Seabee ee ee ee ee Pi ite = a + MR. CHRISTOPHER HODGSON. fe emperance Shots at Random - OR, ° INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF MR CHRISTOPHER HODGSON BY fe acA PK IN. AvuTHOR oF ‘‘ THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TEMPERANCE REFORMATION,”’ &c., &c. ‘¢ There is a history in all men’s lives Figuring the nature of the times deceased, The which, observed, a man may prophecy With a near aim of the main chance of things As yet not come to life, which in their seeds And weak beginnings lie entreasured.” SHAKSPEARE. “Tt is to live twice, when you can enjoy The recollection of your former life.’’ MARTIAL. MANCHESTER: Darran BrotHers, Printers, QuEEN’s Burnpines, 3, YorK STREET. 1887. (Entered at Stationers’ Hall. All rights reserved.) May be had from C. HODGSON, 3, West High Street, Cross Lane, Salford. Per AO, pee E>" fib virtue, unattended by fortune, could make a great man, many names might have been consecrated to immortality which are now lost in oblivion. If ability, united with integrity, could always secure success, he of whom we now write would have been one of the most successful of men. Unfortunately, however, that is not the case. Of course we speak of success as the worlding views it, viz., the accumu- lation of riches, the securing of a good position for oneself or family, without bestowing a thought or care upon others. This, however, is not the grand end of life; as Dr. Johnson says, ‘‘ Getting money is not all a man’s business. To cultivate kindness is a great part of the business of life.”” And Christian life consists of faith and charity. A truly Christian man can look calmly down like an eternal sun upon the autumn of his existence. The more sand has passed through the hour glass of | life, the more clearly can he see through the empty glass. Earth too is to him a beloved spot, a beautiful meadow, the scene of his childhood’s: sports, and he hangs upon this mother of our first life, with the love with which a bride, full of childhood’s recollections, clings to a beloved | mother’s breast the evening before the day on which she resigns herself to the bridegroom’s. heart. If we have read the purpose of life aright, then it is surely the case, that the things for which it should be held most valuable are the satisfactions. which accrue from the improvement of knowledge and the exercise of piety. They only who have so lived, can be said to have lived virtuously, and we may add—usefully, and they only can hope or expect to have their stewardship approved. The work before us is to review the life of one who has thus lived, one who ‘consecrated by hardships” and enervated by the difficulties. through which he has had to pass, has nobly struggled through all, has “‘ held-fast faith, kept his memory green,” and is honoured for the very trials through which he has passed. | eae GON TE NES. > Christopher Hodgson: His Birth, i cata ete. Signing the Pledge Business Life A Rum Anecdote Getting up a Meeting : What to do with Ninepence Deaf and Dumb 2 T.T. on his Cart-Plate *‘ Do take care of yourself” . A Rechabite The Prayer Meeting The Town Crier ‘Your Best Friend ” Witnessing for Truth *‘T cannot afford ” A Strange Examination The Bob-tailed Horse ‘“ Treating ” Trifles Soup and Sympathy | : How the Publicans Educate hen Customer Making it Respectable ** Not my sort ”’ Hard-hitting and Cranetener A Railway Incident : Usefulness . A Funeral In a Fix ‘ ‘“‘Tripe and Trotiers’ ate Chicken Broth . : A Wooden Leg Home Life Humorous Conversation Malformation . ‘ The Awkward Squad . Smoking, Chewing, and Snuff. age Tobacco ‘* After many Daye: ) How to Reach the Masses ‘No Tick” or, Nothing is Lost ‘¢What to do and et to do ib? Brains, Brass, and Time ' George Just . Wit and Humour ‘“« Specimen of the Work ane ined te The Mangle Nine Jumps . “To Kill t’ pen be A Rebuke and Pistest ‘Old Johnson ”’ A Novel Auction Teetotalism v. Beer- arene In Strange Quarters The Sunset of Life The Glass-blower . “¢ Your Clever Work ”’ Grand-Motherly Legislation . FourteEN Days’ EXPERIENCES: First Day . Second Day Third Day . Fourth Day Fifth Day . Sixth Day Seventh Day HKighth Day Ninth Day Tenth Day Eleventh Day Twelfth Day . Thirteenth Day. Fourteenth Day ° 137 149 154 156 161 163 166 171 173 174 179 184 188 194 196 198 201 205 210 213 215 223: 227 229 240 242 244 247 247 251 254 257 260 263 265 TEMPERANCE SHOTS AT RANDOM. AS ey ed BS ae der CHRISTOPHER HODGSON: HIS BIRTH, PARENTAGE, ETC. SHRISTOPHER HODGSON was born at Kirkby Stephen in Westmorland on the 29th March, 1817. Huis father was a farmer, but he also combined with that the vocation of a carrier and coal dealer: in which triple occupation his son Chris- topher—who was the eldest of seven sons and daughters—assisted. In early life therefore Christopher learned to labour, and at certain periods the labour he had to perform was so excessive that only a strongly- built frame, combined with a vigorous will, could have accomplished it. The history of labour is indeed a remarkable one. Labour is ‘‘the good genius that turns everything into gold.’’ Labour has made all the capital in the world. The time can never come when we shall cease to labour. ‘It is worth 10 Temperance Shots at Random. noting that God has constructed the moral world upon. the principle of labour. He has sent man into a workshop. He has given him his ten fingers as tools wherewith to work. He has not rained down upon man the pleasures and the charms of hfe without demanding from him a proportionate degree of exercise in order to obtain them. Some things lie near at hand; they are indispensable, and therefore are soon obtained; but other things—of permanent value too—lie more remote and the exertion to procure them is long and severe. Great things can only be pur- chased by great labour, and the worth of our production must be in proportion to the labour bestowed upon it. No man has a right to expect chance will do for him what the ready hand, the shrewd eye, and the reflective brain must do.” “‘God helps them who help themselves,” and as Carlyle says ‘‘ The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.” We might exhibit a long list of names of the worthy who have known the pursuits of toil, and who have combined in some degree the spiritual and the material; whose talents and _ per- severance, whose researches and discoveries, have raised them to the highest rank amongst European philosophers, scientists, and reformers. Faraday, England’s most eminent chemist, was the son of a blacksmith. He was early apprenticed to a bookbinder, and worked “at the craft’ until he was twenty-one years of age. Sir Humphry Davy, whose researches and dis- Birth, Parentage, &c. Bt coveries in chemistry have surrounded his name with such an extraordinary degree of brilliancy, was the son of a wood carver at Penzance, and was an entirely self-educated man. Herschel, the poor Austrian drummer, became the greatest astronomical discoverer of his age, and constructed the most wonderful telescope that had ever been lifted to the skies. Both time and space, however, would fail to merely catalogue the names of those who have ascended to places of eminence from the most lowly situations. At nine years of age young Hodgson was sent to the Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, and was elected for three years to a free scholarship: and who can tell the advantages of these three years’ education at the old Grammar School, in that small but romantic townin Westmorland, in aiding this child of toil in his future mental achievements ? “We have not forgotten,” says Professor Wilson, “an order of poets peculiar, we believe, to our own enlightened land, a high order of poets sprung from the lower orders of the people, and not only sprung from them, but bred as well as born in the huts where poor men lie; and glorifying their condition by the light of song; such glory, we believe, belongs exclusively to this country and to this age. It must be a strong soil, the soil of Britain, which sends up such products. The spirit of domestic life must be sound, the natural know- ledge of good and evil, high; the religion true ; the laws just and the government of the whole i Temperance Shots at Random. good ; that can have all conspired to educate these children of genius, whose souls nature has framed of the finer clay.” But it is true not only of our own day but of all times, that the mind-life has in innumerable instances been associated with bodily labour and toil; and in no instance in our expe- rience is this more strikingly so, than in the case before us. 3 The drudgery of farm life, although by no means undignified, became distasteful to our young aspirant; so, having obtained the consent of his parents, he wrote to a relative in Manchester, asking his assistance in endeavouring to obtain for him a situation. This was promised, but for a time the effort was unsuccessful. Two years afterwards, however, young Hodgson was enabled to exchange the routine of country, for the more active duties of town life. And on the 3rd of October, 1836, he left his father’s house and came to Manchester; where he has resided for the last fifty years. It is somewhat singular, but our young friend’s first employment was in a brewery in which his unele was a partner. In this brewery he remained about two years with a view to his being initiated into the duties of a brewer’s traveller. Towards the end of the time he went out for one week with a traveller for the firm, but the sights and sounds he saw and heard while visiting the public- houses and beershops had such an effect upon his sensitive mind, that he resolved at once to relinquish his situation and endeavour to earn his Birth, Parentage, @c. 13 bread in some other way more congenial to his feelings. He forthwith made known his determination to his uncle, who, as might be expected, expressed his surprise and made some rather uncomplimen- tary remarks on his decision. In a few days afterwards, however, his uncle offered to procure a situation for him in a large brewery, that of Messrs. Hole and Harrison, Strangeways; and as one branch of their business consisted in supplying families in the suburbs with barrels and half-barrels of ale or porter, etc. for private use, and the salary too was somewhat larger, it was thought that this might be regarded as a very eligible situation. Mr. Hodgson declined the offer, with thanks, and at once resolved to make another start in life as soon as an opportunity offered. This act of self-denial on the part of Mr. Hodgson was all the more striking on account of the circumstances in which it was performed. Our readers must remember that this took place half-a-century ago, at which time the Liquor Traffic was by most, people considered to be highly respectable, as indeed it still 1s by some who can not or will not perceive the inseparable connection between that traffic and the terrible evils which result from it. And beside this, Mr. Hodgson was not at that time ateetotaler, so that his mind was not biased in that direction. He was fresh from the country too, and a compara- tive novice in the ways of the world, with few 14 Temperance Shots at Random. friends to aid him in his endeavour to carve his way in life. He was in a large town where, on account of fierce competition, suitable situations for such as he were not readily obtained. These things did not daunt our young hero, however ; he had been bold enough to say ‘‘ No” when remunerative service in an uncongenial task had been offered, and therefore would not be likely to be deterred by trifles; he knew that’ =“ereat works are performed not by strength but by per- severance, consequently he sought for and ob- obtained a situation as a porter in the warehouse of Mr. John A. Armstrong of Barton’s Buildings, Deansgate. It may be necessary here to state that at that time Manchester was the chief market for raw cotton. The bales of cotton were brought from Liverpool and warehoused in Manchester and were then sold in small quantities of four, five or six bales to country spinners. He remained in this situation about two years, when his employer adopted the course of warehousing his cotton in Liverpool, samples only being sent to Manchester. Christopher’s services being then no longer required, he engaged himself as a carter to Mr. George Stockdale, a master porter, to whom he was well known. While in his service about 18 months he was frequently called to receive and deliver goods to and from Messrs. Clayton and Gladstone, commission agents and merchants, and being during that time often brought under their notice he was by them Birth, Parentage, &c. 15 offered a situation as warehouseman which he very gladly accepted. It was while Mr. Hodgson was in the employ of Mr. John A. Armstrong that he became a teetotaler. His conversion was on this wise. Having seen a placard on the wall announcing that a Temperance Meeting would be held on November 17th, 1839, in the Salford Town Hall, he determined to go, partly it may be from curio- sity, but chiefly from a desire to hear for himself and to know what the new doctrine meant, for at that time Teetotalism was only in its infancy and was therefore not well understood. What he heard there, however, produced a settled conviction in his mind that the abstinence practice was not only a duty but a safeguard as well. The speakers at the meeting were the late much-esteemed Mr. William Harvey, cotton spinner, of Salford; Dr. Clay, of Piccadilly, Manchester; Mr. William Logan, a city missionary, and afterwards one of the most active workers in Glasgow and author of some most valuable works on social and moral reform; George Chambers, a reformed drunk- ard and ballad singer, well known in Lanca- shire by the cognomen of ‘Cock Robin’; and others. Mr. Hodgson was not induced to make public profession of his convictions by signing the _ pledge, preferring rather to seek further informa- tion on the subject and then act accordingly. This we believe to be an excellent plan, .and is much to be preferred to the ‘‘rush and gush” which at various periods has characterised our 16 Temperance Shots at Random. proceedings as Temperance Reformers, the for- mer leading to permanent results, the latter being so evanescent as to evaporate with the means employed to produce them. : Just at this point in the history of young Hodgson a curious incident occurred. While standing one day with his horse and cart in front of a warehouse, an office boy in sweeping the waste papers from an adjoining office swept out a soiled pamphlet which our friend picked up and read. It proved to be a copy of Dr. Lyman Beecher’s six sermons on intemperance preached in America in 1826, and which probably were the principal means of laying the foundations of the temperance reformation in America. The reading of this pamphlet served to deepen the impressions the reader had received at the meeting in Salford, and he resolved that henceforth he would be an abstainer from all intoxicating liquors. Still he did not see the wisdom of signing the pledge or joining a temperance: society. But in the month of June following he had some conversation with a fellow Sunday school teacher, who admitted that the intoxicating cup had been asnare to him. Mr. Hodgson advised him to sign the pledge. ‘“‘ Have you signed ?”’ asked his friend. He was obliged to answer ‘‘ No,’ and began to give his reasons. These reasons however were so unsatisfactory to himself that he gave his friend a challenge. ‘I will sign the pledge if you will,” he said: the challenge was accepted; so they both went to- gether and signed the pledge. This took place on Signing the Pledge. 17 the 24th of June, 1840, at a public meeting at the Adelphi, Salford; and who can over estimate the advantages of that step ? “Beware,” says the late R. W. Emerson, ‘“when the great God lets loose a thinker on this’ planet. Thenall things are atrisk. Itisas whena conflagration has taken place in a great city, and no one knows what is safe or where it will end.” Just so it is when a great earnest soul becomes enthusiastic in the cause of humanity. Practically he acknowledges but one creed. It is that all that is happy is attainable. This is the key to his enthusiasm and he resolves that henceforth his life work shall be to solve the problem ‘‘ How can man’s happiness be best secured ?”’ Not for himself alone does he do this, but for the world; believing in the great Fatherhood of God he has equal faith in the universal brotherhood of man. He is a man—his heart is entirely human. Where great subjects stir, he flings himself into the midst of the struggle and wrestles for the question at issue. It is this popular sympathy which grows at last into public opinion. Mind comes into con- tact with mind, and objects that seemed distant and unattainable are at last gained. It is this sympathy which has led to the formation of all good associations. Men who think well must think in society, and it is this sympathy, this going out after poor down-trodden humanity, which vindi- cates the honour of human nature and fills it with celestial influences. We have a most pro- found conviction that profound sympathy will 18 Temperance Shots at Random. always be a test of a genuine faith: they balance each other, and so long as nature possesses the power to charm, so long will sympathy touch the heart, and touching, refine and exalt it. ‘There is nothing real in the world beside sympathy,” says the late Rev. E. Px Hoodie only is faithful, it only is earnest. Uninfluenced by the sensualism of the Epicurean in his hope- less chase after pleasure, or the scorn of the sceptic in his perpetual sneer, the large-hearted sympathiser goes forth into the world troubling the stagnant waters and pools; and without such men the world would have been a wilderness.” That this was the active principle, the motive power which led to generous and noble deeds will appear as we unfold the life-work of Mr. Hodgson. Of him it may be truly said, ‘‘ His life consists of faith and charity,’’ which is another name for love: love to God, love to men, love to all men. The good God giveth love for all, The earnest heart to cheer and melt, As His own smiles of glory fall ‘ On hidden powers unseen but felt. ak Chir Ke bl. ‘The goal of yesterday will be the starting point of to-morrow.” THomas CARLYLE. BUSINESS” LIE. WR. HODGSON remained in Messrs. 4, Clayton and Gladstone’s employment ten and a-half years, gradually rising in their esteem. It was owing to his total abstinence practice that he obtained the situation, unsolicited by him; and it was through his strict attention to business and his marked integrity of character that he retained the confidence of his employers. Being anxious, however, to still further improve his position, Mr. Hodgson accepted a situation as traveller for a firm of weighing-machine manufacturers. This proved to be the second step in the ladder of social progress. He remained in this situation only eighteen months, during which period he discovered new developments in his business capabilities which he wisely resolved to utilize to his own advantage. This he was enabled to do in the following way. The proprietors of the ane aoe] an s eo >a 7 Z We RA Fig as E = e 3) ne20) Temperance Shots at Random. firm in which he was engaged having disposed of their business, Mr. Hodgson arranged for a part- nership between himself and Mr. Stead, a skilled workman in the same employ. They commenced the business of Weighing Machine Manufacturers at Salford, Manchester, in 1852. During the period of this partnership (twenty years) the industry and tact of Mr. Hodgson were fully developed, the business having so extended that machines bearing the name of Hodgson and Stead are not only to be seen in nearly every town in England, but also in Scotland and Ireland, and are extensively in use on the railways in India and on several of the English and Continental lines. In 1872 the partnership dissolved by effluxion of time, Mr. Stead retiring. Mr. Hodgson took into partnership his son, Mr. William Hodgson, and his son-in-law, Mr. John Needham, the firm still trading under the name of ‘‘ Hodgson and Stead.” The business has since so grown that more room and greater facilities have been required, and extensive works and workmen’s houses have been erected in Windsor Street and Christopher Street, Regent Road, Salford, so that the firm may be said to have reached a position which is somewhat commensurate with the enter- prise and industry of its founders. Our readers must not suppose that during this period Mr. Hodgson was indifferent to the condi- tion of those who were less fortunate than himself, Business Life. on or who through their own misconduct had missed their way. So far from this being the case, we find throughout his long and busy life a happy blending of industrial habits with a marvellous activity in the promulgation of those principles which had formed the basis of his own success in life. The late Richard Cobden said in reply toa letter from Mr. Joseph Livesey, the honoured patriarch of the temperance reformation, ‘‘ You are right in the path of usefulness you have chalked out for yourself. The temperance cause really lies: at the root of all the social and political pro- gression in this country. If you could convert us into a nation of water drinkers, I see no reason why, in addition to our being the most energetic we should not be the most polished, for we are inferior to none in the inherent qualities of the gentleman, truthfulness and benevolence.” This Mr. Hodgson believed, and he built his own social superstructure upon it, and we have already seen how well he succeeded. But he was also anxious that: his fellow men should be made acquainted with the great secret of success, consequently he never allowed an opportunity to slip, nay, he even sought opportunities to make known the glad tidings of total abstinence to those who were enslaved or who were in danger of being enslaved by drink. Scarcely a business journey was under- taken without some striking evidence of his zeal and enthusiasm in this good work being made manifest, and,as might be expected, he has already 22 Temperance Shots at Random. reaped a rich harvest of precious fruit. There is no man with whom we are acquainted who has given such practical illustrations of James Mont- gomery’s paraphrase of Isaiah xxxii. 20, as he has given: Sow in the morn thy seed; At eve hold not thine hand; To doubt and fear give thou no heed, Broad-cast it o’er the land. Beside all waters sow ; The highway furrow stock ; Drop it where thorns and thistles grow ; Scatter it on the rock. The good, the fruitful ground, Expect not here nor there; O'er hill and dale by plots ’tis found; Go forth, then, everywhere. We present our readers with one out of many similar illustrations which will appear throughout this book, and we give it as nearly as possible in his own words : A RUM ANECDOTE. “It was on a bright summer’s day that business led me to Farnworth, near Bolton. J had in- tended to have returned by an early train, but meeting with a gentleman whom I knew, and with whom I had occasionally had business transactions, I chatted with him until I was too late for my train, so that I had to wait an hour-and-a-half before I could depart; consequently I began to think how I could spend it to advantage: for I hold the opinion that if no opportunity presents itself for doing good, we ought to make one: so I was quickly on the look out. Turning out of the A Rum Anecdote. 22 “Long Causeway’ into the Bolton Road I saw - numbers of people, young and old, male and female, for the mills had just stopped. Some were standing in groups, merrily chatting together, others were window-gazing, and others were hastening home to attend to their household duties. “On looking down the road I saw an elderly man coming along evidently under the influence of drink. I also noticed a lamp-post at the cor- ner of the road, and an open space in front which would be a convenient place fora meeting; there was. also ample standing room for the speaker on the stone basement of the lamp-post. “ Having taken this rapid survey of the situa- tion I walked a short distance down the road, and, meeting the old man, I shook hands with him as though he had been an old acquaintance, and expressed the joy I felt at meeting him. Then ‘linking’ my arm with his I led him staggering towards the lamp-post, talking loudly as we went. The old man evidently had his eye upon the ‘Black Horse,’ a public-house hard by, while I intended to attract the attention of the people. My companion wanted something to drink, so I said, ‘ Well, supposing we were to go into the ‘Black Horse,’ what kind of drink must we have ?’—his reply was ‘Oh! any kind,’ but after a little hesitation he said ‘Rum.’ ‘Is rum Bercrreieasked, “Oh! yes, he:said. ‘Have you had any rum to-day?’ I asked. ‘Oh! yes,’ he replied. Then I said, ‘Is it the rum you have taken that has affected your legs so that you can 24 Temperance Shots at Random. neither walk steadily nor stand erect ? for, if so, I dare not give you any more rum lest you should be made incapable of sitting upright as well.’ ‘By this time about two hundred and fifty persons had gathered around, so I appealed to them as to what should be done in the matter; but there was no answer. “Then I asked them this question: ‘ Has the drink this old man has been accustomed to take, and which he has partaken of too freely to;day, ever done him any good?’ ‘Never!’ was the response. ‘Has it ever done him or his family any harm?’ I asked. ‘ Ruined them, Said yone of the crowd. On hearing this the old man sat down upon the stone at my feet and wept. Seeing the opportunity, I turned the attention of the people to the subject of temperance, and speaking of the drink and the mischievous agent (alcohol) therein contained, I said: ‘ Look at this body of mine: this is the house I live in.’ Pointing to my head, I said ‘this is the roof’; pointing to my eyes, I remarked, ‘these are the windows’; to my mouth, ‘this is the door’; and so proceeding, I referred to the stomach, the liver, the lungs, the heart, and so on; and then concluded by saying, ‘all these are my servants; they do their work faithfully and well without alcohol, and therefore I do not take it into my body; for if I were to do so it would, according to the quantity taken, dis- turb and paralyse some of the servants in my household and tend by such treatment to a general strike through apoplexy or rendering A Rum Anecdote. 25 some of them incapable of performing their duties aright. ‘The only safe way,’ I added, ‘is to keep this dangerous article out of the house.’ Finding that my time was exhausted, I had to leave abruptly, and run to Stoneclough Station to catch the train. I had hardly reached the station, however, before a young man dressed in clerical costume came running into the station, and approaching me, he asked my name; continuing, he said, ‘I am a student at a Baptist College, and am spending my holiday here. I was standing inside a shop near to the place where you accosted Bormeisoh j and the /shopkeeper remarked, ‘I wonder who the gentleman is who is talking to Old Bob. If he knew what a hopeless character he is, he would not touch him.” ‘I was anxious,’ said the young man, ‘to know how the affair would terminate, so I went to the meeting and heard your address and I was struck with the way you gathered the people and also with the attention they paid to what, to some of them, must have been unwelcome truths. You have taught me a lesson, however,’ he added, ‘and it is this—that earnest workers in the cause of truth have no need to seek for opportunities.’ ”’ As somewhat following the same line of effort, we give other incidents as told by Mr. Hodgson: GEELING UP A MEETING. ‘‘Being appointed to speak at a temperance meeting at Mossley, ten miles from Manchester, the most suitable train by which I could go would 20 Temperance Shots at Random. arrive there nearly an hour before the time of the meeting, which was to be held at the Christian Brethren’s Sunday School, which is situated between the two portions of the town, the one being at the bottom, the other at the top; the distance between the two is about one-third of a mile, the schoolroom being rather nearer the top than the bottom; the incline from the one to the other is moderately steep. Arriving by the train at the lower part of the town, the hour having to pass till the time of the meeting, and being fine summer weather, I strolled about seeing how the people were occupying themselves after their day’s toil. ‘““On the high road I came upon a lot of young men and lads playing at marbles. I was interested in the game, as, when young, I was a gamester in that line; by and bye I joined in the game. After a time a dispute arose between two of the players. I volunteered to be arbitrator, and in doing so I interested the company, which had increased to about thirty persons, by balancing the difference between the two disputants by relating a very humorous anecdote on temperance lines. Then I told them where I was going and invited them to come to the meeting. I then went up to the meeting-room. I found the doors open, but no audience, and the care-taker said he did not expect many to come. I waited a short time, and, only some half-dozen being present, I told them I would go down to the marble players. I did so and sung a verse for them : Getting up a Meeting. 27 ‘What means this degradation we see on every hand, Why in this favoured nation, do prisons thickly stand ? ’Tis drinking leads the way to national decay, Then come and sign the temperance pledge, you'll never ruethe day O come and sign the temperance pledge, you'll never rue the day. “I got the greater part of the company to go along with me. When we got to the meeting about twenty persons were there. I told the care-taker to get those who were with me seated in the meeting and I would run up into the upper portion of the town and bring a few more. A goodly number of persons were idling about. I sang two verses near a group of men, then I invited them to come along with me. I drewtwo of them together and placed myself between them, and, taking an arm of each between mine, and commencing singing—they stepping along with me, a number gathering round—we were soon at the meeting, which it was said was the best they had had for some time. The chairman spoke well. I then followed; but, to catch the train, I had to leave before the close of the meet- ing, saying, as I passed out, that I hoped all who were not abstainers, would sign the pledge at once. I knew the chairman would profitably supplement what had been said. A few days afterwards I had a note thanking me for my ser- vices and informing me that seventeen persons signed the pledge at the close of the meeting. ‘‘Something more than merely opening meet- ings is needed to ensure good attendances and good results.” 28 Temperance Shots at Random. WHAT TO DO WITH NINEPENCE. ‘‘One beautiful summer evening, at the end of my day’s business, I found myself at Oswald- twistle, near Accrington. I then had to get back to my home at Salford. To get to the railway station at Church, I should have to walk a mile. I was told that by walking three miles over Jumble Holes Moor to Haslingden, I could save some eight miles railway fare, but I should be two-and- a-half hours later home. As business hours for the day were over my time was of small value. A walk over the moor on such an evening was also a considerable attraction, because of the finer views I should have of the surrounding districts. So over the moor I’'d go. The first portion was along a rough winding lane; then I was told I should come to a piece of waste or moor land, near to which, on my left, I should see a village. .“ By and bye on rounding a turn in the lane I suddenly came upon the piece of moor land; the time was about 7-20. To my surprise there were about twenty or more men, some of them standing, others sitting or lounging on the green sward, many of them smoking, but all in their fustian clothes which bore the colour of the subsoil in which as excavators or quarrymen they had evi- dently been working, and probably they were in dress just as they had returned from their day’s labour after having had their evening meal and a wash; they had for some reason or other assembled in this, to me, unattractive spot. I of course What to do with Ninepence. 29 had come upon them suddenly and they were as much surprised to see a commercial traveller there as I was to see them. ‘“‘ Thinking I had forty minutes to spare, leav- ing me time to cross the moor, and looking at the men, I thought here is material enough of a class which cannot but be benefited by a little tempe- rance teaching and experience. I have generally found I can most safely open my way to the minds of people by asking them some simple question that I may think the person or persons questioned can easily answer. It gives to most persons the idea that they are of importance, and, by answering, to confer a favour on you; and then by the tone and manner of their answers you may presume on asking a further question. I generally trust to what comes to my mind at the moment. Here on this occasion, I asked a very curious question. The question was, If you happened to be standing here and had ninepence that you could spend, what would you do with it? I observe here are young, middle aged, and old men, men of some education, and some perhaps entirely without ; perhaps amongst you may be found Tories, Liberals, and Radicals, in politics. What must ! do with the ninepence? After some little delay the only answer given was, ‘We must each put threepence to it, and go to the public-house ;’ this suggestion came from a middle-aged man. 1! asked ‘What must be the kind of drink we must purchase with the money when we get to the public-house ?’ 30 Temperance Shots at Random. “ After a short discussion as to which of the intoxicating drinks was to be chosen, and as to their individual likings, I was made painfully aware of the sad ignorance of all of them as to the uselessness and bad effects of taking such drinks: I then said, ‘I see you cannot agree as to: my question, so I will make a new offer. I will pay for a gallon of any of the drinks you have named, on your agreeing to two condi- tions; first—that the particular drink chosen shall be all of one kind ; second—that you tell me the component parts of such drink as you may choose. If you agree to these conditions, set to work and choose the particular drink, and then answer the question ; and we will have the gallon in.’ I took out my memorandum book to write the names of the drinks suggested by them. The first-named was brandy, then rum, then gin; then one man said, ‘The weather is too hot for these fiery drinks,’ and named ale as the best for hard work and hot weather; severalales were mentioned. I drew their attention to my time of leaving them, which was now becoming limited, and that the condition was one of the drinks only ; so in a short time ale was determined upon. Now I asked, ‘What are the components of ale?’ One said ‘ Barley,’ another said ‘No’; then another said ‘ Malt’; that I said was so; then ‘Hops,’; I said ‘ Yes’; then ‘ Water’ ; again ‘Yes’; then “Yeast =“ Yes*}) themes agen ‘Yes.’ ‘These articles are all,’ some one said. ‘No,’ said another, ‘there is some other stuff that they put in, for malt would not make folks drunk, What to do with Ninepence. Br neither would hops, nor water, nor yeast, nor salt.’ I said, ‘ There is something else,’ but none of them could tell what that thing was. At last one man said, ‘ Master, if you have ninepence to spare there is an old woman upinthe row,’ pointing in that direction, ‘ where it would be a charity to give it.’ I thanked him, and then told them how alcohol was produced, and what it did when taken into the body; and that if alcohol were taken out of all the drinks named, what would be left would be so distasteful and utterly nauseous that none of them would be taken. I then referred to the folly of believing it was strength-giving, or of any value in either helping man to perform any of the physical duties of life, or of any value to our mental organization. I told them my knowledge of malt making and brewing, and then had to hurry to catch my train at Haslingden. ‘“Some six years afterwards I was going along a road in Church Parish near Accrington. A new weaving shed was in course of erection. A low wall separated the road from the building. Three men, whom I took tobe stone masons, were drawing along a stonemason’s bogey with a stone upon it, one of whom stared very much at me as I was walking past. Only from my waist upwards could I be seen by the man. On my coming to a part where an opening had been made for pass- ing to and from the building, I could be seen at full length by the man. I was struck with his apparent curiosity. As I passed along he left the bogey and overtook me, and without 32 Temperance Shots at Random. any apology or word by way of introducing him- self, exclaimed ‘ You’re the varra man?’ at which I halted and said ‘What do you mean?’ He asked ‘Were you ever in Bedlam?’ to which I replied ‘It has sometimes been said I was fit for that place.’ ‘I do not mean Bedlam madhouse,’ he said, ‘I mean Bedlam at the top of Oswald- twistle.’ ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I was once there and spoke to some men at the entrance to the moor.’ ‘““*Ves,’ said he, ‘and you wanted to know how you might spend ninepence where it would do some good to somebody and then offered to stand a gallon of drink if we could tell what it was made of, but none of us could tell what there was in ale that made men drunk, and then when we were all stuck fast and could not win the gallon, one man told you of an old woman to whom the ninepence would be a charity.’ ‘Yes, I remember,’ I said. ‘ Well,’ said he, ‘that old woman was my mother. It cut me to the quick to hear it said that my mother was so neglected as to need charity. I worked then for the same master as I do now, and had then the same wages as I have now, 24s. per week; but my mother seldom got more than the 4s. ; and when I thought of your saying you knew all about malt- making and brewing, and told us that the ale on which we spent so much of our money did us harm and could not possibly do us any good, I determined I would have no more, and take my money home to my mother. I have never taken intoxicating drinks since then. In two years our What to do with Ninepence. a8 home comforts were second to none in Bedlam, and I then got one of the nicest wenches in Oswaldtwistle to be my wife. My mother’s last years were the happiest of her life; and although last winter we had eight weeks’ frost and could not work, yet we wanted for nothing. If you ever come to Bedlam be sure you come to see us; you will be welcome to anything there is in the house;’ and with a toss of his head and a leer in his eye, he added, ‘ except my wife.’ ”’ The late Rev. E. Paxton Hood, in his quaint and humorous manner, speaking of the charac- teristics of humble genius, says: ‘‘ Industry is ever laying the powers of genius under contribu- tion. There is no tool used by industry, there is no work achieved by industry, there is no 1m- provement attempted by industry, but the hint was first given by genius. Genius, is a combination of perception and reflection. Industry, of necessity and self-preservation. Very frequently in the history of mankind the two have been found in beautiful union. The contemplative mind has found a lodging in a very active body. The soul has found itself work to do and has done it. And where this is the case, body and spirit will be usually found to act in union.” It is even so. There is within every soul the ‘transmuting chamber,—the alchemist’s room,’ —the furnace and the flame; but, alas! there are many who sit down, listlessly gazing upon others harnessing themselves for the race and the 34 Temperance Shots at Random. struggle, and with the certain consciousness of powers within themselves, idly lounge, dissipating the life, that should be consecrated to action, in airy wishings. The might, that should fit them for the performance of something worthy of themselves, all lost. Well may we wonder at the work of those who are ‘‘ wasting their time in strenuous idleness,’’ as someone has phrased it, for although such persons never spend their moments in doing nothing, yet their work is of that non-practical character that yields no profit either to themselves or to others. But this was not the case with Mr. Hodgson. He had the bold originality, the inventive faculty, and the genius to which we are all indebted for our advances, our progress and our improvements, as the following incidents will shew. DEAF AND DUMB. ‘““T found myself,” he says, “‘on one occasion going along Watson Street, Peter Street, Man- chester, and I saw two young men coming’ in an opposite direction; they were evidently from the country, and were walking in the middle of the street. Just before I met them they halted in front of a beer-house, and one of them apparently was trying to persuade the other to enter. The character of the houses between the street in which we were and Deansgate, together with the ' theatres, the circus, and the concert hall, did not make the habitues of the public-houses and the beer-shops in that quarter the most select, and T.T. on his Cart-Plate. | 35 suddenly the advice of Solomon flashed into my mind, ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away’; and I saw the danger those young men were exposed to if they went in. ‘Being somewhatin haste and not having time to give them words of warning, without thinking of the propriety or impropriety of the act, I held up my hand and pointed to the sign-board over the door and looked serious ; and then imitating the manner of the deaf and dumb when conversing with their fingers, I again pointed to the sign- board, shook my head, and was about to leave when the young man who was indisposed to enter the house said to the other, ‘He is deeof and dumb, mon, an’ he meons et we’re not to goa in, an’ tha knows et deeof and dumb folks han a sooart of inseet into things moor nor other folks et can hear an’ talk—an’ he meons et we’re not to goo. in. So again shaking my head and holding up my hands by way of warning, I left them. Just turning into Peter Street I looked round and was gratified at seeing that the young men had taken my dumb advice.”’ foto Nests CART PLATE. ‘*Some years ago I was coming up out of Lees Brook towards Oldham, when I met a man with a horse and cart, both of which were good. The cart was well loaded with bags, hampers, boxes. and casks of greengroceries and other shop- keepers’ requirements. I noticed the name-plate 30 Temperance Shots at Random. in the usual place on the off-side of the cart, the name on it was ‘John Pogson, T.T., Potato Dealer, Green Grocer, &c.’ I stood a moment or two looking after the cart, wondering what the T.T. could mean. Two young men dressed in fustian clothes, lke factory hands, weavers I supposed, noticing my intently looking after the cart, I told them I was anxious to know some- thing of its owner and of the meaning of the T.T. on the name-plate. ‘“‘ They turned round to look at the cart. Then said one of them: ‘Oh! it is Jack Pogson. He may well have T.T. on his cart. He’s teetotal: horse, cart, hampers, boxes, potatoes, turnips, cabbages and all are teetotal. He was one of the dirtiest and most neglected young men there was in this neighbourhood ; his ragged clothes scarcely covered his nakedness, besides being filthy ; he had no regular work, jobbing about for anyone who would give him a few pence, sometimes wheeling coals from the coal pit to the cottages in the neighbourhood; and as soon as he had the price of a gill or a pint of ale he spent it; beside this, his hands between the fingers were full of sores which never mended until he became a teetotaler.’ ‘‘T had noticed that these two men from whom I had got the above information had been during the morniny taking intoxicating drink, for it was beginning to shew its baneful effect on both body and mind I could see by their eyes, speech, and gait. I remarked to them as we walked along, if HEE 0n hits Cart-plate. a7 teetotalism had done so well for J. Pogson, why did not they adopt the same plan ?—to which they said they had no need, for the drink never did them any harm. I replied it had done them harm. «When ?’ was the enquiry. - “TI replied, ‘This morning; you have both of you been injured by the drink you have had; you can neither think as well, nor talk as well, nor walk as well, nor run as well, as you could this morning before you took the drink; both body, mind, and pocket have been injured by it.’ “One of them gave me a challenge, saying, ‘ I will run thee for the price of a pint of ale.’ “‘T replied, ‘If you had said so much when you were sober in the morning, I would have declined the challenge, but now you have so much injured your. body by taking the drink, that, although I am fifty years old, and you are probably twenty- two, and you are about ten stone weight and I nearly fourteen stone, I will accept your challenge.’ ‘“‘Some eight or ten persons had gathered round. I began buttoning up my overcoat: here my com- petitor said, ‘ Yo’l ha to ta’ that cooat off to run me. I said I did not need. elrasked * How ‘far ’are’we to run?’ One of _ the men said ‘To the next lamp-post but one,’ which would be about two hundred yards. Now all this took place about half-way up a hill which is about a quarter of a mile long. ‘The next question was, ‘Shall it be up hill or down ?’ 38 Temperance Shots at Random. ‘The companion of the runner said, ‘ Let it be up, Jack, he’s a fat ’un;’ so I assented. ‘‘ A bystander undertook to start the race. By this time a goodly number had gathered round, it being the commencement of the dinner-hour. ‘‘ «Off? was called out by the starter, and off we went, the young one leading by two or three yards. By the time we were approaching the first lamp-post I noticed the irregular twisting of his gait which I had expected; I then felt sure of winning, but still kept close behind my com- petitor until we were within about thirty yards of the winning lamp-post, when I put ona spurt, took the lead, and came in first by two or three yards. ‘““Mr. Ogden’s mill hands were now out for dinner. After breathing a few minutes, I took my stand on a slightly-elevated place and stated my reasons for engaging 1n the race. ‘I said, ‘It was not for the price of the pint, which if it had been offered me I would not have taken, but it was to shew the young men and others the folly and wickedness of abusing their bodies by taking these mischievous drinks. ‘““* Here are two young men who, during the morning part of the day, had been taking glass after glass of a beverage which, in their ignorance, they thought would do them good. They had not been performing any physical labour, and ought now at noon after strengthening their bodies all morning, to have been in the highest T.T. on lus Cart-plate. 39 condition for any physical effort they might be called upon to perform. ‘“‘T said, ‘I had my breakfast at 6-30 at Salford. I then walked a mile to the station at Manchester. I then came by train to Greenfield, walked from there to the Royal George Mills, then walked to Lydgate and on to Spring Head, and then here; nor have [eaten or drunk anything on the way ; and now at fifty years of age, and twenty-seven years since I took any intoxicating drink, does it not clearly shew that my total abstinence has secured to me a high state of health and strength, and does it not also shew that the intoxicating cup, even as in the case of the young man in the heyday of life with whom I have just competed, wastes the strength, and must therefore hasten the end of life ? ‘“Suppose these two young men are weavers _ and looking for employment, and had just called at Mr. John Booth’s mill just below here: now Mr. Booth manufactures spots (figured cloth) : he enquires if they had ever woven spots, and they say they had not, but there is not much difference between the looms for spots and the looms for plain goods; and if shewn the points needing attention they would engage to manage the looms and produce good work. So they are engaged and carefully instructed, and a fair commencement is made. A few hours afterwards Mr. Booth looks in to see how they are going on, and soon finds to his annoyance and loss that through neglecting the instruction given not only was the warp and 40 Temperance Shots at Random. weft injured, but some portions of the loom itself. had been injured, so as to need considerable repairs, if not rendered perfectly useless, what would Mr. Booth do in the case ? He would cer- tainly send them about their business. “*Here are two young men who have had — given into their care two machines (their physical and mental organizations) infinitely more valuable than any looms ever made by human hands. They commenced this day with them—unless they abused them last night—1in perfect condition, but by noon, you perceive, these looms, by negli- gence and improper treatment, are incapable of performing the duties they were intended to per- form. The Inventor and Maker of these looms’ is to-day looking on; He sees that every part of their looms has been injured. ““«The Rev. J. Smith, in his prize essay, says, when alluding to the intoxicating cup, ‘It de- ranges the healthy action of the mental powers as well as of the bodily functions. As it weakens the power of resisting disease, so also it weakens the power to resist temptation. It ministers to mental and moral, as well as to physical cor- ruption, debility and decay, and is a poison of the soul as well as of his body.’”’ ‘*Q that man should put an enemy into his mouth To steal away his brains.”’ ‘“Do take care of yourself.” AI HO. TAKE CARE: OF YOURSELF.” “Having done my business at Widnes, near Warrington, I had taken my seat in a railway train for Manchester. Whilst waiting till the time of departure fourrespectably dressed men came along the platform, apparently of from forty-five to fifty years of age: they seemed to be well-known to each other, and to be in a genial and jocular con- dition of mind. Their dress and appearance led me to conclude they were not working men. I supposed they might be in some small way of business, perhaps boat-builders, or coopers, or they might be under-managers of some of the large chemical works in that neighbourhood. They all appeared to be in their holiday clothes. By- and-bye the time came for the starting of the train. After shaking hands with the other three, the fourth entered the compartment in which I was sitting and took a seat next to the window in the door by which he had entered. Each of the three men he was parting with again shook hands with him at the carriage window, and each earnestly requested him to take care of himself; and this was again repeated by each of them in turn as they waved an adieu, saying, ‘Do take care of yourself.’ ‘“‘T, assuming the appearance of a person appre- hensive of danger, spoke to the man, asking, ‘Is there something wrong with the carriage, or the engine ,or the driver or guard?’ ‘Why do you ask?” enquired the man. I replied, ‘Because your three 42 Temperance Shots at Random. friends so repeatedly and anxiously requested you to take care of yourself.’ I continued, ‘I hope there is nothing wrong ?’ ‘ Oh no,’ he said, ‘ there is nothing wrong that I know of.’ ‘Then why should they appear to be so anxious about you ?’ I asked. ‘There is nothing wrong about you, L hope. Have you ever had a mishap when travel- ling by rail, by having got into the wrong train and been carried to the wrong place; or leaving the train before you had got to your destination ; or been overcarried and failed to meet some im- portant engagement, by having fallen asleep through having had a glass or two of drink; or, by being too late for the last train of the day, had to stay from home all night, and thus occasioned anxiety to your wife and family ?’ ‘He replied, ‘ Not that I know of.’ ‘ Well,’ I said, ‘if there was anxiety you would know of it, surely.’ ‘Yes,’ he said, . © Welle nai cee said ; ‘there must be something wrong somewhere or your friends would not manifest such concern for your welfare.’ ‘ Well,’ he said, ‘we have been having a glass or two together.’ ‘ What can that have to do with the matter ?’ I asked. ‘ Well,’ he said, ‘one might get too much. ~*~ Too muciniar what, for the body or for the mind ?’ I asked. ‘For both,’ he said. Then I observed, ‘ If both the body and the mind are endangered by taking this drink, I can see why your friends’ advice was very necessary. I would ask, can any man be your friend who gives you an article which injures both body and mind; and at the same time, knowing “Do take care of yourself.’ 43 you are going a journey on a railway, where there is always a need for our having all our mental faculties in their best condition ?’ “**Ts it not a very wicked act at any time, knowing that God has blessed you with a healthy body and mind, to take for a companion an article which will certainly injure and may entirely rob you of both body and mind ?’ ‘It is very wrong,’ he said, and, apparently supposing my referring to a compa- mion, meant a whiskey or gin bottle he had with him (of which [had no knowledge at the time) he pulled out of his breast pocket a bottle nearly full of the liquor and when near Stretford threw it out at the window, destroying both the bottle and its contents ; while those who were in the compart- ment, and who had been listening to our conver- sation gave a hearty hurrah. He then told me he was on his way to see his wife at Hulme, Manchester, who had’ been from home a fortnight nursing her mother, who it was expected might die any hour. “T asked him why he had brought the bottle and its contents along with him. He said, ‘After I had had a glass or two I should be sure to want more, so I brought it with me.’ I then said, I could now see why his friends had so earnestly requested him to take care of himself; but that such friendship as in any way countenanced the companionship of alcoholic drink, whether at home or abroad, and especially when railway travelling, was of a most questionable character ; Solomon said, ‘ Wine is a mocker, and strong A4 Temperance Shots at Random. drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ I then said that but for my meeting with him, in all probability he (by partaking of the contents of his whiskey bottle whilst journeying from Widnes) would have found his way to the chamber of death in a drunken state, to the great grief of his wife and her mother, and that this would have been a matter of regret to him as long as he lived.’ I had to leave the train at Knot Mill Station; he also left the train there and fol- lowed me out, and having become a little sobered, he expressed his thanks for my kindness in warning him of the folly of drinking. I regret I did not take his name and address. I fear in this matter _ I have frequently erred. My duty is to scatter a little seed each day when a suitable opportunity presents itself ; ‘not knowing whether this or that shall prosper, or whether both shall be alike good. GHAPTER: III. ‘* Progress is living movement.”’ THomas CARLYLE. A RECHABITE. SIHE subject of this sketch had not long 4| been identified with the. temperance movement before he became a “‘ Recha- bite.” Mr. Hodgson was “ initiated ”’ into No. r Tent on August 24th, 1840, just five months after he signed thetotal abstinence pledge. The Independent Order of Rechabites is, as many of our readers are aware, a benefit society based on total abstinence principles. Every member of the Order is bound to be an abstainer from all intoxicating liquors. The Order is gov- erned by a High Chief Ruler, High Deputy Ruler, High Treasurer, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Board of Directors. The ‘“‘ High”? officers are distinguished by the following symbols : ‘“‘H.C.R.,” Serge, ti.l.,’ and so on. Mr. Hodgson had been a member of No. 1 Tent only two years when he was chosen to be Deputy Ruler, and five 46 Temperance Shots at Random. years afterwards he was elected to the office of Secretary, which position he held for seventeen years ; and so faithfully did he perform the func- tions of the office, that at the close of his term of office he was presented by the then H.C.R. (the late Mr. John Cunliffe, P.H.C.R., of Bolton) with the following address, which was handsomely illuminated and framed : TESTIMONIAL TO Mr. CurISTOPHER HopGson, OF SALFORD, ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF No. 1 Tent, I.0.R. Dear Brother, The members of No. 1 Tent have much pleasure in presenting you with a Tea and Coffee Service, the result of a subscription amongst themselves, as a small token of their esteem for your valuable services to the Tent during the seventeen years you have been their Secretary. Whilst sincerely regretting your retirement from the Office you have so long and honourably sustained, we cannot but congratulate you on your success in business and advancement in life which under Providence your industry has achieved, and which alone has rendered your resignation neces- sary. To enumerate all your services for the advancement of the Order of Rechabites and the Temperance Reformation would be a task we feel ourselves incompetent to perform; suffice it to say that we recognize in you a constant, zealous, and successful advocate of total abstinence from and prohibition of the traffic in intoxicating liquors. We feel confident that your official separation from the Tent of your choice will not lessen your attachment to it, or the great principles of abstinence and prohibition ; but will rather enable you ima higher and more influential sphere to consummate a work you have hitherto so well and nobly sustained. __ Permit us to thank you for your past services, and to tender our best and warmest wishes for the future prosperity and happi- ness of yourself and your beloved wife and children. We pray that our Almighty Father may bless and sustain you throughout A Rechabite. 47 a long and useful life, and that ultimately we may all be united in the enjoyment of future blessedness, where vice and intemper- ance are unknown. Signed on behalf of the Committee, Tuomas Evans, P.c.R. James C, WHITELOW, C.R. WILLIAM PLEVIN, D.R. Epwin MANSFIELD, SECRETARY. January 2nd, 1864. Having retired from the office of secretary, Mr. Hodgson advanced rapidly in the Order, holding the following offices in succession. In 1846 he was chosen the representative of No. 1 Tent to No.1 District, and here his abilities were so quickly recognised that he was elected to be District Deputy Ruler, and then in succession through the chairs. The District Board also honoured him by re- electing him several times as representative to the Moveable Conference, and in 1852 he was chosen the representative to the Warrington con- ference. A similar honour was paid to him in 1861, when he was delegate to the Sheffield con- ference. He passed through the chairs of the feo C.K. and P.D:C-.R., and then became District Treasurer. This onerous post he dis- charged until the year 1872. Mr. Hodgson has had a large share of the active labour in connection with the Independent Order of Rechabites, and his colleagues have shown their appreciation of his abilities by having at the Kings Lynn Conference in 1851 made him a member of the Executive Council. He was delegate from 48 Temperance Shots at Random. the Manchester District at the Warrington con- ference in 1852; and at the conference at Bir- mingham in 1855, he officiated as High Deputy Ruler, reaching the most honourable post of High Chief Ruler by election at this conference ; and he filled the chair at the conference held at Douglas, Isle of Man, in 1856. The Chester conference in 1857 elected him a member of the Executive Council, which office he held, with that of Trustee, till 1861; and at the conference held at Sheffield, he was again elected H.D.R. The conference at Tunstall in 1863 recognised his business aptitude, straight- forwardness of purpose, and stability of character, by devolving upon him perhaps the most important office it has to bestow, that of High Treasurer ; and from that time to the present he has with great faithfulness and ability discharged its duties, and what is somewhat remarkable he has attended all the meetings of the Board of Directors. In 1886 the ‘‘ Moveable” conference of the I.0.R. was held at Exeter: some of the Australian members were present, and they expressed a wish that a deputation should be appointed to visit their brethren in the colonies, ‘‘ to note the loyalty and receive their fraternal greetings,’ promising that for such deputation ‘‘a first-class saloon passage to and from Australia should be provided, and that the expense would be defrayed by a worthy brother from the colony.” By the election of the conference a share of the honour fell upon Mr. Hodgson; who in his seven- A Rechabite. AQ tieth year cheerfully undertook the labour and the responsibility of visiting the brethren in the colo- nies of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand, and Tasmania, during which visit he addressed seventy-six public meetings, attended twelve banquets, seven tea meetings, and took part in six public processions. While in the colonies Mr. Hodgson received the most enthusi- astic reception everywhere; and having fulfilled the onerous duties which had been laid upon him by his brethren, he returned safely home, and at once fell into his usual methods of working for God and humanity. There is not a branch of temperance effort which does not find in Mr. Hodgson a valuable ally. The Sunday closing movement finds in him an active member and subscriber. The Manchester and Salford Temperance Union, the Lancashire and Cheshire Band of Hope Union, the Anti- Tobacco Society, and the United Kingdom Alhi- ance (of whose executive council he is a member) have all been enriched by his advocacy and helped forward by his influence. Temperance work in Mr. Hodgson’s life, as indeed in that of all the old workers, has ever been associated with religious work. And hence we find that Mr. Hodgson has for twenty years been a hard-working, pains-taking, and most useful Sunday school teacher, and he now reaps the rich reward of his teaching and example at home, in the fact that all his children are practising the 50 Temperance Shots at Random. principles he himself has so long lived and advo- cated. The following remarkable account of a ‘‘ prayer meeting ”’ will very fitly become this chapter; and again we shall allow Mr. Hodgson to tell his own story. THE PRAYER MEETING! ‘‘One: forenoon, many years ago, I was pro- ceeding along a wide country lane at Kersley near Bolton. On the left side of the lane was a row of colliers’ cottages, the front of which faced the west, overlooking some open fields. The day was fine, the weather warm. Many of the doors were open and groups of children were at play close by. ‘‘ As I approached the end of the row, I heard voices which seemed to be those of persons who were quarrelling. On reaching the middle of the row I could easily distinguish the words. It was a quarrel between husband and wife; dreadful oaths and curses proceeded from both. Seeing their door was open, and looking upon the groups of children within earshot of those horrible words, I was shocked. Whatever will be the future of those children brought up amidst such surround- ings, I thought, can anything be done? ‘“‘T had a very vivid recollection of having once in my lifetime gone down into a cellar dwelling in Salford with the best intentions, to endeavour to make peace between a couple who were using similar language to each other, but I was glad to make my exit as speedily as possible for a heavy The Prayer Meeting. 51 poker was being flourished in dangerous proximity to my head. “‘T also recollected a story told by a good old temperance worker, long since gone to his reward, Charley Coulbourn, who ventured upon a similar expedition in Gartside Street, Manchester, but the results in his case were worse than my own, for both husband and wife accelerated Charley’s pace up the cellar steps, and it led to a resolution on his part that his first effort in that direction should be his last. ‘“‘ So in the present case I halted for a moment or two before I came to the door of the cottage where the quarrelling was going on. I knewthat I should not succeed in stopping the quarrelling by force, and in their present state of mind to enter the house and rebuke them would be dan- gerous; but to do a ludicrous action might succeed by turning their thoughts away from the Subject under dispute. So I raised my hat, stroked my hair to make it as smoothas possible, buttoned my coat, which was a black one, and moved slowly and gravely past the window, cast- ing a glance within. The fire-place was on the left hand, the woman was seated near it. A round table stood in the middle of the room and behind it stood the husband. “I entered the cottage slowly, looking very grave. I did not speak or look directly at either the man or the woman, but seeing two chairs with a chest of drawers between them, I took off my hat and quietly placed it on the top of the 52 Temperance Shots at Random. chest of drawers; then standing by the chair furthest from the door, with my back towards the man and his wife, who were now perfectly silent. “T fumbled for a few moments at my coat pocket for my handkerchief, and laid it upon the floor as if preparing to kneel. ‘‘ Then turning towards the man, I said, ‘It is a prayer meeting, is it not ? ’ “**No, sir,” he replied: ‘““«Tsn’t it a prayer meeting?’ I said, ‘then I beg pardon. I heard you both calling aloud, using the name of God, and asking Him to do _certain things to your eyes and limbs, so I ven- tured to enter your cottage, but I must apologise.’ ““*No, ‘sir,’ he repeated tamely, tiene prayer meeting.’ ‘** Well, then,’ I replied, ‘ you must excuse me, it seemed like one,’ and putting my handkerchief in my pocket, I put on my hat and walked away. ‘““When I got some forty yards from the house I looked back and saw the man and his wife, out- side their door, watching me, while a stout old lady, whom I supposed had noticed my entrance and exit, stood with her hands on her sides, laughing right heartily, along with her two neigh- bours, and evidently enjoying the fun.’”’ In this case a quarrel was stopped, a fiendish couple rebuked, blasphemous tongues were silenced, and God’s name saved from any further being taken in vain. The Town Crier. 53 TWO. EPISODES. DHE. TOWN. CRIEKR. One day, during the summer of 1868, Mr. Hodgson had occasion to visit Bolton on business, and while passing along Derby Street he heard the sound of a hand-bell, and on approaching nearer he heard the voice of a man who proved to be the town crier, making an announcement to the following effect : “This is to give notice that the water in the reservoir at Belmont is now so low, that to avoid a water famine, the greatest care must be observed in using it for domestic purposes; and if, after this notice, any person shall be found using the water from the said reservoir for the purpose of washing the flags or windows, or for watering their gardens, or for any similar purpose, their water supply will be stopped, and the parties punished as the law may direct. By order of the Mayor, &c.”’ When the bell-man had delivered his message, seeing a number of people, children and adults, gathered around, Mr. Hodgson cried out, ‘‘O yes! O yes! and any person who, after this notice, shall be found using the aforesaid water or by any process, sO mixing it as to impair its fitness for useful purposes ; or destroying its purity, asin the case of brewing and distilling, thereby producing a deleterious mixture which, when taken into the stomach, causes serious derangement of both body and mind; not unfrequently issuing in poverty, 54 Temperance Shots at Random. premature decay, and even death itself; thus inflicting incalculable woes and burdens on the inhabitants of this town; ought, for the first offence, to be fined in the penalty of £100, and for the second offence to be banished from the town for ever.”” When the message was delivered, the people shouted, ‘“‘ Hip, hip, hurrah!” So Mr. Hodgson, having some time at his disposal, accom- panied the bellman from street to street, repeating his message after the local functionary had finished, ~ and by-and-bye the bellman struck in with the humour of the proceedings, which helped materi- ally to increase the people’s interest in the notices. “VOUR BEST FRIENDS In the same street (Derby Street) but on another occasion, Mr. Hodgson was proceeding towards Rumworth: it was about ten o’clock in the fore- noon, when he observed a man and a woman standing opposite a public-house; the man had the appearance of a country farmer, and the woman, apparently his wife, was holding him by the arm, and endeavouring to persuade him to accompany her: this, however, being under the influence of drink, he was indisposed to do..‘‘ Poor woman,” thought Mr. Hodgson; and seeing the sad condition of the man, the thought came into his mind, ‘‘Can I help them?” and his heart answered, ‘‘ Yes, doubtless you may”; but how was the difficulty. He crossed the street, however, Your Best Friend. 55 and went towards the couple: the man evidently noticed his approach and looked enquiringly. So Mr. Hodgson went nearer, and taking the man by the hand, heartily shook it; and apparently without indicating any notice of the woman, he said, ‘‘I have seen your best friend to-day.” ‘“‘ Have Vou .said the man: “‘ Yes,” was the reply, ‘“‘and it’s a grand thing to havea true friend, is it not?” ““Itis,” said the man. “‘ Yes,” said Mr. Hodgson, ‘“especially when adversity or trouble of any kind overtakes you.” ‘‘Ah, yes,” said the man, ‘“‘ you Breet it is. “Well, I have seen a friend of that kind to-day, one that will stand by you in trouble or sickness, and who would do anything to comfort you. Now would you not do anything for- such a friend?” he asked. ‘‘ Yes, I would,”’ said the man. ‘ Well, then,” said Mr. Hodgson, pointing to the wife, ‘‘ Here is the best friend you have in the world; she will stand by you in sick- ness and in sorrow; and when the hand of death is upon you, will wipe the cold sweat from your brow.” Here the woman burst into tears, and said, ‘“‘ Yes, I would, and he knows it;” then, pointing to the public-house where the man had been made drunk, Mr. Hodgson said, “‘ My friend, poverty and sickness may come, and death will come; and they may come much sooner if you go to such places as this. You say that you would do anything for your best friend. Here she is, then,” said Mr. Hodgson, and then turning to the woman, he said, ‘“‘ What is it you want?” ‘JI want the money he has in his pocket,” she replied. 560- Temperance Shots at Random. ‘““ Now give her the money,” said Mr. Hodgson ; the man did so, handing thirteen shillings to his wife: then she said, ‘‘ My husband left his home at Lostock two days ago to go to market, and not returning at the usual time, I became uneasy and determined to come to Bolton in search of him. I have been from place to place looking for him; leaving the farm, stock, and the children unpro- tected; and found him at last in this public- house.” Taking hold of the man’s arm, Mr. Hodgson accompanied them some distance; then advising the pair to sign the total abstinence pledge, he left them; the wife expressing her gratitude for his sympathy and kindness. ‘‘ A word spoken in season, how good it is {% Des Es oa 1S cot Cee ANG ‘“‘ Buy the truth and sell it not.” SoLomon. WITNESSING FOR TRUTH. pl a T, SHE. Edinburgh Review some time ago contained a most interesting article by one of its cleverest contributors, on biographical subjects, in which the writer. said: “If an individual is of sufficient importance to have his life and character recorded for public remembrance, we have always held the opinion that the public ought to be made acquainted with all the inward springs and rela- tions of his character. How did the world, and man’s life, from his particular position represent themselves to his mind; what and how produced was the effect of society upon him; what and how produced was his effect upon society.”’ If we were called upon to answer these questions, we should say most emphatically: ‘‘ By what are regarded as ‘little things ;’”’ for trifles frequently aid us in getting a clearer insight into a man’s character than do those things which are regarded of greater importance. 58 Temperance Shots at Random. We remember hearing the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, preach a sermon on ‘Humility,’ and amongst other things, he said, somewhat to our amuse- ment and surprise, ‘‘ We know a man who lost a large estate and he was not moved by it, but, he fell into a towering passion because there was a button off his shirt.”’ It is even so, character is made up of trifling things, rather than of those things which are considered to be of greater im- portance. There is many a man who would die rather than perjure himself in a Court of Justice, whose whole life, notwithstanding, is a tissue of little insincerities. ‘‘ We think that we hate false- hood when we are only hating the consequences of falsehood. We resent hypocrisy, treachery, calumny, not because they are false, but because they do us harm. We hate the false calumny, but we are half pleased with the false praise.” So speaks the late Frederic Robertson of Brighton, and he adds: ‘‘ Now he is a man of truth, who hates untruth as untruth, who turns with indig- nation from the glittering falsehood of sepulchral phariseeism, which harms no one.” Whoever has studied the life of Christ, cannot fail to have discovered that the whole principle of that life was the habit of clear truthfulness. When He stood as a prisoner before the Roman Judge, and Pilate asked Him the question, “‘ Art thou a King, then?” all the answer Christ modestly made was, ‘‘ Thou sayest truly, for I am a King; to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, to bear witness to Wi tnessing for Truth. 59 the truth. Every one who is of the truth heareth My voice.” And from that day to this, the true teacher, be he poet, philosopher, or moral reformer, has been a witness-bearer to the truth in some of its varied forms. It was thus that Mr. Hodgson witnessed to the truth. Like his Master he spoke no touching “truths for sentiment to dwell upon, or thought to speculate upon ;”’ with him truth was a matter of life and death, he often perilled his personal safety upon the words he uttered. Here is an illustration. Returning from a business journey in Wales, the train by which he travelled stopped at Wrexham. Mr. Hodgson was seated near the window on the side next the arrival platform, when he heard loud and angry words as if uttered by someone in a fit of passion. Looking across he noticed through the opening between two of the carriages, that the person who was evidently enraged was a gentleman well dressed in light grey clothes, and evidently a man of position. Before the train started this gentle- man who had hurriedly crossed the line by the bridge entered the compartment in which Mr Hodgson and three others were sitting; one of the travellers was an aged Clergyman. The new comer Mr. Hodgson had noticed, was the gentleman who had been roundly abusing one of the station porters, and when he took his seat in the carriage he seemed quite exhausted, and stillin a very excited condition. After he had 60 Temperance Shots at Random. ‘““cooled down” however, Mr. Hodgson addressed him as follows: ‘‘T think you are pretty well to do, sir.” ““What do you mean by that,” he answered somewhat excitedly. ‘‘ Because you can afford to do what I cannot afford to do,” said Mr. Hodgson. “I should like to know what I can afford to do, and that you cannot afford to do,” he said. “I will tell you,” said Mr. Hodgson. ‘‘I am anxious to have as many friends as possible, for the genial friendships of life are like sunshine to the soul, and therefore, I cannot afford to make enemies, but you evidently can. The porter to whom you were administering such a severe castigation just now, will feel very keenly the injustice of your remarks, and probably will be filled with bitter- ness, and long for the time when he may be able to pay you back in your own coin. I cannot afford,” added Mr. Hodgson, “‘ to make an enemy of any man, whether he be poor or rich. I can- not afford to lower my moral manhood in the presence of my fellow-man, for by so doing I should cease to be respected by him. I cannot afford to excite my nervous system as you have done yours—for your whole nervous system is at present in so dreadfully excited a condition as might occasion apoplexy. I cannot afford to blaspheme the name of God as you were doing. I cannot afford,” Mr. Hodgson was proceeding to _ say, when the Clergyman, who evidently expected another explosion, similar to the one upon the Witnessing for Truth. 61 platform, earnestly in a strong Irish accent said to the person addressed : “Don’t be offended, sor, don’t be offended; I never heard more philosophy in fewer words in my life; don’t be offended.’ Doubtless the kind manner of the Clergyman had a soothing effect upon the gentleman, for he suddenly col- lapsed, and in a quiet manner after a few moments said : “Well, I am a great fool, I am a great fool. I got terribly excited, I admit, and the cause of it was this. I have a friend at my place spending a few days shooting, and two setter dogs should have come by the train now going South, but from some cause or other they have not arrived. So I lost my temper, and gave vent to my angry feelings in the manner you heard; so the poor porter got it.” The Clergyman then spoke to him about his besetting sin, when he apologized in the following words: ‘‘ The violent temper I have exhibited is a marked failing in my family. I have a son who sometimes, for some trifling cause, pours out his wrath upon the best servants in the house.” Mr. Hodgson observed, ‘Is it not a fact that as children frequently resemble their parents in feature and physical conformation, so they do also in their mental and moral tendencies; and if we allow ourselves to be carried away by the fury of wild passion, we must expect our children to do so also.” Having listened very attentively to what Mr. 62 Temperance Shots at Random. Hodgson said, he asked him the question, ‘‘ Do you ever go shooting?” ‘* No,” was the reply, ‘‘but I do sometimes spend a day or two fishing.” ‘“‘ T shall be glad, then,”’ he said, “‘ if you will spend a few days with me; ’—for he lived on his own estate, where there was some good fly fishing. Mr. Hodgson heartily thanked him, but was obliged, owing to want of time, to decline the invitation ; remarking in conclusion, ‘‘that if we wished to have perfect control of our tempers and passions, it would be well to abstain entirely from all intoxi- cating drinks; my doing so from my twenty- third sec of age has greatly helped me in that respect.” On one occasion Mr. Hodgson had patie in Rochdale, and passing along a street near the Railway Station, he sawa man, about middle age, standing at the entrance to a wheelwright’s shop. Mr. Hodgson was uncertain whether he was the proprietor or only a workman, but he approached him and without any introduction said, ‘“‘ My wife thinks I shall be better without any intoxicating drink to-day. What would you do in such a case?” ‘“T would have some if I required it,” was the reply. “But how would you know whether you re- quired it or not?”’ asked Mr. Hodgson. “ Well,’’ said the man, ‘if I thought it would agree with me, ae if I felt that I should like it, I Ww pout have it.’ “ But,” said Mr. Hodgson ‘‘ would not ‘hae desire, or liking, be the result of a previously Witnessing for Truth. 63 acquired habit of taking it, and so the feeling which prompted you to take it would not be a natural one, and therefore, would not be a safe one to follow.” “‘T dare say you are right”’ he said; and then continued, ‘‘I have just been talking to our black- smith, who is just beginning to work after a drink- ing bout extending over ten days, and he says he is very unwell, quite unfit for work, and he thinks he will die soon if he does not give up drinking.” “May I speak to the man,” asked Mr Hodgson. Permission was given, and Mr. Hodgson went into the smithy, where the man, who was about middle age, was preparing to work. Mr. Hodgson asked him the question ‘‘ Do you know what you did when under the influence of drink on Monday week ?”’. for he had previously ascertained from the man whom he _ first addressed, that the blacksmith was drinking on that day. “No” was the reply. “Will you allow me to examine you,” said Mr. Hodgson. The man consented, and Mr. Hodgson led him to the window and asked him to open his eyes. The man did so, when Mr. Hodgson looking into them, proceeded to speak as follows: “Why your houseis on fire. I cansee the streaks of fire within the windows—your eyes—and that same fire is destroying you; your brain feels it, every part of your body is affected by it, and unless you give up drinking the end will soon come. One of the most learned men of the time,”’ 64 Temperance Shots at Random. Mr. Hodgson added, ‘‘ has been tracing the fire in its varied forms, and in its diversified effects upon the human body, and he says, speaking of Alcohol, ‘It deranges the constitution of the blood, unduly excites the heart and respiration, paralyzes the minute blood-vessels, increases and decreases according to its application the functions of the digestive organs, of the liver and of the kidneys, disturbs the regularity of nervous action, lowers the animal temperature, and lessens the muscular power. It begins by destroying and ends with destruction.’ My dear man,” said Mr. Hodgson, “will you give it up and sign the pledge.” “‘T will,” said the blacksmith. Mr. Hodgson procured a form of pledge which the man signed, ~ and it is to be hoped was enabled steadfastly to keep. And thus by such simple yet heroic conduct, Mr. Hodgson has been enabled to win back many from the paths of vice, and to assist them in their endeavours to lead a better, a purer, and a nobler life. Surely men such as he are the salt of the earth. | The same principle is strikingly illustrated by the following humorous account, by Mr. Hodgson, of what occurred during a visit to Bala. THE BOB-TAILED HORSE. “It was my good fortune to be rusticating at Bala in Merionethshire, North Wales, in the droughty summer of 1867. Most of the pastures were burnt brown, and the usual supply of water The Bob-tailed Horse. 65 for the cattle by the brooks, drains and wells, was dried up. I noticed that each day the farmers drove their cattle down to the river Dee, where they were allowed to remain for a few hours, as when there they could quench their thirst. “Although reared in the country and amongst cattle, I had never noticed how valuable to them the tails of these animals were until on this occa- sion, for, after having quenched their thirst and while cropping the grass on the river’s brink, a considerable number of big unmerciful flies were, during the excessive heat, puncturing the skins of the poor animals and sucking their blood, but by the aid of their long tails with the tufts of hair at the end, they could by continued use throw them off and get some respite from their annoy- ance ; and further, after having eaten and drunk to their full, they left the shallow parts of the river at its sides and sought the deeper parts, and generally just got so deep in the water as that it should be high enough to reach the tuft at the end of the tail, and then by repeatedly lashing it over the body and allowing it to drop again and again, cooled, refreshed and nourished them- selves; then as the day waned they were taken back to the pastures on the mountain sides. I could not but think how cruel it would be for man to rob these poor animals of these very valu- able appendages. ‘“A short time after this, having, along with two others, to go to inspect—in the interest of a com- mercial company—a house and land some eight 66 Temperance Shots at Random. miles in the country, one of the friends, having a good old Irish bob-tailed horse and a trap, propo-- sed that Bobby should draw the trio to the place: he did so very cheerfully. When we arrived the — friend whom we were visiting proposed that we should give a treat to Bobby by liberating him both from trap and harness, and turning him into the paddock amongst the green grass. After attending to the business that brought us there, and enjoying our friend’s hospitality, we walked out to look at Bobby, hoping to find him luxuriat- ing among the sweet green herbs, but, to our great surprise and grief, Bobby was throwing his head to and fro, and lifting first one leg and then another, and wagging his bob-tail.up and down, and seemed to be in pain. ‘* His owner said ‘ What is to do with Bobby ?” ‘““T said, ‘I know what is to do with him. We shall find he is being tormented by a horde of big grey flies that are puncturing those parts of his skin where the hair by friction of the harness has been worn off, and are sucking his blood. O! a cruel custom has cut off his tail several joints with the long hair once growing from them down to his heels,—but for that painful act Bobby would have been able to keep that cruel horde at bay. His more tender parts, by friction, back, shoulders and thighs, are being a feast for the flies, which are occasioning terrible suffering to Bobby.’ , ‘A short time after witnessing the punishment of Bobby I was passing a temperance hall in The Bob-tatled Horse. 67 Salford where a meeting was being held to select a candidate to contest one of our borough wards for a seat in the Town Council, against a publican candidate. I looked inat the meeting not intend- ing to take any part in it, but by and bye I was requested to speak on the matter. I related a conversation that had, the day before, taken place between three of our neighbours in the ward. Two of them were publicans and the other one was a grocer. One of the publicans speaking to the other in the trade, said ‘Why don’t you put up as a candidate to represent this ward?’ The reply was, ‘Of all tradesmen in the borough I think we of our trade are the most unfit. I con- sider it ought to be the duty of a councillor to watch over all the interests that are conducive to the physical, educational, sanitary, social, moral, and financial welfare of the community; but knowing as I do that when we by our trade are successful every other trade in the borough pro- portionately suffers, | could not muster courage and impudence enough to offer myself as a candi- date.’ ‘“‘T then alluded to the incident of bob-tailed Bobby. Bobby’s body was, by a wicked custom of docking off several of the joints and all the long hair of his tail—besides being terribly pained by the cruel act of cutting—robbed of the means of protection that by nature he brought into the world with him, and now through want of his tail he was terribly punished by the blood-suckers till | he was covered with sores. If it were possible, 68 Temperance Shots at Random. he ought to have his tail returned. Give him his tail and he would soon sweep off the blood- suckers; he might then, in peace, in the warm sun, enjoy the sweet and nourishing grass which a kind Creator had abundantly spread around him. * * Look,’.I said, ‘at the body politiesote=tiis kingdom. Is it not, by a bad custom—the custom of taking and selling intoxicating liquors—like Bobby covered with sores? What are our work- houses, prisons, asylums, juvenile reformatories, and lock hospitals, but festering hideous sores. The custom of granting licences occasions these terribly afflicting conditions. Give usour natural right to protect ourselves against-this dreadful horde of blood-suckers, and we will soon rid our- selves of the incubus. Give us our tail—The Direct Popular Veto against all licences to sell intoxicating drinks.’ ”’ ‘(TREATING oe ‘One morning, a note was brought to our works by one of the labourers of a coal proprietor in Salford, who had a wharf on the canal bank. It contained a request that we would give him a call. Anticipating that the visit requested would result in an order, I was early on my way to his office. Now I had reason to know that the labourer who had brought the note was aware that the order was about to be given to us; he also knew that I was a teetotaler; and I knew: ‘“ Treating.” 69 that on my way I should have to pass where he and two others were engaged in emptying the coals out of a boat, and wheeling the same in barrows to the stock on the wharf. Knowing a custom that prevailed, and with which I could not agree, I was on the look-out. It was not an uncommon matter for the employés to request the party about to be benefited by an order to (as the term went) ‘stand treat.’ ‘“* As I approached the two, of course the shovels and barrows had a short rest. ‘Hot day, Mr. Hodgson.’ ““My reply—‘ Yes; -and a hot job you have on hand.’ | ““*Yes, and a dusty and dry one, too,’ the la- bourer said. ‘“To which I replied, ‘ Yes, persons at this kind of work need good refreshment.’ “To which observation he said, ‘ A bit of bread and cheese anda pint of beer in the middle of the forenoon are not bad taking.’ “IT said, ‘Do you know what St. Paul says ?’ ‘“‘He replied, ‘He does not say that coal-heavers should not have refreshments, does he?’ «St. Paul says, Evil communications corrupt good manners. Here you name three different characters, all well-known in the country, Mr. Bread, Mr. Cheese, and Mr. Beer. Now, whoever heard anything against the character of Mr.Bread? From the days of Adam until now, his presence in the shape of cakes and loaves, of all sorts and sizes, has cheered up the mothers of families, and 70 Temperance Shots at Random. I suppose will continue to do so till the end of time; and he likes occasionally to have the company of Mr. Cheese; and by their mutual companionship and help they please the palate, cheer the stomach, and supply the material for the healthy nourishment of both body and brain. What does Mr. Beer do for either body or brain? Scarcely an hour passes each working day but you see here able-bodied men who have been in Mr. Beer’s company two or three hours, who have been by his company rendered incapable of using either body or brain. He has, by being taken into the company of the other two, corrupted their good manners; and by continuing in his company thousands are ruined body and soul, for time and for eternity. ‘“‘* All the thirty years I have been in business I have never given a man any intoxicating - drink, or money with which to buy it; and further, when, like you, I had to work hard for similar wages as you now have, I never would ask for nor take a new year’s gift, except from my masters. I have had to suffer by the ill-will of my fellow-workmen for so doing. ““ Yese “Well now, ifit had happened that Ihad to-day been coming along.in your good town, with your neighbour here, (we will call him Mr. Johnson,) walking arm in arm together, we are passing your place of business while you are standing in the entrance. Your friend no doubt would at least give you a nod of recognition. That would be a trifling matter would it not ?’ ‘*< Yes,’ he replied: ‘““* Perhaps you might be speculating who or what I might be, but it passes as a matter of small moment to you. To-morrow morning your friend Mr. Johnson and I are again passing and we again appear in cheerful chat as if we were inti- mate acquaintances; yourcuriosity is again excited more than before, and your conclusion would be that I, Mr. Johnson’s friend, am a respectable person or Johnson would not keep my company. Still this is another matter of small moment, and like many another daily occurrence, and does not disturb your general equanimity. The day after I am coming along past your entrance but I am alone. When right opposite your door I come to a full stop, and appear in some confusion, my hand passing from one of my pockets to another ; you are noticing me and are calculating I have just found I have left something behind me, and you advance from your door just a step, from which I should conclude you were wishful to know Making it Respectable. 85 of the cause of my apparent confusion. I then say to you, ‘lam in aquandary. I have changed my trousers, and have neglected to take my purse out of my pocket, and I fear I shall miss my train by going back for it. I am going to Bradford, and by this mishap I have no money for my ticket.’ ‘How much will you need’ you ask; knowing my respectability by seeing Mr. Johnson in my company during the last two mornings led you to ask the question; by which I should well conclude you mean to oblige me by lending me the amount. I say ‘ Five shillings ;’ you at once hand me that sum. Here I walk off with your five shillings: why did you lend it me? I,a man of whom you know nothing. I have been entirely indebted to Mr. Johnson having kept my company. I might for ought you know have been one of the most accomplished of villains and imposters.’ ‘‘* Now, here in the person of Beer you have a character so bad that you decline to let him come into your company (your body), yet you keep his company. You know of numbers he has robbed of health, money, character and virtue; ruined them for time and perhaps for eternity. You know numbers now who are on the same road, yet you keep his company, introduce him to your house, your family, and friends. Should they fall, would you be clear of their blood? I think not. You have kept it out of your body: keep it out of your house and from your family, and shun all its associations; then no man’s child could, in this 86 Temperance Shots at Random. direction, beled astray. God will bless you in your family and in your store. As to your friend, I would advise him to give up his accustomed glass, and not, any longer, be a party to making a charac- ter so vile and destructive, as is beer, respectable. And now as to the brewing; I would say do with it as you did with the public-house, give it up. I gave up the brewing trade in 1839 and was called a fool for so doing; but my doing so has secured me almost uninterrupted good health. And do I look as if I had suffered by it? I advise all that hear my voice to ‘go and do likewise.’ Give it up at once.’ ” ‘“NOT MY SORT.’ A FRAGMENT. ‘‘ Some time ago, two Wesleyan Ministers were stationed in the same circuit. One was a very popular preacher and a teetotaler since 1839, the other could not see his way to entire abstinence. The subject had been one morning discussed be- tween them, but neither of them altered the opinion of the other. On the afternoon they had to accompany each other to take part in some meeting in connection with the circuit. The day ~ was wet and uncomfortable, the streets dirty, and water flowing in the channels. As they were passing along, a man evidently drunk was seen coming in the opposite direction. In reeling to and fro, he at length came to the pavement; he made two efforts to regain his perpendicular, but in each case failed, but each effort added to the PoIVOL Inve sort.” 87 quantity of dirty matter which had besmeared his clothing as the result of his first fall. “The two Ministers now were approaching the drunken man. He held up his hand in a sup- plicating manner, and said as well as he could with his partially paralyzed vocal organs ‘ Gie me a hand up, gie me a hand up.’ “*“Poor man,’ said the abstaining Minister to his colleague, ‘give him a hand up.’ “The request was not promptly acceded to; probably the now filthy condition of the man’s clothing and hands had something to do with the evident hesitation of the good Minister, who was dressed in a suitable manner for the engagement he was proceeding to fulfil; when the man again said, beseechingly, ‘Do give me a hand up if yo’ please ?’ . ““* Yes,’ said the abstaining Minister, ‘ Give the poor fellow a hand up.’ “ With somewhat of a curious look came the enquiry, ‘ Why don’t you give him a hand up?’ ““¢ Well, I would,’ replied the colleague, ‘if he had been one of my sort; but being one of your sort, a kind of fellow-traveller on the same road, and liable to the same risks, he has a greater claim on you than on me.’ ‘“‘ Help, however, from another direction was at hand; but the non-abstaining minister did not think it was very respectable for a Christian minister to be classed with such characters as were liable to be found in such a condition.” 88 Temperance Shots at Random. HARD-HITTING AND CONSISTENCY. ‘““A note came to us one morning from the proprietors of a Manchester brewery requesting us to call at their place for an account due to us for some work done to some property of which they were owners. As business called me into the neighbourhood on that day, our collector said it would greatly oblige him if I would call for the account. So I agreed to do so, and in due time was with others waiting my turn to receive it. On entering the outer door leading to their office, there is an intermediate passage, at the end of which there is a glazed door, through the glass of which could be seen those within the office receiving their accounts, and those within could see those without who might be waiting for their turn to enter. ‘‘When in the passage I noticed a gentleman who was acollector for the Lancashire and York- shire Railway Company, and with whom I was well acquainted. He was well aware of my teeto- tal proclivities. I, too, had had abundant evidence of his too great familiarity with John Barleycorn. ‘Instead of his leaving the office as soon as he had received his account, he remained within, having the usual glass of ale (a perquisite to all collectors calling for accounts that desired it) before him. : ‘‘ As soon as I entered he exclaimed loud enough for all both within and without to hear, ‘Well! well! of all the persons in Manchester, I should FHard-hitting and Consistency. 89 least expect you to be seen here, in a manufactory of that article against which you have protested so long, and had so much to say. Surely you will now apologise for much that you have had to say against the brewing and spirit dealing trades.’ ““T replied by saying that my errand was in no way connected with either making, drinking, buy- ing, or selling the drink. I observed, ‘I was once in that trade, and came to Lancashire to follow it, but becoming convinced that all alcoholic drinks as beverages were bad for the individual, and bad for the State, bad for body, and bad for soul, and terribly obstructive to the progress of all that is wise and great and good in this and other lands —and that I could not conscientiously continue in the trade—I abandoned it, If I am not mis- taken, some members of a family, who were connected with a Christian community, were also at one time connected with the business here. At that time a pair of pumps were needed for lifting the wort from the underbeck to the copper-boiler. A manufacturer in this city was requested to tender for them, he wrote them a civil note, a copy of which a short time afterwards he showed to me, in which he declined to manufacture pumps for any such purpose, as by doing so he should con- sider he was quite guilty of sharing in the profits of a trade which had, in the past, inflicted more injury on the human family than war, pestilence, and famine. Now this man was no religious bigot, was not identified with any Christian community, yet he felt it to be his duty to go Temperance Shots at Random. his country and his race to decline making pumps for the drink trade. Whether that man declining and his reasons for so doing, led to sever- ing the connection of the family with the business carried on here, I cannot say, but report at that time said such was the case. I do know they are now in the cotton spinning business, and have probably less profit and more peace of conscience.’ ‘“No comment was made on what I had said, but the collector looked small.” The following narrative will very appropriately follow here, for it most strikingly illustrates the law of kindness, or ‘ How to deal with those who are less fortunate than ourselves,’ and indeed we meet with such at every step, but all have not the courage nor have all the deep-felt sympathy which characterizes Mr. Hodgson. ‘“Some years ago,” he says, “‘I left Middles- boro’ by an early train for Arbroath, travelling via Stockton. The third-class carriage in which I travelled was an open one from end to end, the passengers sitting back to back. Among the occupants of the carriage was a middle-aged man dressed in plain but useful clothing, having the appearance of a farmer or country tradesman, and he was visibly affected by drink; probably he had been drinking all the night before. His language was exceedingly bad, so bad as to shock the ears of every respectable person in the car- riage and was evidently highly offensive to some ladies who were present. In the next compart- A Railway Incident. crepe ment to that in which he sat were two gentlemen, one of whom, seeing that he wore a white neck- tie, had the appearance of a Nonconformist Minister. “This gentleman ke to the drunken man very sharply, telling him to desist from such offensive talk or he would cause him to be re- moved at the next station; whereupon the drunken man poured forth a volley of oaths and curses, and dared him to carry out his threat. The Minister’s companion, a well-dressed gentle- man in black clothes, now joined in the fray, and everyone in the carriage expected a scene. “The thought came into my mind, ‘ Can I do aught to prevent what everyone seems afraid of ? —I will try,’ was: my resolve. ““So I climbed as quietly as I could over the backs of two of the intermediate seats, apologis- ing to the passengers as I did so, and then sliding quietly down into a seat opposite to the drunken man and taking him by the hand and shaking it heartily, said, ‘ Here we are, all alive. We know a thing or two, don’t we? We have not lived until now without knowing something, have we ? And if we do now and then get a drop of drink, that is our business, isn’t it ?’ Pete. tian > it is, man;’ he said. ‘“«* And it would be as well sometimes if we did not get so much,’ I said. «Tt would,’ he replied. ““« And sometimes I think it would be better if we had none at all.’ 92 Temperance Shots at Random. “tt would) he replied: ““—and then there is another question we must consider, which is, Would it yield you any good in the way of a proper return for the partnership money we should have to take to buy the tobacco. You know, my dear, our health and strength and money are all the joint property of the partnership. You know, ‘for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health,’ is our agreement. If we take the partnership money to buy the tobacco, and the tobacco makes you ill, we should wish we had never entertained the idea of your smoking.” ‘““* Now, sir, you, being an intelligent young man, will much oblige me and my wife, by advising me in so important a matter, and telling me whether you have any doubt about tobacco doing me good, and consequently being worth the money spent on it. Then I will make an offer to the other gentlemen present: If you will shew me that the tobacco would do any part of this body of mine good, or good proportionately to the money spent on the tobacco, I will give each of you a shilling.’ ‘Here the train arrived, and we found a com- partment where we could resume the conversation. I then remarked that I had asked the question from old men, but I supposed they must have forgotten, for they could not tell me: middle-aged men forgot why they had learned to smoke, and apologised for doing so: ‘I am appealing to my intelligent young friend here, now.’ 140 Temperance Shots at Random. ‘‘He said he was sorry he could not help me; he had smoked many cigars, but did not know that they had done him any good. ‘‘T then turned to the one who had the cigar ; he shook his head expressive of his inability to help me. : ““*Ts there no one here who can help a poor old man, and at the same time earn an honest shilling? It is a matter much to be deplored, that young men like you should be indulging in such a habit as smoking; spending your money on tobacco, and pipes, and matches, and have not a word to say in its favour. ““«Tf there be noreason why I should smoke, there must be many why you should give over; you will have life’s battles to fight, and will need all the help that body, mind, and money can bring you, to secure success in any of its avocations. I would beseech you that use tobacco in any form, to give it up at once, and save both your physical. and mental strength, and money, for more useful and nobler purposes. ‘““«T had this folly of wasting money on tobacco forcibly brought to my mind once by an incident in my life which I will relate, and perhaps it may strike you as it did me. ‘““«The only books I had when I came to Man- chester were a Bible which was given to me, (such as was and is still given to every boy in the parish in which I was reared, who could repeat to the vicar, from memory, seven of the psalms of David) and an old dictionary for which I had given one Tobacco. I4I shilling and sixpence. By the time I had got for myself a clothes-box and was well clothed, I took to myselfa wife. My wages were eighteen shillings per week: these books, and one or two others, along with several two-shilling parts of Dr. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the New Testament, were all I had. ““¢T never took any money out of my wages ; these I gave to my wife, also anything given to me by way of perquisite : (being a carter at that time, after carefully delivering goods I had carted, and taken the delivery note duly signed to the warehouse from whence I had taken them, I got twopence; at removals of furniture I often got sixpence). | ‘“«« Some few years after this—I was living in a cottage with one room below stairs and one above; two friends of mine, who were teachers in the same Sunday-school as myself (one of whom was a joiner and the other a plumber) called upon me on their way to a tea party. “My wife, who happened at the time to te dusting the furniture, said: ‘‘I wish you would get something to put your books into, they are always in the way; either on the mantel-piece or table- end, on the window-ledge, or on the drawers: could you not get two or three boards of different lengths, and make holes through them at each end, the longest being for the bottom, and the shortest at the top; get some strong cord and tie them together, so as to leave between each, room for your books; these, say three shelves, would 142 Temperance Shots at Random. hold three rows of books, and could be hung upon the wall, and would save the books from being knocked to pieces; they would also be kept cleaner and more accessible.” ‘“*¢ The kind joiner said, ‘‘ Christopher, if you will procure a few boards such as I will name to you, I will make a bookcase for you.” ‘“‘*The plumber said, ‘‘ Well, and if you will get the glass, I will glaze, line, Paine and varnish it for you.’ tf My wife exclaimed, « There’s a chance for you.’ ““*T soon got the boards, and by-and-bye the book-case was made, and I got it home, and ele- vated it on the top of our chest of drawers, and to my joy, when I had gathered the books out of different corners up-stairs and down, I had, of one kind or another (but not a novel amongst them) one hundred and four volumes; and the most I had paid for any single book was two shillings. Now, I was very proud of my little library, and not one penny had been taken out of my wages. ‘““*T made acalculation at the time that if I had been a smoker, and had bought but one-and-a-half ounces of tobacco per week, every one of these books would have vanished in smoke; I should have been more and more enslaved by the habit, my money spent, my health impaired. With many of those books, I (as well as my family and grand- children) have had many pleasant hours, and they are often my companions still.’ “T was thanked by the young men for my Tobacco. 143 company, and I felt that I had done them good, and had given no offence to those who had also listened.” We hope that those who read the above inci- dents, and especially the young, will be warned against the pernicious habit of smoking, which is bad at all times, but especially bad and offensive to others when persisted in, in spite of the protest of defenceless ladies. There is another phase of the tobacco con- sumption, however, which is more repulsive and probably more injurious than smoking even, and that is chewing. The two following cases taken from amongst Mr.Hodgson’s experiences, will amuse our readers. Having occasion to visit a place near Manchester on business, and not being able to see the princi- pal, Mr. Hodgson was anxious to see the time- keeper, to ascertain if possible when the proprietor might be at the works. So he made his way toa group of workmen who were standing near, and on enquiry found the gentleman he was in search of. On approaching him, however, he found that the time-keeper had to eject from his mouth a large quid of tobacco before he could enter into conversation, so, without further ceremony, Mr. Hodgson began by saying, “‘ I don’t know whether you would sign a paper to the effect that when another Member is elected to represent this borough in Parliament, we should elect one who 144 Temperance Shots at Random. would vote for a law that would make it impera- tive that, for the next five years, the wives of the workpeople in England should draw their hus- band’s wages ?”’ “What,” said the man, ‘‘my wife draw my wages? Oh! no.” Mr. Hodgson replied, ‘“‘You should not say “my wages,’ but ‘ our wages.’ Is not your wife a partner in the concern ?”’ The time-keeper, turning to the group of work- men, said, pointing to Mr. Hodgson, ‘‘ He wants me to sign a paper that for five years our wives shall draw our wages. ‘‘ Now,” replied Mr. Hodgson, ‘‘ don’t be too hard on the ladies. Just listen. How many of you ‘lords of creation,’ having drawn the week’s wages, have squandered them in useless extrava- gance, while your wives and children, who have been attending to the house duties, keeping everything neat and tidy, providing for your com- fort and making the little money you give them go as far as poses have been short of even the necessaries of life.” ‘“Would you sign such a paper?’ asked the man of his fellow workmen. One of the men appealed to replied that some women did not know how to spend the money properly, but frequently they spent it upon dress or drink, and in other objectionable ways. Having listened to their conversation, Mr. Hodgson proceeded as follows : ‘When Paris was besieged by the German Tobacco. 145 army, the price of beef rose to four shillings per pound. Now imagine the consternation that would fill the minds of the Paris workmen when ‘they heard or saw this announcement,—and then imagine the case of a workman who on re- turning home at night was spoken to sympathis- ingly by his wife who said, ‘ How tired you look.’ He replied, ‘Yes, and hungry as well; and if beef were not four shillings per pound, I would have had a steak, but now that is impossible.’ ‘How so?’ says the wife, and without further ceremony, goes to the butcher’s shop and returns with a ‘steak which she at once proceeds to cook, and, as the luscious gravy oozes from the meat, it sharpens his appetite and makes him long for the completion of the process, when lo! to his horror, the thoughtless woman takes the tin containing the gravy and empties it in the gutter. What would they think of a wife like that ?”’ “Think!” said the man, ‘‘ why, that she was unfit to be a wife; and I would send her home to her mother.” “But you took her ‘for better, for worse,’” replied Mr. Hodgson, ‘‘and would it not bea cowardly thing to send her away? Besides, it is just possible that the husband might be in the habit of spending part of the wages which be- longed to both, more recklessly than his wife would have done in such a case and what then?”’ ‘‘ Well,” said the man, “‘ such a man should be tied to a beam and be well whipped.” ‘Exactly so,” replied Mr. Hodgson; ‘‘and now 146 Temperance Shots at Random. may I ask you how much a pound you pay for the ‘steak,’ you are now chewing ?’’—for he had replenished his mouth. He was silent, but one of the workmen answered for him “four shillings.’” ‘‘Then,” replied Mr. Hodgson, “look here! you foolish man, you have been chewing and sputtering the tobacco juice—the gravy !—about the place, while we have been engaged in conver- sation. Clearly it is time that your wife had the spending of your wages and could thus prevent the waste. Besides, look at the effect upon your health, that is injured by it; and the habit is an uncleanly one.’’ Then summing up the whole, he said, ‘‘ The practice of chewing is expensive. It is useless, nay more, it is injurious, therefore I would have done with it.” Having obtained the information he had sought, Mr. Hodgson left them, hoping that the lesson he had endeavoured to inculcate would not be lost. | The habit of snuff-taking is so closely associated with the two previous habits referred to in this chapter that our readers will not be surprised to know that Mr. Hodgson rebuked this habit as. sternly as he did the habit of smoking and chewing. Probably the practice of snuff-taking is not so common as it formerly was; still we do occa- sionally meet witha devotee of the miniature dust- bin, and who ina friendly way offers the box with. the quiet observation, ‘‘ Will you take a pinch ?” To a friend holding out his snuff-box to Mr. Hodgson one day, Mr. Hodgson replied, ‘‘ No, thank you, for I have been very unwell for a day Tobacco. UA 7, or two.” “ But it was not snuff-taking that occa- sioned it,” said the friend; ‘‘so why not take a pinch? “Well,” said Mr. Hodgson,’ ‘‘I have a number of servants in my house (referring to his body) and I must attend to their wants and listen to their complaints. The other day I had taken something which disagreed with me, but fortu- nately the chief servant, Mr. Resistance, was awake, and with the aid of his subordinates expelled the intruder by vomiting. So I resolved that I would not knowingly do a similar thing again. Now,” continued Mr. Hodgson, “you will observe that I have a moderate-sized nose. Well, one day I read that the late Duke of Wel- lington generally preferred men who had large noses, to fill important positions. Whether the reading of this had anything to do with what follows I am not prepared to say, but many years. ago, I must have thought that a larger nose than the one I already possessed would be preferable, for I began feeding mine with snuff; but the nose evidently feeling itself offended by the act, indig- nantly rejected the offensive matter; so I promised that I would not so offend again, and I have kept my promise.’ “It has been my habit when addressing the members of our Bands of Hope,” remarks Mr. Hodgson, ‘‘to warn the children against smoking, chewing, and snuffing. On one occasion an old gentleman who was guilty of snuff-taking was bresent.. ‘l happened to be in the chair that evening. There was a pillar in the centre of the 148 Temperance Shots at Random. room, and the old gentleman sat near the pillar. He was accustomed to attend the meetings in that place almost regularly, and it was thought that he took his seat in the centre and near the pillar that he might assist to keep the children quiet. I was in the act ofrelating a somewhat humorous anec- dote which seemed to interest and amuse the children and the old gentleman as well, when the latter, involuntarily as it seemed, took out his snuff- box, and was proceeding to open it, when I held up my hands and said, ‘ Now, children, close your eyes; Mr. Thompson will ask a blessing, as he is just going to feed his nose.’ I closed my own eyes, and on re-opening them I found that the venerable snuff-taker had taken refuge behind the pillar, and a short time afterwards he disappeared from the meeting. Some time after this I met the old gentleman in the street, when he said, “You were too severe upon me that night, but I daresay I deserved it, for I ought not to have set the children in a Band of Hope meeting such a bad example.’ ”’ We would most earnestly advise our readers, whether young or old, to avoid those practices which, as Mr. Hodgson said, are not only use- less and expensive, but offensive as well. Drink- ing, smoking, and snuffing belong to the same family, and are frequently found in companion- ship with each other. We do not say that one of these habits necessarily leads to the others, but we do say that as a matter of health, comfort, and cleanliness, all three would be better avoided. “After Many Days.” 149 The following is given as a word of encourage- ment to social and moral reformers. ‘“*AFTER MANY DAYS;’’ OR, NOTHING IS LOST. “On one occasion, now many years ago, an account being due to our firm by a London house, a note was received from that house requesting us to call on a Manchester gentleman, who was interested in the estate indebted, and whose place of business was in Cannon Street, of that city. As requested, I made the call, found the gentle- man, a rosy-faced, portly-looking fellow, and presented the note we had received. He instruc- ted one of his clerks to look for the cheque which had come from London. “While the clerk was doing so, the gentleman said, ‘I have seen or met you somewhere before now.’ “I replied that I could not remember ever having seen him or been in his company before, but that was not a matter much to be wondered at in a community so dense as the one in the centre of which we lived, although I had moved to and fro in the city and the neighbouring borough since 1836. ““« Are you the person whose name is at the head of this firm,’ pointing to our invoice, he asked. _T replied, ‘ Head or tail, that is my name.’ «“< Well,’ he said, ‘I am the oldest occupier of property in this street except two,’ and then asked A50 Temperance Shots at Random. / “Have you ever had to do with any of the busi- ness houses in this street ?’ “TI replied ‘ Yes, I have had a few wet shirts in this street.’ “ o*-s J vi. 64 ; : 7h yb DAYS’ EXPERIENCES. S 4 ’ es 7 ~ o © H 2 . 4 . ” ~ . * ‘ ~ oe TO THE. Rew es The foregoing incidents, among many others, have occurred as tf by accident, when attending tomy ordinary business, and generally when to me the greatest 1gnor- ance of the nature and effects of alcoholic drinks, even amongst the generally intelligent portion of the com- munity, was apparent. If at any tume I could, ma cheerful and agreeable manner, drop a word of advice ov warning, or point a moral, I felt it a pleasure and duty to do so. Having occasionally on the platform used some of the foregoing incidents by way of tllustra- tion, I have afterwards heard of their being used by others with advantage in enforcing temperance truth. It consequently occurred to me that it might be a still further advantage tf the incidents were printed and published. On talking the matter over with my friend Mr. F. Atkin, he urged me to write the incidents, while he would deem tt a labour of love to contribute a brief biographical sketch, in which the incidents should be included. Such as they are they are now kd. the public. No sooner was this determined upon, than I Hhought a record or diary of the last fourteen days of my seven- tieth year might possibly be suggestive to missionary workers; so from day to day I recorded as they occurred the following incidents, which I hope may be useful. For the valuable service rendered by Mr. Atkin he has my most sincere thanks: for myself I claim no higher honour than that of being a *humble worker in aiding to remove the great obstacle that hinders the progress of all that 1s ood, great, and wise, in this and other lands. C. HopcGson. FOURTEEN DAYS’ EXPERIENCES. + ‘‘ Give me a faithful heart, — Likeness to Thee; That each returning day Henceforth may see Some work of love begun, Some deed of kindness done, Some wanderer sought and won, Something for Thee.”’ S D. Puetps. FIRST DAY. March 14th, 1887. On this day I was at Tyldesley, and, on passing from there to Leigh, I had for fellow passengers two men, each of about thirty-five years of age, and one of about nineteen years. The morning being cold and frosty, and the carriage window being open, on closing it I said: ““My wife said I was to take care of myself. She thinks I would be better without any intoxi- cating drinks to-day.” I then gave them a homely word or two on the power intoxicants possessed o* disturbing and impairing and diminishing the thinking faculties. Proceeding, I said: ‘‘One woman.that I know, 224 Temperance Shots at Random. wishing to impress upon the mind of her husband this important truth, said to him, some years ago, ‘Jim, whenever I see that you have too much sense, I will give you half-a-crown to go to the Ship Inn to get the quantity reduced, for I see different sorts of men go there with a bit of sense, but they show by their words and actions when they leave that they have parted with it all.’ She has not seen that Jim has too much yet, so he has not got the half-crown.”’ Later on in the day I met one of my brief companions, in the street. He said he had not found that he had too much sense yet, and so he had not had any beer. I replied, ‘‘ If you wait till you seriously settle the matter to your own satisfaction that you have too much sense, you will never taste alcoholic drinks again, for that condition of mind will never occur. Science, through the deliverances of its best exponents, says, ‘Alcohol is a brain poison.’ ”’ On the morning of the same day, I was walking along a street all the buildings in which were workmen’s cottages. At one place I noticed a group of workmen’s wives, and each, I supposed, was in sight of her own house door. They were evidently having a gossip; and being Monday, and the weather fine, and knowing how alarmingly of late female drinking and drunkenness had in- creased, and often, on the Monday, observing females in lots of three, four, or five, going in and out of spirit vaults, I thought their gossiping igst Day: 225 might result in some arrangement during the day, and spirit drinking would, I feared, be, in their rambles, more or less sure to follow. Of course these ladies would have taken it as an insult if I had hinted that they indulged in drinking practices, so I had to be careful lest I should do more harm than good. So I came suddenly to a full Stop when near to them, and as if some one had been commenting on females’ failings or negligences, I commenced, as if solilo- ‘quising, without particularly addressing any one of them: ““No, no, no! it’s no business of mine to inter- fere with any one. I’ve quite enough to do to mind my own business. Let those meddle with other people’s business who like! A nice thing it would look of me to ask any lady if the chil- dren’s sh oes they had on yesterday were cleaned and put on the shelves, or if the breakfast pots were all washed and put away, or if the bed clothes had been put over the bed ends or the bedroom chairs to be aired and sweetened, or the chamber window opened to let in the sweet air, or if the potatoes for the dinner were pared. I’m no cook: what should I know about potatoes except it should be about eating them? If I begin meddling with such matters, I shall soon have all the ladies in the neighbourhood up in arms against me, and will be having all the mop-rags and dusters pinned to my coat-tails, and find myself the laughing-stock of the neigh- bourhood.”’ 226 Temperance Shots at Random. ‘Yo’ are varra merry this nom. said a. matronly lady. I said, ‘‘ Yes, I am pleased with the fine morn- ing, pleased with my good health, pleased with my wife, and pleased with my home and my lot mite, @ By this time about a dozen females were all listening and laughing, when the lady who had first spoken said, ‘‘ I should like to hev a leaf aat 0’ yor book.” I replied, ‘‘I will tell you. It’s the best and cheapest road through the world. Every one of the items I have named are ‘dirt cheap.’ But I’ll tell you what would kill them all, or steal them all, from either man, woman, or child— keeping company with Jemmy Gin or Sammy Rum or Billy Beer or any other of that family. They would each and all spoil the fine morning, so that before noon I should not be able to see the sun. They would spoil my good health by their poisonous effect on my body and mind; steal all the love for wife, family and home out of my heart; and then my lot in life would be a miserable one indeed, and I should wish I were dead. ‘“‘The leaf out of my book is: Take care of your health, your character, your wife and family, and your home; then every morning will be fine in- doors whether it be fine outside or not. Fear God and love your neighbour. I found this out over forty-seven years ago, and have not tasted intoxi- cating drinks since. Second Day. 227, ** Ladies, whether your husbands take drink or not, don’t you take it, nor allow your children to doso. Good morning. Hurrah for teetotalism!” — SECOND DAY. March 15th. My business this morning took me into Brough- ton; my nearest way from thence to our works was through Peel Park, via Widnes. On coming up the lane to Windsor Bridge, I noticed that on a piece of land, on the side of the lane, there had long been a dirty, miry recess, which recess was now being by the Corporation of Salford used as a receptacle for some earthy matter which, when it had been carted, had been tipped in irregular heaps. A labourer was levelling these heaps by throw- ing the tops of them into the hollows between. I said to the man, ‘‘ You are fulfilling Scripture, ‘Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight and our rough places made smooth.’ Ned Roberts said, soon after his hasty wedding of Sarah Jones,-that he found in her bad temper and crooked ways, mountains that he could not remove, nor could he long endure them. And he began to consider whether it would be of any use to try toremove them. He thought much how to set about doing it, and he came to the conclusion that there could be but one way to do it. & 228 Temperance Shots at Random. I asked the leveller if he could guess what course Ned determined upon. “Yes,” he said; fl think: Games I said, ‘‘ Will you let me hear it?” He said, ‘‘ To use her as sometimes a dog has to be used,—the more it is thrashed, the more it likes you.” : I said, ‘I don’t believe in that plan even with a dog. No. Ned said, ‘I at first thought of that plan, but I came to the conclusion that it would never effect a cure but would rather make her worse. So I thought I would try kindness, and shew her how much I loved her by doing every- thing I could to please her. She soon became an altered woman and by and bye did not hesitate to say to my workmate Thompson’s wife, that there was not a better husband in the whole street, and a short time ago she said to me how sweetly time passed along, but she wondered how I could have had such patience with her. Well, I told her it took two to make a fight, and I had determined I would not be one of them. The only time she seemed to be a little out of sorts and her temper a little disturbed was once a fort- night when I went to my club at the Stag Inn. She was then a little lonely, and when I came in, which was sometimes rather late, and perhaps not quite sober, she was often not in a temper to be all that could be wished.’ ‘‘She said one night to Ned that she feared that the club meetings and the drink and the Third Day. 229 cost and the discomfort would end badly both to body and soul and for time and eternity. ‘“Soon afterwards, the club meetings and the drink were given up, and the valleys were filled up, the mountain and hill made low, the crooked made straight, and the rough places made smooth. Ned’s rule towards his wife was silence and kind- ness. If aught goes a little crooked with your better half, try Ned’s rule, it is sure to conquer.” The man remarked, ‘ It’s worth trying.”’ THIRD DAY. March 16th. On this day I had to go to Bowker Bank. When in the train at. Victoria Station, I found myself opposite to a gentleman in the chemical business and whom I had not met for a few years. After enquiries as to health, business, &c., with a view to having a chat on teetotalism he smilingly said, ‘‘I suppose you are as mad as Overt. I admitted that if on that question any change had taken place with me, it was that I was mad- der than ever. He, in an apologetic way, said that he tooka glass or two of beer when he thought it would do him good. _I remarked, ‘‘ In the days of my ignorance, not knowing that the thing was bad, I did the same.”’ He said he could take it good and leave it good. 230 Temperance Shots at Random. I remarked, ‘‘The only good purpose I ever knew it to serve was when it was necessary to make lime-wash stick to a wall and the wall was first well washed down with ale; but to take it as a beverage, under the belief that it serves any purpose in the human economy, is a delusive mistake. “The six per cent of alcohol in the sixpenny ale, should there be no other disturbing element in its composition, causes by itself, when taken, a vicious irritation of the digestive organs. You cannot therefore take it good, nor, except for such a purpose as whitewashing, can you leave it good. ‘‘ Abundant proof has been given again and again that alcohol, instead of aiding men to work, incapacitates them more or less for efficiently per- forming it. Dr. Parkes says that it neither gives strength to the body nor sustains it against disease and is not protective from cold and wet. Dr. Richardson says that it lessens muscular power. ‘‘How then can you take so bad a thing asa beverage and call it good, or leave it good? As a manufacturing chemist you ought, I think, to know better. I would advise you to desist from giving so mischievous. an agent the character of being good.” My remarks were listened to by others in the compartment. One gentleman appeared to en- dorse what I said. My journey being ended, my friend said good-humoredly, as I was leaving the carriage, ‘‘Mad as ever! Good-morning.” Third Day. 231 On my way from Bowker Bank to Blackley, going by a footpath crossing a field, I met four young women on their way to their work at Ashenhurst Mill, their ages being from fourteen to sixteen. I asked them where there was a beer- house. One of them, pointing across the field, said, ““There’s one up in the corner there; if you had gone on the higher road, you would have come ment to it:” Another of the company said, ‘‘ Go straight on the way you are now going and you will miss the beerhouse, and it will be all the better for you.” I said, ‘‘ Why? , Do they sell bad beer at that shop?” ‘“ Yes, bad enough,” she said. peiadi beer!” I exclaimed: “Yes,” said the young woman who had spoken first, ‘‘all the beerhouse beer is bad.”’ I turned to the second and asked, ‘‘ Do you think it is bad?” ‘TI nivver had noan, and don’t intend to have any,’ said she. I then turned to the third, when she said, “I think yo’d be better bout it.” On turning to the fourth, she said, ‘‘ We don’t have any at our house.” “Well, then,” I said, ‘‘ you all think I should be better without the beer?” “Yes,” one said, “‘a great deal,’”’ to which they all assented. . I then said, ‘‘ I have not taken any intoxicating 232 Temperance Shots at Random. drink for over forty-seven years, because I learned that it was bad, bad for body and bad for soul, bad for pocket and bad for homes.” I said, ‘‘ It may be that some of you have got sweethearts or hope to have some day, be sure to never delay a. minute in giving a good stiff ‘No/’ to any young man who wants to keep your company if you know he takes beer either at the beerhouse or at home ; or otherwise you may each some day find yourself a drunkard’s wife, with a lot of starving children around your nearly-fireless grate and empty cupboard and blanketless beds.”’ How cheering it is in these latter days to the minds of old workers in the temperance cause to meet with so many young people who show such grand results of the total abstinence teaching at our Sunday schools and Bands of Hope! A few hundred yards further on I entered the village of Blackley, and soon I was passing the entrance to a tin-plate worker's shop, and near to, but within the half-door, was a person of about forty-five years of age, whom I supposed would be the proprietor. Feeling pleased with the short chat I had had with the four young women, I ventured to give a word of praise to the credit of the influence that must exist in the village where four young women had had so strongly instilled into their minds the duty of abstaining from intoxicating drink, as was clear by their recommending me to go straight on and miss the beerhouse. Third Day. i 2.33 I said, ‘‘ Young women who hold and teach ‘such lines of conduct will soon be valuable mem- bers of society: valuable in the church, in the school, in the domestic circle, and in the work- * room; valuable as wives and mothers, for their children will be taught to shun the cup which is the fruitful source of nearly all our poverty. A village where such mothers only were to be found would soon be a model of industry, cleanliness and thrift, and would become a praise in the earth. “Think of Bessbrook, near Newry in the North of Ireland, a linen-manufacturing town of over four thousand inhabitants, without a public-house or pawnshop or policeman or lawyer! and where every child may be educated at the cost th a penny each per week.” The tinman said that a bit of bread and cheese and a pint of ale was not a bad lunch. I said: ‘“‘ Benjamin Bread and Charley Cheese are respectable members of society; who ever heard of them misbehaving themselves so as to necessitate a policeman being called in? but if they keep Billy Beer’s company they soon lose their respectability, and public-house, pawnshop, policemen, lawyers and prisons are straightway all needed.” On my way in the tram car from home to the U.K. Alliance Executive meeting, when passing the Manchester abbatoir in Water Street, three stout butchers entered, all of them over fifty years of age. They were evidently well known to each = 234 Lemperance Shots at Random. other. I did not particularly listen to their con- versation. Two of them were on the side of the’ car on which I was seated, the other sat nearly opposite to me and he was speaking rather ex- citedly to his two friends. I soon gathered that - adulteration was the subject of their discussion. He said the people of this country were never so humbugged and fleeced as now, for nearly every article they used was adulterated. Just at this point in his remarks, without directing my remarks to them or to any other person, I said, loud enough to be heard by all in the car, ‘‘ From all backbiting and slandering and evil-speaking, Good Lord, deliver us.”’ This drew the butcher’s attention to me as though I had questioned his statement. ‘Do you dispute it ?”’ he asked. I in reply asked, ‘‘ Does not the public encour- age adulteration ? and are not some articles very much improved by adulteration ? especially is this so with intoxicating drink. Have there not been, within the last few weeks, several publicans heavily fined for putting sugar and water into their beer? But by so doing they made the beer less noxious than it was before it was adul- terated. If the following statements from the highest medical authorities be true, then the less alcohol that is taken the better. Sir Andrew Clark, physician to our beloved Queen, says, ‘As I looked in at the hospital wards to-day, I saw that seven out of ten owed their diseases to alcohol.’ Sir William Gull, another of Her Third Day. 235 Mayjesty’s physicians, says, ‘I should say that, from my experience, alcohol is the most destruc- tive agent that I am aware of in this country.’ If the proportion of sugar and water that was added by the publicans, was to the extent of one-fourth of the quart or gallon, there would then be less of this destructive agent by one- fourth, and therefore less harm would be done to the human organism.” The butcher said that if taken in a proper quantity strong drink did the body good. I said ‘‘ Neither of the authorities I have named say a word about quantity—it is of the qualities they speak. When I became a total abstainer, it was not with me a question of quantity. It was because the article alcohol, when it came into contact with the delicate tissues of the human frame, was always injurious.