第 46 节
作者:谁与争疯      更新:2021-02-19 00:36      字数:9320
  he kept knocking me down every time I rose to my feet。 He would not
  allow me to get my things。 I was invited to go home with a prohibitionist;
  Dr。 Marshall。 This Chapman was a noted dive…keeper; a rummy; and
  ran a representative rum…soaked republican hotel。 He was angry; because
  I dared to expose him; in his sneaking way of drugging and robbing
  his guests。 It was marvelous what rages these law…breakers used
  to have when I came around at first。 It is not so now。 Their bands
  have been smashed and they are not as bold; and more marvelous that
  I was not seriously hurt。
  Once in Nebraska City; Neb。; I was knocked in the temple by a
  saloon…keeper。 I reeled and fell and while I knew he struck me with his
  clenched fists as hard as he could; so it seemed to me; I did not have a
  bruise。
  I always prayed to God to take care of me; but to lead me into these
  tumults to rouse the people to think and to talk。
  THE BEGINNING OF THE GRAVEYARD ASSOCIATION OF MEDICINE LODGE。
  I never saw anything that needed a rebuke; or exhortation; or warning;
  but that I felt it was my place to meddle with it。 I have been called a
  〃meddler〃。 Yes I say: 〃It is my place to meddle with the devil's
  business。 Jesus meddled with the law…breakers in the temple。〃
  I will give you a few facts to prove what I mean and hope it will
  inspire my readers to do likewise。 What injures one is the interest of
  all。 We are personally responsible for all wrong that we neglect to make
  right; when it is in our power to do it。 If anything injures my neighbor
  it injures me。 If my neighbor is blessed so am I。
  I used to ride out north of Medicine Lodge past the graveyard。 It
  was situated on an elevated place; barren of trees; for trees could not
  well grow where it was so dry。 Grave…yards are not pleasant places at
  best; but to see one barren of trees or flowers; just the graves; the white
  marble; the sunshine; rain; and prairie grass; in sight of the pleasant
  yards and homes of the living; I feel a sense of reproach; as if the dead
  were complaining of this neglect。 The only ground Abraham ever bought
  was a piece of ground to bury his dead and it had trees on it。 I wanted
  to see a better condition of things。 I knew this neglect was because no
  one would make a move。 I felt I was not the one; but I wrote an article
  for the papers; 〃Index and Crescent〃; of Medicine Lodge; and I took it to
  a widow; Mrs。 Young; who had recently lost a husband who was very
  dear to her。 I told her she was the one to organize a grave…yard association。
  That this letter would call the ladies together。 After making a
  few changes in the language she published the letter; and the ladies met;
  organized; and in a few months 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 the
  copy。 I never saw any of the Journal men until after the paper was out。
  I went to see them; told them that only a small part of my copy that I
  wrote was in the paper。 They said that several times they asked for my
  copy but Mr。 Brubaker gave them his own。 So he destroyed a great
  deal of my copy; supplying only what he wanted put in。
  I spoke in the Opera House and this Mr。 Brubaker was to give me
  fifty dollars for my lecture that night。 After I had spoken I was asked
  to go into a noted saloon; Pete Weise's place。 Mr。 Brubaker said: 〃If
  you go I will not give you your fifty dollars;〃 as the contract said I was
  to speak at no other place in the city。 But as I had already spoken for
  him I did not feel bound。 This man was posing as a prohibitionist but
  he was as loyal to the cause as Judas was to Jesus。 I went to Pete
  Weis' place; one of the most expensive dance halls I was ever in。 I spoke
  for the hundreds of poor; drugged and depraved men and women。 There
  was a large picture or rather statuary of naked women among trees
  which I said must be smashed; Mr。 Weis treated me very kindly and
  said: 〃I will have that boarded up;〃 and so next day he did。
  This Mr。 Brubaker would not pay me a cent for my lecture and
  tried to garnishe the 100; the Journal was to pay me; and had it not been
  for a stroke of policy on the part of the Journal he would have taken
  every cent from me and left me to pay my expenses there and back。
  Jesus said: 〃Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing。〃 In a month from
  this time the saloon keeper sent me 50。 The prostitute loved more than
  Simon。
  I saw in Peoria the largest distillery in the world。 Not one of the
  hands are allowed to drink what they make。 What would you think of
  a dry goods concern that would not allow its employes to use what they
  make? Mr。 William McKinley was entertained here by Joe Greenhut;
  president of the 〃Whiskey Trust。〃
  I was in Peoria when the prohibitionists held a convention there and
  was astonished that they would put up at a saloon or a hotel that run one。
  I never eat or sleep in one。 My conscience will not allow me。 I never
  saw so many ragged children or dirty streets; as in Peoria。
  WITCHCRAFT。
  I heard so much of the 〃Weltmer treatment〃 for disease。 I sent
  twenty…five dollars for a 〃mail course〃 so I could see for myself。 This
  man Weltmer had a large institution in Nevada; Mo。; for humbugging
  the people。 I always like to investigate these things m