thou have me to do?" and it had seemed that the answer came only in
the closer pressing to their lips of the cup of suffering. As they
still pleaded, spreading the white wings of prayer over their dear
ones, suddenly there came to them the inspiration, which led to the
crusade, an inspiration from the heart of God.

In years past, indications had not been wanting of some such
possible uprising, as drops precede the full shower, for, in 1856, at
Rockport, Mass., some 200 women had assembled and, proceeding to
several places where intoxicating liquor was sold, had entered and
destroyed the liquor they found. That was an impulse born of
suffering, and finding expression in action impulsive and unusual;
but, not being followed up by organization, it soon ended. In 1869,
in Rutland, Vt., and at Clyde, Ohio, the women organized to suppress
the liquor traffic, visiting saloons, securing pledges, holding
prayer meetings, etc., but the great movement, which has given to
woman new power in this temperance work, and opened up to her new
avenues of usefulness, so long closed, is known as the Woman's
Crusade. It began about the same time in three different places in
the month of December, 1873, Fredonia, N. Y., Hillsboro, Ohio, and
Washington Court House, Ohio, were the first scenes of action. There
the first contests were waged and the first victories won. Timid
Christian women, who had never heard their own voices in public
prayer, were suddenly called to the front and a message given them of
God. Dr. Dio Lewis visited Hillsboro in December, 1873, and there
gave two lectures, one of them a lecture on temperance, in which he
referred to his mother's struggles as a drunkard's wife, doing her
best to support her family, and finally, with a few other praying
women, visiting the saloon-keeper who sold liquor to her husband, and
pleading with him to give up his business, with which request he, at