children already "pledged to abstain from all intoxicants as a
beverage." Says their report for 1877, "We have carried the work into
sixty-one new schools, held sixty-three anniversary meetings and
temperance concerts, instigated about one thousand addresses in the
Sunday-schools, secured six thousand six hundred and seventy-four
signers to our pledges, and one thousand and fifteen to our
constitution."

In most of the larger towns throughout the United States where active
local unions exist, juvenile unions, bands of hope or temperance
associations by some other name, have been formed among the children.
These have, in many cases, a large membership; often as high as from
five to six hundred. In Rockford, Ill., the juvenile union numbers over
eight hundred boys and as many girls. The pledge taken by these children
includes, in some localities, tobacco and profanity as well as
intoxicants.


THE WORK OF REFORM AND RESCUE.

In the work of reform and rescue, the State and local unions are very
active, especially in the larger towns and cities. In the smaller towns,
religious temperance meetings are held weekly, and in the larger cities,
daily, and sometimes twice a day. Chicago has as many as eighteen
meetings every week. In Chapters XIX. and XX. of the first part of this
volume, we have described at length, and from personal observation, the
way in which these temperance prayer-meetings are generally conducted,
and the means used for lifting up and saving the poor drunkard.

What are known as "Reform Clubs," have grown out of the efforts made of