, the past and the present were before me. The long ago when the hope of eternal life was mine, but it seemed afar off; a boon to be received when things of time had passed; to be taught to the little ones that they, too, might enter heaven at last. Of the past when we heard of the wonderful crusade against sin in the southern part of our state; when Mrs. Thompson at Hillsboro, Mrs. Carpenter at Washington Court House, Mrs. Monroe at Xenia, and Mrs. Leavitt at Cincinnati, be

came my sisters, for whom I prayed, the while wondering if the Lord would come to me as He had come to them; wondering if I could endure His presence and fearing I should fail. Of that hour when I heard His footsteps, nearer and nearer, until I stood in His very presence; when I heard His voice as clearly as did Mary in the olden time, and scarcely daring to lift my eyes, He gave me grace and strength to answer as did she, and filled my soul with joy and peace and wondrous love.

Changed myself, I did not know that all else must change to me; but faith was tested, and sacrifice demanded. The Lord said, "Go work in my vineyard to-day." No time to spare; the King's work required haste; and in utter weakness there was obedience.

Standing for the first time before a great company as leader, as I opened the Bible to read the words selected, I had lost the place, and my eyes rested upon the Chronicles of God's people. Then, lost to self, a mighty cry for help reached the ear of the loving Father, who quickly answered with the thirty-seventh Psalm, in reading which all was forgotten but the yearning love of God for dying souls, the sacrifice of Christ for their salvation, and the unction of the Holy Ghost who had come down, until, closing the Book, the soul found utterance in the words of the apostle, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God." How sacred from that moment His Word! What wonderful things have been seen in His Law! How fully have we learned that the law of man must be as His if blessing shall be ours.

What days since then! How women have known the indwelling Christ! How all things have been counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord! How the Holy Spirit has lighted the pages of God's word, while home has been sweeter and country dearer ! "Heaven has come down our souls to bless,' "not the promised heaven beyond, but heaven within, the present joy of the Lord! And not for us alone; for to-day we look into homes once dark and imbruted, where now is life as sweet and pure as that within our own, where the white ribbon tells the same story of a new being, of hope and love; where little ones are trained for God and Home and Native Land," who in

the near glad future will lay their hands on the lever of power in this glorious Republic and fulfill the promise of our Lord.

Thanks be unto God, we see His eternal luster in the saving and the cleansing, and with faith, fearing not, we believe "It is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to His little ones."

་་

The following bugle call was written for The Union Signal from her sick bed last June, as if, though sick, she had no time for idleness:

STRONG WORDS FROM THE SHUT-IN SECRETARY.

Last week, had I been able to write, I should have given you in our own column that magnificent telegram from the secretary of the state prohibition committee of Virginia, announcing the complete prohibition victory achieved at Norfolk, the capital of the state-a note of which was found among first page items. It was a trial to be laid aside, but while I have lain in my bed looking straight up the words have sunk deeper and deeper into my heart, and I have "thanked God and taken courage." "" There is more

and more to follow," if the W. C. T. U. will stand with unbroken front against every form of compromise, even though it be the specious Gothenburg system of tax, license, local option, high license to include brandy and lighter drinks, etc., his honor, the governor, being the final referee. Anti-saloon, anti-license are in the same category, and "whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

CHAPTER IX.

JOINING THE PROHIBITION PARTY.

They are slaves who will not choose
Hatred, scoffing and abuse

Rather than in silence shrink

From the truth they needs must think;
They are slaves who dare not be

In the right with two or three.

-James Russell Lowell.

We are slowly, but surely, attaining to the grandest mastership in all the world-mastership over our own spirits. The noblest figure of contemporary history is Gladstone, England's governmental chief, because with the people ready to mob him one day and worship him the next, he holds on his way quietly and patiently, but dauntlessly true to his convictions. God has set the W. C. T. U. for a grander confession and defense of the faith than we have dreamed as yet; one which would blanch our cheeks, perhaps, and make our hearts heavy with fear, could we to-day know all that it involves. But if we are true and tender-hearted, holding fast the hand of Christ, we shall be equal to the consequences as they arise, no matter how perilous or great. Let me give you De Tocqueville's words for a motto in 1884: "Life is neither a pleasure nor a pain. It is a serious business to be entered on with courage and in a spirit of self-sacrifice."— Frances E. Willard.

DOUBTLESS the reader has already noticed from the

brief newspaper articles quoted in the last chapter that in her later years Mrs. Woodbridge affiliated with the "Third" or Prohibition Party. It is the aim of the writer to set forth in this chapter the causes which brought about her changed attitude toward political parties. What is recorded here is not written to excite animosity or to antagonize any person or party, but simply to truthfully represent Mrs. Woodbridge as she actually lived among

us. She was not a rash and impetuous person; whatever position she occupied on these great public questions was taken after calm, deliberate, careful investigation. It is certainly due to this thoughtful, prayerful, conscientious soul to present her life to the world as she lived it, in the fear of God and for the good of men. Of her motives there can be no question. As to the wisdom of her course there are now divided opinions; but of this, the future rather than the present, will be the more accurate judge.

Mrs. Woodbridge's father, Hon. Isaac Brayton -was one of the founders of the Republican party; her husband joined it at the time of its organization. She was in the fullest sympathy with them and with that party all through the years until the latter part of the year 1883. Her change of party allegiance was gradual, a compound resultant of three influences, her associations, her studies, and her experiences.

Her work to secure the Amendment was wholly nonpartisan. No audience ever knew to what party any of her leading speakers belonged. But her chief reliance was upon the constituency of the Republican party, which, it was admitted, actually did furnish from two-thirds to threefourths of the votes cast for prohibition.

But all the leading politicians and newspapers of both the old parties set themselves "like a flint" against her. When to the natural force of their hostile influence was added political trickery, such as - such as the putting of the Scott tax-law ahead of the Amendment, specially championed by the Republican party, the submission of two amendments, the misprinting of the ballots, the mutual agreement to crush and count out the Amendment,-it gave a rude shock to her faith in her own dear party that filled her alike with pain and disgust.

But her intimate associates were also passing through a similar mental strain and anguish. Miss Frances Willard,