Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/31

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A THOUSAND YEARS HENCE.
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the great public-house question. His own view was that the public-house proper should not open till the workman's dinnertime. This decision was upon a balance of considerations, in which the temptations and evils that were avoided far outweighed any or all others. He knew the power of the temptation, from having himself formerly given way to it. What rescued him was a friend's advice, always first to quench actual thirst with water. By adopting that practice he recovered completely his self-control, and thus gave new motives and a new joy to his whole life. He would therefore have water at hand everywhere—a tap of the pure element to confront every tap of strong drink, and on such equal terms, to fight sobriety's great battle. Yellowly, however, sympathized far too heartily with his fellows, in their rough and hard life, to set up any mere moralizing on this latter subject. He had more material aims, as he would fain save their hard-earned money, thus so profusely dissipated, for better uses, and for building up the power, credit, and influence of all his class.

He exhorted all his class to honour and respect woman, even if for no higher aim than their credit and influence with society generally. He was a strong advocate of woman's rights. The woman should be equally free with the man to help herself, and help on the world, in all ways suitable to her. The world would advance at a quicker pace by help of her head and hand. He wanted to see the establishment of women's as well as men's clubs; and he once bearded the Lord Mayor himself, in order to get his countenance for clubs of domestic servants, his lordship, however, asserting that unless the day