n's Club, as you call it, and patronize
hisen."

"And Elder White has showed," sez Arvilly, "by his example just what
the Church of Christ could do if it wanted to, to save men from the
evil of this present time and git 'em headed towards the Celestial
City."

"Oh!" sez Elder Wessel, "I would no more use the church dedicated to
the Most High in the way you speak of than I would use the communion
cup to pass water in."

"If a man wuz dyin' of thirst, and that cup could be used to save him,
don't you spoze the Lord would want it used for that, Elder Wessel?"
sez Arvilly.

"Oh, no! oh, no!" sez he: "give not that which is holy unto dogs; cast
not your pearls before swine."

"That is jest what I have been preachin' to you," sez Arvilly. "Give
not that which is holy, the best nater, and goodness of boys and men
to the dogs, the brutes that lay in wait for 'em in whiskey laws. The
God in man is murdered every 'lection day by professors of religion
and ministers."

"Why--whyee," sez Elder Wessel, sinkin' back in his chair.

"Yes," sez the dantless Arvilly, "I mean jest what I say; them that
refuse to vote and help in the matter are jest as guilty as license
voters; they are consentin' to the crucifixion of Christ in man. And
the poor drunkards are not the only ones they help nail to the cross.
The innocent life and happiness of wimmen and children these wicked
laws lift up on the cross of agony, and their hearts' blood cries to
heaven for judgment on them that might have helped 'em and would not.
The Church of Christ is responsible for this crime," sez Arvilly, "for
there is not an evil on earth that could stand before the combined
strength of a united church."

Sez Elder Wessel, gittin' back considerable dignity (her hash talk
madded him awfully), sez he, "I simply see things in another light
from what you do."

"He that is not for me is against me," sez Arvilly.

Sez the Elder in a dogmatic axent, real doggy it wuz, "I say again,
the saloon is the Poor Man's Club."

And I sez dreamily, "Talkin' of a club as a club, a club in the hands
of a drunken man, strikin' at and destroyin' all the safety and
happiness of a home, yes," sez I, "it is such a club."

"Yes," sez Arvilly, "if poundin' his wife to jelly, and his children
to deformity and death, is a Poor Man's Club, the saloon is one."

Sez he agin, "Rich men have their clubs to which they may go, and
drink all they choose--carouse, do as they please, and wh