It was not very long before the liquor-sellers found that prayer, even
outside their premises and outside of locked doors, was having its
effect, and in order to put a stop to it, they lodged complaints
against the women, the burden of which was that they were obstructing
the highway and interrupting business. Off the sidewalks, therefore,
the women went, and in deeper snows, and with more dauntless faith,
prayed on, singing, occasionally, a song of praise and thanksgiving.

To a few cities belongs the disgrace of imprisoning some of these
noble Christian women, yet in all this, "a form like unto the Son of
Man" was with them, and the unseen presence was their stay. They were
soon released, however, and found that the news of their arrest and
imprisonment had only increased the interest of all and the anxiety
of many concerning this work. Requests for assistance came from other
cities and States, to which the ladies of Hillsboro and other places
responded, till in almost all of the Northern States there was a
common crusade against the liquor traffic. For about six months this
remarkable movement lasted, meeting with varied success and closing
saloons and bars of hotels in 250 towns and villages.




CHAPTER III.

ORGANIZATION AND WORK.


IN THE UNITED STATES.