The Argosy — page 222: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

& WORD FOR OUR MILITIA. VERY year about a hundred regiments of Militia are called out for twenty-eight days’ training. Four or five hundred men, obedient to the annual summons, come from their homes to the dif- ferent towns selected for this yearly training. They are all billeted about these towns ; two to ten men in a house, not always the most respectable—not always in the most respectable streets ; chiefly young men under five-and-twenty. Is this the only town, and am I the only woman who never thought of doing anything towards their comfort or improvement? I wish I could believe it, but I fear there are numbers of women like myself who, in fact, rather dread the invasion of the Militia; who expect to see them filling the public-houses, and crowding the footpaths when off duty. For myself, I confess it never occurred to me that I was im any way ‘‘my brother’s keeper,” so far as ¢iey were concerned, until a friend lent me a little book called “‘ Active Service,” written by a friend of Miss Robinson. (It costs one shilling. Pray buy it.) It tells of what she has done and is doing for our soldiers. Many must have heard her name, and many may remember she was thanked by the officers, after the last Autumn Manceuvres, for the success of her good work. They had never had so little drunkenness among their men. I determined, when our Militia came this spring, I would try to follow in her train, though very far behind, yet to set foot on the same road ; and if only ove young fellow was saved from drinking, should I not have cause to be thankful ? Next year, please God, it will be better done and better organized. This time, as most of the men came from Birmingham, there was a dread of small-pox: nothing was arranged beforehand, and the men had been a week in the town before the room was taken. The only public-house here where drivk is not allowed, (where a working-man can go in for an hour and read, have a cheap cup of coffee at any hour, or his bit of meat cooked for him,) has a large upper room, and this was hired. Printed papers were distributed, say- ing there was a Reading Room for the Militia, open from 11 to 1 o’clock, and from 6 to gin the evening. On Tuesday, the 9th June, taking with me, as Miss Robinson advises, writing-paper, envelopes, picture-cards, and stamps, I took a chair at the end of the long room, a little before six, and waited. Many ladies had taken up the idea and helped readily with money, with books and papers, games of chess, draughts, dominoes, and solitaire. The room is a good size and airy; two large windows, COMICOOoOlKS.¢