The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [102]
all was changed. One will rarely find
a more attractive resting place for our beloved dead than in the cemetery
of Medicine Lodge. I could not have effected what Mrs. Young did,
but there are more ways of doing things than one, and when people
say: "I can never carry out any plans", I know they have not tact or
perseverance.
MEDDLING WITH THE DEVIL.
A friend who lived a few miles in the country came to my house
in Medicine Lodge, threw her arms around my neck and said: "Oh,
Sister Nation, Matt has gone to Wichita for a bad purpose. I am almost
wild; can't you help me? She is in love with Will, and he does not care
for her but he has gotten her into trouble and does not intend to marry
her." She told me that Will wrote her a note to go to the Goodyear
Hotel. I wrote to Matt and told her if she became the murderer of her
child that a fearful judgement was in store for her. I also wrote to
Will and told him to marry Matt or I would expose him. Will's father
got the letter, as it was directed to Medicine Lodge. His father came
down to see me, weeping as if his heart would break; told me of the
trouble this boy had given him; said that he was preparing to marry
another girl and could not marry Matt; but that he had forwarded the
letter to Will, as he had gone to Wichita. Will and Matt got their letters
at the same time and were filled with terror. Both came back to
Medicine Lodge and in a few months poor Matt was the mother of a
little girl. Her mother, sent for me. I stayed until the little angel died.
From the time Matt looked on the face of the little one she loved it
with all the intensity of a true mother and grieved so when it died. In
a few hours I went to the grave-yard With the little coffin. This Will
or his father never spoke to me again. He married the other girl. In
a few years father and son were both killed. The sister of Will, who also
treated me coldly, wrote me a letter and told me to tell Matt it would
have been a blessing if he had married her. That he loved her the best
and that she felt quite differently towards me.
TIMELY WARNING TO OUR GIRLS AND BOYS.
I was going down to a neighbor's one dark night. I heard voices, as
if some parties were sitting by the roadside. I went into the neighbor's
house and got a lantern. I came up to these parties, they were a young
man of Medicine Lodge and a young lady visiting there. I told them
that such actions would lead to mischief. Told the young boy to act
towards a girl as he would wish his sister treated. Told the girl that
ruin would be her fate and she hid her face and soon both of them ran
down the alley. I knew they would think that I would expose them, so
I wrote a letter to the young man and told him the injustice to himself
and the girl, that would follow such actions, told him that no one would
hear it from me. That it was not my desire to expose them only to warn
and prevent trouble. That young man is in Medicine Lodge now and is a
good friend of mine.
I often see actions, especially with the young, that I know will end
in heartaches and woes. I get these parties out of hearing of others and
speak to them. So often in traveling I see silly girls being led astray
by men who for a vile purpose will fawn and flatter. I never let such a
thing pass my eye now without a little wholesome condemnation: "Thou
shall not in any wise suffer sin upon thy brother but shall rebuke him."
SOME OF MY TRIALS WITH MR. BRUBAKER OF PEORIA.
When I visited Chicago for the first time after the smashing a Mr.
Brubaker called to see me. He was from Peoria and was hired by the
Peoria Journal men to get me to edit that paper for one day. The
arrangements were satisfactory to both parties. I went to Peoria. Mr.
Brubaker met me, took me to a hotel run by a woman who owned one
or two saloons, but had none in the hotel she kept. I had not one line
of copy for the paper but I got up at four in the morning and wrote
continuously that day. I know God helped me. Mr. Brubaker took
a more attractive resting place for our beloved dead than in the cemetery
of Medicine Lodge. I could not have effected what Mrs. Young did,
but there are more ways of doing things than one, and when people
say: "I can never carry out any plans", I know they have not tact or
perseverance.
MEDDLING WITH THE DEVIL.
A friend who lived a few miles in the country came to my house
in Medicine Lodge, threw her arms around my neck and said: "Oh,
Sister Nation, Matt has gone to Wichita for a bad purpose. I am almost
wild; can't you help me? She is in love with Will, and he does not care
for her but he has gotten her into trouble and does not intend to marry
her." She told me that Will wrote her a note to go to the Goodyear
Hotel. I wrote to Matt and told her if she became the murderer of her
child that a fearful judgement was in store for her. I also wrote to
Will and told him to marry Matt or I would expose him. Will's father
got the letter, as it was directed to Medicine Lodge. His father came
down to see me, weeping as if his heart would break; told me of the
trouble this boy had given him; said that he was preparing to marry
another girl and could not marry Matt; but that he had forwarded the
letter to Will, as he had gone to Wichita. Will and Matt got their letters
at the same time and were filled with terror. Both came back to
Medicine Lodge and in a few months poor Matt was the mother of a
little girl. Her mother, sent for me. I stayed until the little angel died.
From the time Matt looked on the face of the little one she loved it
with all the intensity of a true mother and grieved so when it died. In
a few hours I went to the grave-yard With the little coffin. This Will
or his father never spoke to me again. He married the other girl. In
a few years father and son were both killed. The sister of Will, who also
treated me coldly, wrote me a letter and told me to tell Matt it would
have been a blessing if he had married her. That he loved her the best
and that she felt quite differently towards me.
TIMELY WARNING TO OUR GIRLS AND BOYS.
I was going down to a neighbor's one dark night. I heard voices, as
if some parties were sitting by the roadside. I went into the neighbor's
house and got a lantern. I came up to these parties, they were a young
man of Medicine Lodge and a young lady visiting there. I told them
that such actions would lead to mischief. Told the young boy to act
towards a girl as he would wish his sister treated. Told the girl that
ruin would be her fate and she hid her face and soon both of them ran
down the alley. I knew they would think that I would expose them, so
I wrote a letter to the young man and told him the injustice to himself
and the girl, that would follow such actions, told him that no one would
hear it from me. That it was not my desire to expose them only to warn
and prevent trouble. That young man is in Medicine Lodge now and is a
good friend of mine.
I often see actions, especially with the young, that I know will end
in heartaches and woes. I get these parties out of hearing of others and
speak to them. So often in traveling I see silly girls being led astray
by men who for a vile purpose will fawn and flatter. I never let such a
thing pass my eye now without a little wholesome condemnation: "Thou
shall not in any wise suffer sin upon thy brother but shall rebuke him."
SOME OF MY TRIALS WITH MR. BRUBAKER OF PEORIA.
When I visited Chicago for the first time after the smashing a Mr.
Brubaker called to see me. He was from Peoria and was hired by the
Peoria Journal men to get me to edit that paper for one day. The
arrangements were satisfactory to both parties. I went to Peoria. Mr.
Brubaker met me, took me to a hotel run by a woman who owned one
or two saloons, but had none in the hotel she kept. I had not one line
of copy for the paper but I got up at four in the morning and wrote
continuously that day. I know God helped me. Mr. Brubaker took