BV 3785 . T4 A3 1923 Thickstun , Edmund . Adventures in evangelism Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library https://archive.org/details/adventuresinevan00thic_1 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM EDMUND THICKSTUN I / ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM / BY EDMUND THICKSTUN SOMETIME MINISTER IN THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH , NOW A MINISTER IN THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH Introduced by the Rev. THEODORE S. HENDERSON, d.d. ONE OF THE BISHOPS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY LAMAR & BARTON, AGENTS ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM. II PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO EVERYBODY WHO IS TRYING TO SAVE SOMEBODY INTRODUCTION No stories of work in the Christian Church are of more absorbing or abiding interest than those dealing with the turning of men and women to God. We enjoy reading of the progress of great religious movements, of organizations, of build¬ ings, of community projects, but the records which find the readiest response in the hearts of us all are those which deal with the conversion of souls. It may truly be said that evangelism is not the whole of the work of the Church or of the minister, but it has such fundamental relation to all things else that, when it is lacking, the har¬ mony of the whole is broken and incomplete. To tell such stories is not merely art. No artist could picture such scenes unless his own soul were in sympathy with the subject so as to enable him to understand just what were the processes by which the soul arrived at its place of transformation. The skillful pen may be needful; the understanding spirit is indispen¬ sable. That the writer of “Adventures in Evan¬ gelism55 has this spirit is evidenced not only by the sympathetic treatment of the stories which VII Vlll INTRODUCTION his pen relates, but by the work of his ministry during many years. He has been constantly making “adventures in evangelism,” and he knows whereof he speaks because his own min¬ istry has been blessed of God in the conversion of souls. It is of personal interest to say that my ac¬ quaintance with Brother Thickstun came about through his reading a reprint of an article of mine in a Nashville newspaper. From the read¬ ing of those words of mine, copied from another publication, there was started a train of thought which led to the revival in his breast of the de¬ ferred desire to give to the world the stories which now find place in this volume. God’s providence works in mysterious ways to fulfill his purposes. Since then it has been my pleasure to know Brother Thickstun by correspondence and to appreciate his endeavor to serve the Church and the world through his book. May God bless it as it goes on its mission to revive the interest of pastors and laymen alike in the supreme work of winning men and women to their Saviour. Theodore S. Henderson. Detroit , Michigan . PREFACE You may depend upon the essential truth of all herein narrated. The non-essentials of dates and proper names are generally fictitious. Char¬ acters, settings and events are sometimes compos¬ ite, but the parts from which they are com¬ pounded are true. One character in the book has the career he wished for, rather than the one which he achieved. No effort has been made to remember dialogue as it was originally spoken. It was easier to make the book that way than to run about the country asking permission of people to print their stories. I can say with Eggleston that the strangest things in it are the truest. If your pastor has had twenty years’ experience, he will probably tell you that he can relate incidents as extraordinary as any here set down. Edmund Thickstun. Danville , Alabama . ✓ CONTENTS PAGE Introduction by Bishop Theodore S. Henderson . vii Preface ....... ix CHAPTER I The Biggest Game • • 15 II Brother Green .... 33 III A Game of Casino Spoilt • 49 IV Contrasted Conversions • • 65 A skeptic comes across . • 66 record short time in conversion 74 A TEN YEARS’ QUEST . • 78 A CIRCUS CLOWN AND A GOOD BOY ♦ 81 V Righteousness , Peace, and Joy • 91 VI When Elijah Failed . • 117 VII Trembling for Jesus * 135 WAITING AND WATCHING . • 140 DISOBEYING HIS MOTHER IN THE LORD . 144 XI Xll CONTENTS CHAPTER VIII The Funeral of a Fiddle . PAGE . 155 IX Up from the Slavery of Lust . 173 X Thou Art the Man - . 189 A STICKER ..... 197 XI ‘'Here I am, Mother’ ’ . . 203 XII Some of Elijah’s Aftermaths . 215 XIII Conclusion * i* 223 f I: THE BIGGEST GAME W ould that the spirit of our Methodist Fathers might come upon us , sending us out in downright earnestness to hunt down the last man within reach , that we might lead him to the life of Christ. Bishop Anderson. ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM i The Biggest Game . . And the bear got a slash at my left cheek, which accounts for my wearing whiskers in this smooth-shaven age.” The State Senator parted the beard on his face and showed an ugly scratch beneath. “But I got him with my gun held at arm’s length, and with my thumb on the trigger, as I drew it around to stick the muzzle in his mouth.” “Bravo, Coleman. That was a red-blooded man’s adventure. None of us have any such experiences to relate.” Travis, the lawyer, said this, with a long stare of admiration at his friend, Senator Coleman, real estate man, Wy¬ oming booster, and in his vacations, big game hunter. Howbeit, he was a steward and trustee in his church, and a man of deep spirituality. “Well, now, as to that,” drawled the Senator, “I should not be surprised if every one of you 15 16 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM fellows can tell something thrilling right out of your professional experiences.” Travis’s eyes narrowed in reflection for a moment, and then he remarked musingly: “Why, of course there are thrilling moments in a lawyer’s life. I remember that once I undertook the defense of a poor boy accused of crime on circumstantial evidence. From the tes¬ timony of blind, insensate things , merely, it seemed that he would be condemned. I shall always thank God that I believed him to be inno¬ cent. I worked night and day on the case with the bitter thought, ‘What if I shall fail, and the poor fellow should hang for a thing he never did?’ “I became so obsessed with the case that I was scarcely myself for a few days, during the trial in the Circuit Court. The evidence was dead against me. When I arose to plead, my mind became strangely alert. All of the cases in legal history where men were illegally punished came to me with great distinctness. I cited them rap¬ idly without my notes. I told the jury of case after case where other jurors before them had rendered verdicts of not guilty and had been rewarded afterwards by the confession of the real criminal. Then, in my conclusion, I saw red. I lost myself in my bitter invective against un¬ seeing circumstance. But all of the time it THE BIGGEST GAME 17 seemed to me that I was saying nothing. I closed in a welter of physical perspiration and an agony of spiritual sweat. I could have sweat blood, it seemed to me, if that would have con¬ vinced. “When I sat down, the prosecutor leaned over to me and whispered: “ 'Travis, that speech deserves to win, but my facts are too stubborn. Your man will hang.’ I replied miserably: “ T know it.’ And that was all I could think as the judge rendered his charge. He went out of his way, I think, to caution the jury against being carried away by the frenzied eloquence of counsel. “Well, what do you think? That jury, in fifteen minutes, brought in a verdict of 'not guilty5. The prisoner and I sat staring at each other like two idiots for a moment. Then he arose and took me in his arms like a baby and sobbed : “ 'Mr. Travis, you done it; you done it. The evidence were all agin me, but you jest wouldn’t have it thet way. So the jury couldn’t see it any different from what you seen it.’ ” Every eye was glistening with a tear drop trembling on its brink. Travis continued: “Two years later the actual murderer con¬ fessed on his death bed that he was guilty of the 18 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM crime for which my client had been tried and acquitted.’’ Coleman now turned to Dr. Connyngton: “Doc, old man, can’t you beat that as badly as it beat my bear story?” The physician re¬ plied : “I get four-fifths of my satisfaction in saving life against seemingly insuperable obstacles. It’s a great sensation to sit down by a moribund pa¬ tient, and say to Old Man Death: “ £Now, really, you know, you just can’t have this man — not this time.’ “I remember a lady who was in the last stages of puerperal fever. I felt that if her own family could be her nurses, she need not die. I told this to the husband, two sons and one daughter. One of the boys was nineteen, the other was seven¬ teen, the daughter was fifteen. Both of the boys worked in the railroad shops, the girl kept the house, and the father was unemployed. My dread was the change of nurses in the ordinary run of neighborhood ministrations around a sick bed. “It was arranged that the daughter should keep the house and manage the younger children; the younger of the breadwinners should nurse the mother from six in the evening until nine o’clock; the older son would then go on duty until midnight; the father then took up the THE BIGGEST GAME 19 task, staying with the patient the remaining eighteen hours of the twenty-four. By this sys- tem, I secured an unfailing, uniform treatment of the case, with the minimum of irritation for the patient. The nurses kept an accurate and minute record of the case, and from this I often saw how to change the treatment. “Well, we saved her. I tried to credit the splendid nursing for the successful issue, but those folks insisted that it was all due to me. The fee, which was sharply scaled, was the lesser satisfaction that I derived from the case. Those splendid boys and that worn old father caressed me with every glance of the eye and pose of the body. She who had wandered for weeks on the verge of the death-stream was most beautiful in her gratitude that I had kept her until she could 'see her baby waiting on himself.’ ” After the others had choked down their feel¬ ings, Coleman turned to Green, the minister, and said: “Elijah, we all understand your case, to some extent. We know that you are in the ministry merely because you like it. Everybody believes that you would have succeeded admirably in busi¬ ness. I have a theory that you are a dead game sport, but that you would prefer hunting men to hunting bears. Come, old sport, tear off a leaf from your experience.” 20 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM The four of them were on their way to Con¬ ference. They had boarded the train at Bar¬ rington, near the end of the line, and were shackling along over a frontier roadbed that excruciated them to the breaking point. But they liked each other and did their best to offset the tortures of travel by the pleasures of good fellowship. It was twenty miles to the next sta¬ tion, where more passengers would get aboard, so Green had something over an hour to talk before they would be distracted by other events than the bouncing of the coach. [The minister began : “I never looked at my profession from the standpoint of sport before, but with me it is much as the Senator says.” “I wonder if more preachers had the hunting instinct, whether there would not be more hunt¬ ing than sermon-making,” said Coleman. “I have often thought that the greatest scandal Christianity has to carry is the indifference to the identical job which, it seems to me, we are ex¬ pected to work at. Some one said that the best evidence of our faith is to proceed upon it.” Elijah added: “It seems to me that it is nearly impossible to preach without at least a general evangelistic aim. I can’t say that I always have a specific aim, but it has happened frequently that, when THE BIGGEST GAME 21 I was merely following the routine, I have seen evangelistic fruit.55 “Well, get on 5Lije, and give us one of your man hunts,55 exclaimed Coleman. “What I shall tell you occurred when I was on my first work in western Iowa. My circuit was absolutely new ground. The only preaching places were in schoolhouses, but they were well built and well heated. My very first protracted meeting was at a schoolhouse on Chicken Creek. The oldest inhabitant had been there but three years. The tough element was in control, but I heard from Ben Draper, an old British Wesleyan, and my sole dependence for prayer, that a man by the name of Peter Cook had been a class leader in York State. His house seemed to be headquarters for all the harum-scarum doings in the country. So I decided before I opened the meeting that my strategy consisted in capturing Cook for God. “On the first night of the meeting, I went home with him. He was very nice and fished out a beautiful family Bible from the bottom of a trunk. I began to admire the luxurious binding and numerous illustrations. I remarked: “ ‘You have just bought this Book, Brother Cook.5 u ‘No, I bought that in York State more’n three year ago.5 22 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “ Indeed ! Then you have taken extremely good care of it.’ “ ‘Now Parson, you know this here country as well as anybody. An’ you know Bibles out on the table ain’t among our good qualities.’ “ ‘ So you just bought this Book to be a doing —or maybe you got it at a bargain.’ “ ‘Oh, I bought it sentimental, all right, ex¬ pectin’ to keep up Bible readin’ an’ family prayer, jest as my father done in York State, but ■ — well you know how it goes in this country; most of us left our religion on the east bank of the Mississippi, the day we crossed the river.’ The children had come behind me and were look¬ ing at the pictures. Charles spoke up: “ ‘Dad, leave the Book out, f’m now on. It has a sight o’ purty picters in it.’ William joined in: “ ‘Yes, Dad, leave it out. I didn’t know it was in the house.’ “ ‘It seems like a shame to leave sich a expen¬ sive thing around, jest fer childern to play with,’ said the father. I replied: “ ‘There isn’t any law against your reading the Bible in your family, is there ? If it were right out here on the table, you would be reminded oftener of your duty.’ Cook twisted uneasily in his seat, and countered: “ ‘Well, anyhow, we can have readin’ an’ THE BIGGEST GAME 23 prayer to-night, Parson. I guess the Book better stay out on the table. Be careful with it, chil- dern.5 “ ‘All right, Dad. We’ll take the best kind o5 care o’ it.5 “In my prayer, I told the Lord how much I needed Peter Cook in my work there at Chicken Creek, and I was so refreshed by the prayer that I felt as though it would be a walkover to get the old wheel horse of York State into the har¬ ness. But Pete was offish next morning. When I pressed the matter on him a little, he evaded: “ ‘Well, you see, Parson, I think you are too young to organize this kind of thing. I think I’ll wait till the Conference sees fit to send a man with some experience to this here work.5 £f ‘Yes, Brother Cook, but an older man with plenty of experience would require higher pay than I need. I think it is important to jump in and get the thing in good running order this year, and maybe that will encourage the Conference to send you a better man than I am. But suppose they send you another low-grade man — or send me back. Don’t you see that I can do a great deal better work with your help, than with¬ out it?’ “The man fell silent. I felt tha!t it was the part of wisdom not to continue the subject in the 24 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM presence of others. When we went to saddle my horse, I brought up the matter once more. He interrupted me: “ ‘Now here, Parson, I jest ain’t a goin’ to make the break in this meetin’. I’ve been too much of a sinner to jump right in fust thing an’ try to lead these here folks into the fold. Of course, I see the need of it, but I’m so plaguy easy to criticize. I weren’t fair on you in the house, jest now. It don’t make no difference how young you are. Fur as that goes, my Charley or Billy can git up a revival here, if the Lord sees fit to use ’em. Fact is, the little shavers had me nigh a shoutin’ last night, when they axed me to leave the Bible out on the table. But I hev led this here Valley dancin’, playin’ cards, drinkin’, cussin’, and I jest nachelly got too much respect fer the feelin’s of the people to start up the re¬ ligious game.’ “Well, I could see nothing else to do, but to go quietly ahead on my visiting round. Cook came to the meeting every night, but sat in one of the farther corners. As I shook hands with him at the close of every service, I always told him that I was praying for him, but he never, by word or motion, told me to go on praying. “Of course, you can fancy that I began to near the end of my resources. I had not been con¬ verted a year, and, although I had been reared THE BIGGEST GAME 25 a Christian, I had been astray for several years previous to my reclamation. I had no books except the Bible, the Discipline, and the Hymn Book along with me. My Bible had a very useful index in it, with which I could make ser¬ mons of a sort. Poor old Ben Draper got into a very agony for the salvation of the people. He took to going very early to the schoolhouse, and after making the fire, he knelt in prayer near the teacher’s desk, and remained on his knees until my arrival. This was the only thing that kept the youngsters from tearing down the house. “A dance or two had been announced, but, although no one had yet professed religion, the dances failed to draw the crowd. After nearly two weeks, the only encouraging thing I could note, in taking stock of my progress, was the con¬ tinued heavy attendance, much of it from ten miles away. The moon was going to full that night, and the snow, eighteen inches deep, was alluring for the sleighs. I was expecting a very large crowd, but on that morning I had no idea whatever of what I would say to the people that night. I did not know that, spiritually speaking, an earthquake was rumbling beneath me. I felt sorely in need of human help and sympathy. So I made for Peter Cook’s house. He was digging a well. I rode to the mouth of the well, and said: 26 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “ ‘Brother Cook, I have come to you for advice and help. I am just about at the end of my row.’ “ ‘Run out o’ sermon timber, eh? Go put your horse up, an’ come here, an I’ll give you a text, an’ a idee of how to preach it.’ “I was shortly standing on the brink of the well and looking down at him. He was six feet below the surface, and had reached ‘hard-pan,’ a tough stratum which seemed to extend pretty well over the country. He could get only a very little of it on the point of his pick at each blow. He went right on digging, while he talked. “ ‘This here text is in ’Zekiel, thirty-third chapter and Seventh verse. I heerd a old min¬ ister preach it when I was a boy, an’ it is jest four words: “Why will ye die?” That old preacher took one word at a time. But he took the last word fust. He read “die” to mean hell. “Ye” means everybody. “Will” throws respon¬ sibility on men. “Why” means “What’s the reason?” ’ ” I thanked him for the text and outline, and told him that I would use it. Then I said: “ ‘Brother Cook, it’s simply awful that you don’t come out fully on the Lord’s side and help me in this work. How much you have helped me here, in just a moment’s time !’ He was silent for a long while, and I could think of nothing further to say, so I was silent also. Then he THE BIGGEST GAME 27 lifted his pick, pulled a small piece of clay from it, and said: “ 'Looks like I’ll never git through this hard- pan. I been a peckin’ away at it all mornin’, an’ nothin’ done yet.’ “Looks like I’ll never get through the tough hard-pan around your heart. I’ve been pecking away at it for nearly two weeks, and nothing done yet.’ “Then he looked up at me. His eyes were red with weeping, and his cheeks were tear-sodden. His voice was husky as he said: “ ' ’Lijey, you pecked through to my heart more’n a week ago.’ “The next second I wras down in the well, and we had clinched. I was praising God, and he was crying and laughing both at once. When the frenzy of our feelings had passed, I said: “ 'Now, Pete, you must help me out to-night. I just won’t be put off any longer.’ “ 'All right, ’Lije. You can ask anything you want of me. Now go to your room and study that sermon.’ “That sermon nearly preached itself. At the close, I said: “ 'Now I’ve been asking you to this altar every night. No one has ever come. There is scarcely a person in this house, who has arrived at the years of accountability, who does not know that 28 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM to continue as he is going will bring him to death eternal. Turn ye; turn ye; for why will ye die?’ The people arose and began to sing: “ ‘Sinners, turn, why will ye die?’ “Just then Pete Cook started down the aisle from the northeast corner. And he came preach¬ ing. He was torrential in his words: “ ‘Come on, neighbors, come on. I’ve led you toward the devil as long as I intend to. Come on, and let’s get back to God. Right here at this mourner’s bench, down in the dust, is where we belong. Some of us are mighty bad — I’m the cussedest one of all. Lots of us are old church members, but we must start down here at this altar.’ Just then, he reached the altar and fell on his knees. He started praying for salvation. Down on one side of him fell his wife, and on the other Jim Grimm, his nearest neighbor, and, down to that moment, his bitter enemy. And they all started praying at once. “The crowd surged forward, and instantly the space around the speaker’s desk was crowded with kneeling penitents. In just a moment, Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Grimm arose, almost together, and embraced each other in an ecstasy of feeling. The last time before that in which their bodies had touched each other was more than a year before, when each had tried to scalp the other. THE BIGGEST GAME 29 A little while afterwards Grimm arose, happy as an angel. He grabbed me, and came near ending the meeting right there, by nearly squeezing the life out of me. He then rushed to Cook, and falling again by his side, began praying for his erstwhile enemy with such extraordinary fervor that Cook was shortly up and shouting. “Then it was truly good to see those four peo¬ ple go to work with the other penitents. And until ten o’clock, it was one jubilee after another over some one who had struggled through to happiness.” Elijah had finished. Coleman spoke first: “ ’Lije, I’d rather be able to tell that story than all the bear yarns I know. I wonder why we don’t have such times nowadays?” “What do you mean, Senator?” “I mean what I say. At our meetings in Bar¬ rington we live in mortal dread that some one will do something elemental. We have a quiet, genteel solo or some other innocuous music; a well-prepared sermon, strong enough, generally, but delivered with extreme propriety; decision cards are passed in a hushed stillness; minister prays an able but soothing prayer — nobody harmed or helped much by it; more nice music; doxology; benediction; good-night; come again. Meantime, here is this nicotine-soaked, boot¬ legging, shimmy-dancing, divorce-hunting, bood- 30 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM ling, grafting, gambling, bedeviled, hell-bent old world running like a scared dog toward damna¬ tion. In the old days, the preacher and the peo¬ ple got a double-geared, back-action, automatic hustle on themselves, and something had to tear loose.55 “Of course, Senator, just now you have not in mind the Salvation Army, the slum missions, the remote country points. You can see as primitive revival methods in such places as I witnessed in my meeting on Chicken Creek. Go to some of them, and you will see all of the old-time phe¬ nomena of the revival. You will remember that I was out to Buskirk’s Schoolhouse for a week last winter. Well, we had an old-fashioned re¬ vival there.55 “Why don’t you get up one in town T 5 “Because the town doesn’t take its religion that way.55 “So there are differences in religion*?55 “No. But there are differences in the spiritual manifestations of religion as various as the tem¬ peraments of the professors.” “It is a matter of temperament, then*?” “More so than you would think. If I had any literary facility, I would make a book about that very phase of the subject. I could put at least a score of outstanding examples in it of different ways in which the Spirit acts in regeneration.” II: BROTHER GREEN One of the primary mistakes of men in their relation to religion is to think of it as a creed , whereas religion is primarily an ex¬ perience. Religion is , first of all , the deliv¬ ering power of God in the soul. The deepest need , therefore , is to go directly to God Himself , for light and life , instead of to the theologian. A knowledge of God , thus ob¬ tained , will clarify the intellect at the same time that it cleanses the heart. Bishop Ainsworth. II Brother Green Elijah Green had some literary facility, though he disclaimed it in conversation with his friends that day on the train. When the frenzy has been upon him, he has frequently sat down and written a piece which he felt should be in print. Some of these have come to my notice, and will be found in this book. Out of my long and inti¬ mate acquaintance with him, I have written sev¬ eral others, and am giving them to the world in this volume. I am anxious that my beau ideal of a country pastor shall have a wider constitu¬ ency than the mere pastorates he served. JLije, as he was affectionately called, loves the country church. I have heard him say that he was never pastor in a town with a population of five hundred. I have heard people ask him why he did not try for the large and influential churches of the Conferences which have employed him. He would answer: “I take what the Bishop gives me, and then I can hold him responsible for my failure. If I should ask him for a certain charge, and if I should then fall down in my ministry on that 33 34 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM work, I should be terribly chagrined. Besides, I would feel nervous on entering a work which I had solicited, directly or indirectly. But I find myself calmly facing each new responsibility with the feeling that if I fail, I can lay it to the lack of acumen in the Bishop. He ought to have known better than to have sent me to a place where I would fail.” Brother Green was reared in a Christian home, but he grew indifferent to religion in the Army, where he spent an enlistment. After a short time in civil life, he became tremendously interested in the temperance question, from the purely hu¬ manitarian standpoint. He did not profess religion himself, but he felt that, of all people, professors should fight the liquor business. Forty or more years ago, many so-called religious peo¬ ple distilled and sold liquor. In fact, there were many moderate drinkers in the Church. This drove Green well-nigh frantic. He felt deeply on subjects that interested him, and this indif¬ ference set him to thinking. Then he wondered how an all-wise, all-powerful and good God could allow man’s inhumanity to man. It was only a step to atheism — the child of the manse had come to believe that there is no God. Now this man’s difficulties were all spiritual. He knew little and cared less about physical science. So it was an awful calamity for him to BROTHER GREEN 35 lose faith in God. He was not a vulgar sinner. He had a thoroughbred contempt for the ordinary peccadilloes of life. So he did not drift into the sensuous and sordid things from which so many people have to be saved. But all the same, he reached the point where he lost sympathy with mankind. Without having read Darwin, he had crudely formulated the maxim that the weakest ought to go down in the struggle of life. To himself, he debated the existence of rectitude, honor, beauty, love. In this wretched state, Green quit censuring men for doing things which he did not like. The sinner was just an animal — many of them mere swine. What right had he to drive a four-legged hog out of the mire — the hog enjoyed it. Why should he deprive a two-legged hog of the same privilege, when he enjoyed it so*? You see, there was no ultimate authority in his scheme of things. Without authority, how could he proceed*? He was too modest himself to arrogate authority, and resented it in any one else, because he felt that no other man had any more authority than he had. Green often thanked God that he was not in this state very long. He says that he would never have been able to make anything out of the universe if he had remained an atheist. Curi¬ ously enough, light first came to him from the 36 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM human viewpoint. One day, as he was working in a potato patch, he soliloquized thus: ‘ ‘These clods contain the elements that com¬ pose the potato. Certain chemicals are taken by the potatoes from the clods for building up the human frame, when taken into the human sys¬ tem. The physical system is all that I appre¬ hend. So it must be that what we call honor, integrity, love, come from the potato, which comes largely from the clods.” He did not know, then, how near he was to the truth as it is related in Genesis: “God made man out of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man be¬ came a living soul.” He was groping along with¬ out God, and the entire thought of the clods and potatoes only nauseated him. Much as he hated the doctrine, to him, at that time, the universe was merely physical. He heartily disdained the physical. He was genuinely psychical. So he exclaimed : “Out on such a doctrine! Vd rather believe that there is a God. The fact is, that I zvant to believe that there is a God. So far as I know, there is only one objection to the doctrine, and that is the fact of all this wrong in the world. I see that the wrong is nearly entirely due to man — Ah! I wonder if there is a thought there? BROTHER GREEN 37 The universe, outside of man, seems all right. Let me see how God will fit in right here. If God is, he made man with all that that implies. And — O Stupidity, thy other name is Elijah Green. Why, God made man and gave man a will of his own. The key to the moral universe is man’s free will. Why didn’t I see it before*?” With the postulate “God is” to work from, Brother Green had a mighty rebound of faith in humanity. He had been like a tethered horse, trampling around and around, and eating up all within his prescribed limits. But the lariat broke, and let him out onto the boundless prairie. He wandered from one delicious morsel to an¬ other. It was all so easy to understand now. Why, if God is, everything worth while is. Oh, the physical universe was suddenly shot through with spirituality. He first recognized the power, but shortly he noted the love in it all. And in a little while, he could see where the integrity, honor, chastity, beauty came in. But Elijah Green was not yet a Christian — far from it. His grudge against the liquor-loving part of the church would not down. But a curi¬ ous phenomenon soon presented itself. While some in the church were pro-liquor, nearly all of those ranged against the business belonged to the church. And Elijah got mighty cold comfort 38 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM from the reflection that not many of his non¬ professing friends were temperance men. Among the most earnest workers for the temperance cause was a minister with whom he became intimate. This Thomas Freeman became deeply concerned about Elijah. Once they were on the same pro¬ gram at a temperance meeting. ’Lije was radical in his speech, but he did not use the Bible in what he had to say. Freeman noticed this, and, sus¬ pecting that ’Lije was a skeptic, invited him to his house and drew him into a discussion of re¬ ligion. The younger man expressed himself freely on Biblical topics for a while, and was sur¬ prised that he was never checked and rebuked by the minister. Freeman’s attitude was tolerant, because he thought to himself that if Green was an honest skeptic, he must be convinced by argu¬ ment that he was in the wrong and not merely be silenced by a rebuke. Finally Green said: “Mr. Freeman, I would rather not talk religion with you. I have a great respect for you, and I am afraid of hurting your feelings. If you will excuse me, I shall allow you to do all of the talk¬ ing on religion and the Bible hereafter.” “It is fine of you, my boy, to wish to avoid hurting me, but you will never get anywhere by merely listening to me. Let us talk this thing through, at the risk of hurting each other’s feel¬ ings a little. I’ll promise not to get miffed at BROTHER GREEN 39 anything you say, and you are to keep sweet and keep smiling at all that I say.” “Agreed!” laughed ’Lije, holding out his hand. “Only I warn you that I have always cultivated a thick skin, and it takes an awful hard jab to get through it. If your skin is at all thin, I am much the better equipped for the tussle.” They spent the evening in discussion, and when ’Lije arose to go, the minister said : “If you will promise to come to my church next Sunday, I shall prepare a sermon on Christian Evidences. Maybe I shall say something that will help you.” “Good! I’ll be there.” The minister helped Green in that sermon. As he passed down the aisle, Green was standing at the end of his pew. Freeman shook hands, and asked: “Well, Brother Green, did that help you?” “Yes, sir; it helped me some. But I have many objections which you have not touched upon. I shall write them out and bring them down to your house next. Tuesday evening.” “All right,” returned the minister. “Maybe I can answer all of them; though I have no strong hope of doing so. It is so easy to ask questions. Now let me see; I take it that you are after the truth?” “Yes, indeed; that is what I want.” 40 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Incidentally, you would like to be satisfied in your mind that the Bible is by authority of God.” “I would rather know that than anything else.” All this time their hands were clasped. They were the same height and were looking square across at each other. The kindly brown eyes of the elder man transfixed the younger. He spoke deliberately: “My dear sir, what’s the matter with asking God himself if the Bible is His Word?” Green gave an uneasy laugh and replied: “Whose god shall I go to, Mr. Freeman? I don’t believe in your God, and my god doesn’t listen to prayer.” “You honestly ask my God to show you the light on this subject. I feel sure that He will answer you so that there will be no further doubt in your mind.” “Well, I’ll study on it,” replied Green, with another uneasy laugh — and then forgot it. “At that time, Green was employed in the woods, chopping fuel, and hauling it to town, a mile away. He employed his leisure until Tues¬ day noon preparing his list of questions. One of them was, “Who was Cain’s wife?” Another read: “Wasn’t David a malodorous chap to be ‘a man after God’s own heart’?” Green was a BROTHER GREEN 41 pretty good sort of fellow, but he could not avoid a malicious tingle of satisfaction at the way he was going to “wind the preacher up.” About two o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, he was busy chopping and studying on his wonder¬ ful list of questions. His feelings toward the minister were kindly but patronizing: “Poor fellow; I wonder what he will say to all that4? It seems a shame to drive such a nice man into such a hole. Maybe it will teach him not to be so cock-sure of a thing.” As he chopped on, the young man remembered the elder man’s impressive words to ask his God about the matter. Again ’Lije smiled at the idea of his praying to any god. Then, without intend¬ ing it, he was saying: “Well, if the Bible is worth any trouble at all, why shouldn’t I honestly test his plan4? I can’t afford to let a chance go by which might really satisfy me. It would be a low-down, dirty trick to play on such a man, worrying him with a legal cap sheet of queries, when I have not done the little bit of a thing he asked me to do. No harm can come of it, so here goes!” He had promised the minister that he would “study over it”, but this was all the study he gave it. Instantly he knelt near a big oak tree and prayed as follows: 42 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Q God of Thomas Freeman, if the book called the Bible is thy Word, give me to know that fact here in thy own way.” A great awe fell upon the kneeling man. He felt that something tremendous was about to transpire. There were no adventitious human agencies near to assist in what was going to happen. He was twenty-five years old — abun¬ dantly mature to know what he was about. The day, March 29, 1874, in that northern latitude, was chill with a recent snow. No birds were astir. The winds were quiet. For one, two, three seconds, the man waited for the coming of God. Then suddenly he was there. A compel¬ ling, enveloping, soul-filling, all-pervading Pres¬ ence was manifesting itself above, beneath, all around, and within that kneeling form. Elijah Green often said afterwards that his own exist¬ ence is less real to him than the existence of the God of the Bible. And he is one who, when he is convinced of a thing, is convinced all over. The immensity of his discovery called pause upon his thoughts. As noted before, the psychical in the universe demanded Elijah Green’s respect, and commanded his attention. What he had just learned was of more importance, he said, than all mechanics. Nothing in biology, or astronomy, or chemistry could be so fascinating to him as the further study of this subject, which had just BROTHER GREEN 43 opened to him so miraculously. But almost im¬ mediately occurred to him this thought : ‘The Bible is God’s Word, but it condemns my life. I must square myself with the Bible, or go down into hell.” It seems strange that a minister’s son, reared by a godly mother, an attendant at Sunday school for many years, should not have proceeded at once to the conversion of his soul. But he who, a moment before, had spoken to himself of the assurance of the minister, now felt the utmost diffidence about the ground he was treading. He suddenly became frenzied about his soul’s salva¬ tion. Everything spiritual grew dark and for¬ bidding. All nature reflected the gloom. But he waited until he would again be with his friend Freeman. The afternoon seemed interminable. He ate but little supper and, making hasty preparations, started for Rev. Thomas Freeman’s house, with the list of questions safe in the stand table drawer in his room. Once out in the open, he hurried into the town. His eagerness increased with each step. When he reached the residential street on which the minister lived, and there were few persons out of doors, he ran for the last block and rang the bell violently. Freeman himself came to the door. He had just finished his supper, and had come to the parlor. 44 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Why, good evening, 'Li j e. You startled me. Come in.” Seated in the parlor, the young man became silent. The minister watched him narrowly for a moment; half guessed what was the matter. Then very pleasantly: “Well, ’Lije, did you make out that list of questions4?” “Don’t say questions to me, Mr. Freeman. I am a poor, miserable sinner. I want salvation. May we go where we shall not be disturbed4?” 44 Yes, come right into the library.” Every¬ thing v/as solid ground for the minister now. He understood the case and could act with as much precision as a physician can, when he is sure that a patient has the measles. When they were seated in the library, he began: 4 4 4God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.’ ” Never had Scripture so spoken to the heart of Elijah Green as it did at that time. He broke down and cried like a baby. Freeman continued to quote appropriate Scripture for a while, when Green suddenly interrupted: BROTHER GREEN 45 “Oh, let us pray.” They knelt, and Elijah immediately began to pray. But instead of get¬ ting relief, his condition seemed to grow worse — intolerable. His jaws seemed locked; the words would not come fast enough; he seemed to be sinking. He lost the power of utterance. Then the minister took up the prayer. His voice grew less and less distinct to Green. He was in an agony of bodily, mental, spiritual cramp. He thought that he was dying, when he heard the minister say: “Lord, let in the light now.” “Do, Lord,” almost shouted the suppliant; and He did. The horrible cramp that instant loos¬ ened on his muscles; his mind was clear and active; his spirit was at peace; he grew calm and remained kneeling, listening with great content¬ ment to the remainder of the prayer. It seemed incongruous for the minister to continue to ask for his salvation. Then the prayer ended and they resumed their seats. For a moment, Free¬ man did not happen to look toward Green, but sat there, talking about the power of prayer. Then his glance happened to light on the young man’s face, and he exclaimed: “Why, ’Lije, you’ve got it.” “Yes, sir, I’ve got it.” Well, then, in ’Lije’s language, they “clinched.” It was a happy, happy hug. Ill: A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 0 pportunities make obligations. The Ephe¬ sian Christians must needs send their light out in every direction , or their candlestick would be removed. Appeals for instruction in the new faith came to them from afar. If they had failed to respond , they would have suffered what has come to every other Church and individual who has refused to let his light shine ; the fla?ne would have been ex¬ tinguished. A. H. Tuttle, D.D. Ill A Game of Casino Spoilt One of the dearest little surprises that I re¬ member came to me down in the mountains of Alabama. I was looking through the supplemen¬ tary matter of a new copy of my Unabridged Dictionary, when I took a notion to read the “Memoir of Noah Webster.” I had worn out one copy of that dictionary without reading the Memoir, because I had an idea that it merely contained an account of a very laborious literary life, so I was not expecting anything uncommon, when all at once I was in the midst of a very sweet Christian experience. In the year 1808 there was a revival on at New Haven, but Webster was so deeply engaged with literary labors that he did not attend, though he became aware of something unusual going on, by the uncommon tenderness displayed by the other members of his family. It took only a short time to ascertain the cause of this new warmth of sen¬ sibility. Webster was a believer in Christ, but had been content merely to live uprightly, with¬ out the experimental new birth. Now he went after that experience with characteristic thor- 49 50 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM oughness and was soon happy in a vital Chris¬ tian hope. Then he realized his responsibility to his family and erected a family altar which re¬ mained a household institution until his death, in 1847. Shortly after his conversion, he and several other members of his family joined the Church. This is a notable instance of the pervasive influence of the revival spirit. Here was a just man, pursuing the even tenor of his way, with¬ out any definite program, or even idea of the life in Christ. He was suddenly halted and forced to take stock of his spiritual belongings, merely because his family had become interested in re¬ ligion, though none of them had mentioned that they were thus interested. But Webster was with his family every day; Elijah Green was converted in a community which was in a condition of profound spiritual torpor. Yet his conversion was the result of re¬ vival influence. His story would not be com¬ plete without showing the hidden cause of his coming to Christ just when he did, and in the way he came. That night when the light shone into his soul in answer to the prayer of Thomas Freeman and himself, and after they had moderated their ecstasy somewhat, the minister remarked : “I like to see your kind of an experience. You A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 51 have worked through to a blessing at a time when there is not a breeze in the spiritual air at this place. The churches seem to me to be especially stagnant, just now. It makes your case somewhat remarkable.” ’Lije did not think very much of this remark at the time, but he was forcibly re¬ minded of it later. At the time of these occurrences, ’Lije was cor¬ responding with his mother, seven hundred miles distant in Indiana. He had told her of his friend, the Rev. Thomas Freeman, and of his arguments on religious subjects. A revival was in progress in his mother’s home town, and one of the features of the meetings was for the attendants to make written requests for prayer for loved ones at a distance. ’Lije’s mother sent his name up for prayer every night, and asked that the minister with whom he was intimate might be the instru¬ ment of his conversion. But she had not men¬ tioned this in her letters to Elijah. It was sev¬ eral years afterwards that he was back in his home town, and a deeply pious lady friend of his mother said: “ ’Lijey, there was a big shout went up in our meeting here, when we heard that you were so happily converted, in answer to our prayers.” “Why, Aunt Kitty, how was that? I never heard that before.” “Did your mother never tell you of it? Why, 52 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM you see, your mother handed in your name every night for prayer. And she asked us to pray that a Rev. Thomas Freeman might be instrumental in your conversion. And sure enough, before our meetings closed, here came a letter from you, stating that you had been converted in his study while he was praying. I am surprised that your mother never mentioned it to you.” ’Lije mus¬ ingly replied: “Mother has become so habituated to having her prayers answered that 'she takes an answer as a matter of course, perhaps.” But going back to that superlative night: After an hour of very sweet communion with Freeman, Elijah started, the time still being early, for his home, a mile away. He was a mere hired hand, but he was treated as a member of the family, in which he was a general favorite. As he went along the street, he seemed to want to seize every one whom he met, and tell him : “Say, Brother, Eve found Jesus.” But after a while he came in sight of the house. Somehow his courage did not seem so great as when he was walking along the streets. He saw a light in the great kitchen and knew that the family were all in there. He reflected that he could go directly to his room from the hall entrance, and he weakly resolved that he A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 53 would do so. But when he opened the hall door, he heard the voice of Frank Sylvester in the kitchen say: “Here comes ’Lijey. He will deal the cards in great shape for us.” You see, ’Lije had learned to play cards in the Army. He had introduced the game of Casino to the Sylvesters. Both of the parents were mem¬ bers of the church, but just at that time were tinctured with the error that there was no harm in cards at home. ’Lije had principally argued them into this position. Frank, Mary, and Nel¬ lie Sylvester had often whiled the evenings away at Casino, with Elijah Green for an instructor. While our new convert stood there in the hall, after hearing Frank say that he would deal the cards, a revulsion of feeling swept through him. He conceived a violent dislike for cards, which has increased as the years have gone by. Again he thought eagerly of escaping upstairs. As he stood undecided, Frank threw open the door of the kitchen which opened into the hall, showing Mr. Sylvester reading at one end of the dining table; Mrs. Sylvester at work with the baking; and the three young people at the other end of the table, with the cards. Elijah’s whole soul arose in loathing against those cards, as Frank gayly exclaimed: 54 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Sit down, ’Lije, and take a hand with us. We are so miserably awkward, shuffling and dealing the cards.” Now ’Lije, early in his Army experience, had decided that he was not cut out for a gambler, and for strictly prudential reasons had avoided the gaming table. At the same time, he had spent hours sitting with a deck of cards in his hands, riffling and shuffling them, playing Solitaire. He had also played this game of Casino with his buddy. No harm had come to him from cards, because there was no fascination in gaming for him. He preferred a book or magazine. But now it was squarely up to him to play or not to play cards after he had professed the re¬ ligion of Jesus Christ. He had argued that there is no harm in cards at home, but sitting there with those innocent young people, whom he had taught to play this game, it suddenly occurred to him: “Cards are the gambler’s most convenient tools. There are ten dollars lost at cards, to one dollar at any other game. In the name of hon¬ esty and sanity, why make the home the nursing place of this awful evil? I have called Casino an innocent game, but it seems to have a fatal fascination for these young people. Maybe I have started them on the gambler’s road to hell.” So Elijah sat with these reflections, mechan¬ ically riffling the cards, trying to make up his A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 55 mind how to approach the subject of the wrong in card playing. Frank peevishly exclaimed: “Go on and deal the cards, ’Lij e; you have them thoroughly mixed.” “I’ll deal you folks a hand, but I believe that I will not play to-night,” said ’Lije, as he deftly distributed the cards to the others. At this, both the old folks glanced toward ’Lije. Frank seized the cards that were dealt and, giving them back, banteringly said : “Here, ’Lije, deal yourself a hand. You must play with us. We will never get anywhere, play¬ ing among ourselves.” The riffling was resumed, and was watched with great interest by the old folks. ’Lije knew that he ought to confess Christ then and there, by repudiating the game, but oh, how hard it was! At last, Frank impatiently cried: “Deal the cards, ’Lijey Green; deal the cards. Are you going to sleep?” It was now or never. ’Lije lifted the cards above his head and threw them toward the kitchen stove. They fell in fifty-two different places, and ’Lije said, very soberly, and without the least appearance of cant: “So help me God, I’ll never play another game of cards.” Then Mrs. Sylvester dropped the pan of bread she was taking from the oven, and Mr. Sylvester 56 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM nearly knocked the table over, getting to his feet. He seized one of Elijah’s hands, and shouted aloud. She gathered up the scattered cards, stuffed them into the stove, and almost hys¬ terically made for Elijah, who was now thor¬ oughly happy. He gave her his other hand, and jumping up and down between the two, sang out joyfully: “Oh, gentle people, I’ve found Jesus.” “I knew it already, ’Lijey. I suspected it, even before you threw the cards. Poor boy; I could see that you were having a hard time to stand for the right. But you triumphed at last, ’Lijey. And you’ve preached the biggest sermon to-night that ever I listened to. And you had only a deck of cards for a text. If Mr. Sylvester and I had been as firm as you, they would never have come into the house.” ’Lije now turned to the young people. He ex¬ pected a sympathetic attitude from them, but it was evident that they were “put out,” notwith¬ standing they were all three professed Christians. But they had joined the Church because it was the genteel and popular thing to do. They knew nothing of the soul-searchings and heart-burnings which had swept through Elijah Green’s nature. But they had begun to feel the infatuation of cards, the most serious deflection from the path of rectitude that they had ever made. It had A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 57 seemed so harmless that they had grown quite complacent about it. Then there was an in¬ definable resentment against Elijah for what ap¬ peared to them like superiority over them, as Christians. Why, he had professed religion just that night; it was decidedly “fresh” in him to arrogate authority over them in a little harmless amusement. With freezing civility, Frank said: “I’m real glad, ’Lije, that you have turned over a new leaf. I guess that you will have a few other things, besides Casino, to reform on.” “Reform, Frank? Why, bless your life, I have no desire at all to do anything that is liable to cause any one to stumble.” The girls were not so sarcastic as Frank, but they were plainly “miffed.” Elijah did not notice it much, because he was so happy in his new life. When he had again taken his seat, Mr. Sylvester asked him to relate his experience. It took more than an hour, but as he went through the door toward his room, Sylvester remarked: “If I am any prophet, you will be preaching before this time next year.” “Well, that is what my parents consecrated me for, when I was eight days old. My father himself baptized me that day, by my mother’s bedside, and they solemnly gave me to God.” The fact was, that Green was licensed at the next District Conference, in May, and he entered 58 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM an Annual Conference the following September. 5Lije was immediately in the midst of contro¬ versy. His intensely militant disposition seemed to abhor peace and quiet as Nature abhors a vacuum. He enjoyed meeting his old comrades in skepticism and confuting their arguments. He at once formulated the dictum about things in the Bible which he did not understand: “I allow God to know a great many things I don’t know.” But it hurt him to find the Church palliating and excusing things which he knew were obstruct¬ ing the advance of the Kingdom. The next Sunday he joined the Broadway M. E. Church in town, and that day a number of the town folks came out to visit the Sylvesters. Mr. and Mrs. Crowder, two of these visitors, had been invited by the young people of the Syl¬ vester family. They were well-to-do, and ex¬ tremely respectable. They took themselves very seriously, and doubted the propriety of any one disagreeing with them on any subject whatever. Of course it was inevitable that they and Elijah should get into a discussion on the subject of amusements. In fact, Frank and Nellie and Mary had invited them with this express wish. So, at the dinner table, they related Elijah’s “first sermon”, as they were already calling his repu- A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 59 * diation of the game of cards. Mrs. Crowder very impressively remarked: “I often think of what an old presiding elder back in Indiana used to say.” “What was that?” asked Nellie Sylvester. “He said that some young converts put him in mind of young wasps — biggest just after they are hatched.” This ought to have squelched Elijah, but he never could understand when the proper time had come to subside. He answered pleas¬ antly : “It would seem as though that is especially true in my case. I can only hope that I may keep up the pace with which I have started. You see I am twenty-five, and I must go hard to catch up with most folks in the Christian life, because the- great majority of them started before they were eighteen. I am asking the Lord to lengthen my days so that I may serve Him as long as I worked for the other fellow.” “Let me see,” ponderously interposed Mr. Crowder. “I believe that the discussion related to the harmless game of Casino. I trust that that was the very worst thing you ever did while you were serving the 'other fellow’.” “You see, Mr. Crowder, I argued that matter all through to my entire satisfaction, all to my¬ self. My conscience suddenly became very 60 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM tender about doing anything that would make my brother stumble. But I was very greatly gratified when I found that the Discipline repre¬ hends cards. I feel now that I am ecclesiastically on the right track, as well as conscientiously.” “Yes, I know what the Discipline says; but I regard it as a tyranny which I am not obliged to respect.” “Why, as to that, a saloon keeper can say the same when he sells liquor to an Indian or a minor.” “I consider the cases quite dissimilar,” said Mr. Crowder, with dignity. “Now it is my honest belief that we are too strict on our chil¬ dren.” (Crowder was childless, but of course he was speaking in a general way.) “I am satisfied that if we will let them have the amusements at home which so many of them have to seek else¬ where, these amusements away from home would not have the charm for the young people which they seem to possess.” “Now that would be a matter of statistics. So far as I know, there are no statistics available to prove or refute your contention. But I believe that I can get statistics that ought to set the mat¬ ter at rest.” “How will you go about that?” “In my old company in the Army, the soldiers play cards to a man. I have a very intelligent A GAME OF CASINO SPOILT 61 friend there — John Robbins — who will go to the pains of taking the statistics. I shall ask him to ask every man in the company: First, Did you learn to play cards at home? Second, If you did so learn, has it been easier, on that account, for you to avoid gambling here in the Army? If you did not learn to play cards in the Army, how wrould you like for your home folks to know that you are gambling here in the Army? Now such statistics ought to show that not a single out¬ breaking gambler learned to play cards at home, because, according to your belief, such boys will have learned to regard the game with indiffer¬ ence, and it will have no influence over them. I shall prepare my letter immediately after din¬ ner, so as to show it to you before you leave for home.’5 Green already knew that Orth and Noble, two of the inveterate gamblers of “I” Co., ’Steenth Infantry, had learned to play cards at home, where, they had told him, they had formed their passion for gaming. Rut he was scarcely pre¬ pared for the answer that came from Robbins. His soldier friend told him that every man who professed to having learned cards at home was now a confirmed gambler. Orth was the king- bee and generally had 75 per cent of the money in the company within a week after payday. Noble was an honest gambler, who played merely 62 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM for the excitement of gaming. Robbins went on to say that the indifferent gamblers, and those who played for fun only, said that they would not like for their folks at home to know how they were living. Elijah showed these data to Mr. Crowder. It was a delicate undertaking, for Elijah did not care to antagonize the man, but he came off successfully. After jollying along for a while, Crowder exclaimed : ££ ’Lijey, the statistics fail to support my posi¬ tion. As you say, it is a matter of statistics, and not of opinion. You have won fair and square. I wouldn’t have believed any such showing pos¬ sible. I shall no longer maintain the position I took at Sylvester’s.” IV: CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS One saved soul going after an unsaved soul with yearning heart and eager step and tender entreaty — this is the Christian s un¬ speakable privilege . Bishop Berry. v IV Contrasted Conversions The Rev. Elijah Green entered Conference on trial in September, 1874. He asked for the hardest circuit in the Conference, and received it. I have related some of the things which befell him in the First Chapter. The second year he asked for and received another hard circuit. These circuits, pioneer work on what was then the fron¬ tier of Methodism, and which failed to support one single man, now contain several circuits, all supporting ministers at good salaries. Green be¬ came fascinated with the work and wished for no better fortune than to go on serving country charges until the day of his death. Rut it was hard to take a circuit, work for a year, receive $75 to $100 from the Home Mis¬ sionary Society; perhaps that much from the work; and get along without going in debt. At the end of the second year, Green found himself in debt $40, notwithstanding the most rigid economy. He went to Conference, passed his examina¬ tion, was received into full connection, ordained Deacon, and was then placed on the super- 65 66 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM numerary list at his own request. He did this in order to take charge of the advertising branch of a new business affair with which he had be¬ come acquainted late in his second year’s min¬ istry. This project consisted in setting on foot a hog cholera remedy in the states of Iowa, Mis¬ souri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio. He received 66 2/3 per cent of the proceeds for two years. At the end of the contract, he had $25,000 in the bank; had studied his books for the third and fourth years; had attended two big meetings; and now asked to be returned to the effective list. This was in another Conference. He again asked for the hardest work the cabinet could name in a central western Conference. When Elijah was admitted on trial, the Con¬ ference associated him with a man only three years his senior, who had been preaching for eight years. From this minister, Green got the following story, substantially as it is related here : A SKEPTIC COMES ACROSS “Well, Gurley, you have to admit that the lives of Christians show the heavenly origin of their religion. You have a greater confidence in a man, merely because he professes the religion of Jesus Christ.” CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 67 ‘Til take you on that very point, Hamilton. Who prays a longer prayer than old Brother White? Pious to a fault. But you know that he owns all of the saloon property in Milltown. Then there is Class Leader Moss. I doubt whether he would pick up a pin on Sunday; but he swindled you out of lots of good money, when he got $150 for that sorry brute you are riding. And you know several who are no better than these two, though they all make a loud profession of religion/’ The two young men jogged on in silence for some time. Hamilton was not convinced — only silenced. He made no profession of religion, but he held it in veneration, and it really pained him for his friend Gurley to argue against religion, as he had been doing all day. They had jour¬ neyed from Milltown, their native place, to¬ gether, and were now a thousand miles from home. A boundless Iowa prairie stretched away on every side. They were nearing the town where Gurley expected to practice law and Ham¬ ilton medicine, but as yet, not a house was in sight — western Iowa, in the sixties, was a different country from the Iowa of to-day. Gurley was on the point of renewing his attack, when Ham¬ ilton exclaimed: “Look! There’s a house.” 68 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM After a careful scrutiny of the horizon up the trail, Gurley remarked that it probably was a house. £T11 be glad of it,” sighed Hamilton. “My horse is too badly used up to go on to Wingolia to-night. Judging by the last opinion we got, it must be twelve miles to town, and the sun is nearly down.” It was nearly dark when the travelers reached the house which they had sighted an hour before. It was a newly constructed “shanghai,” and in front of it stood the four occupants, apparently a man and wife, and their son and daughter. These people were unkempt and forbidding in appearance, and it seemed an unlikely place to spend the night. “How far is it to Wingolia?” asked Gurley. “It must be ten miles,” replied the elder of the men. “Can we make it?” inquired Gurley of Ham¬ ilton, with an apprehensive glance at his beast. “There's a good moon,” hesitated Hamilton, who was troubled with the same doubts Gurley had about stopping. The young man had lounged around to Hamilton's side of the road and was eyeing his horse keenly. “The moon won’t do this hoss no good. He’s needin' rest. Better stay here all night.” Ham¬ ilton readily assented to this, but Gurley shot a CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 69 glance of disapproval at the young fellow, as the father added heartily: “Yes, strangers, git down an5 picket your bosses, an’ stay all night. Then you can take your time to go to Wingolia in the morning.” This brought Hamilton to the ground, and Gur¬ ley reluctantly followed. After feeding and picketing the horses, they entered the house, the host remarking: “We’ve already et our suppers. You’ll have to put up with what’s left.” The untidy dishes and debris of the meal; the disarranged room ; the unswept floor — all ap¬ peared uninviting. Everything seemed dirty. They ate sparingly and retired soon afterwards. The young man took them to a stairway out of doors, and said: “Go upstairs and take the bed you will see near the door. I’d give you a light, but we hain’t made no candles yet this Fall. But the moon will shine right in at the door.” Upstairs, by the bed, the young men looked at each other with troubled faces. Gurley, in a low voice, spoke first: “I believe that we are in a den of thieves.” “So do I.” “I’m not going to undress.” “Neither am I.” Possibly you have been there yourself, gentle 70 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM reader — judging honest people by appearances. They had traveled a thousand miles to reach this point, but had always managed to stop in some reputable hotel or road house. A panic gradually took possession of them. As they sat there, the situation became more and more unbearable. At last Hamilton whispered: “Let’s slip downstairs and stay with the horses until we are better satisfied.” So they noiselessly descended the stairs and went to the horses, out on the prairie, a quarter of a mile from the house. They stretched their ample saddle blankets on the grass, and, putting on their overcoats, they lay down, with their sad¬ dles for pillows. It was early in September, and a glorious night. They lay quiet for a long while, watching the light in the shanghai window. Hamilton was just dozing off, when Gurley kicked his shin and sharply inquired : “What’s that I hear?” Hamilton was wide awake in a moment and intently listening. “They are singing at the house, Gurley.” “They are singing ‘Sweet Hour of Prayer’.” “Let’s go to the house and listen.” They started for the house on a run. When they drew near, they slowed down and got to the window, where they stood looking in at a beautiful scene — the sight of a Christian family at household devotions. The four made a splen- CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 71 did quartet. The mother’s strong treble carried the air; the daughter sang a mellow alto; the boy growled a deep bass ; the father had a magnificent tenor voice. They were just starting the last stanza : “Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, May I thy consolation share, Till from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home, and take my flight. This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise To seize the everlasting prize ; And shout, while passing through the air, Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer.” At the close of the hymn, the father read the Fifth chapter of Matthew and led in a tender prayer of thanksgiving that God had reunited them, after a separation of months. He was very grateful for the Providence which had smiled on the labors of the son, while the father had been back to Illinois, bringing the mother and daugh¬ ter to their new home. He asked to be kept true to their God. Then he asked his Heavenly Fa¬ ther to bless the two young men under their roof. He expressed the fear that they were not re¬ ligious, but pleaded for God to bring them to a realization of all his mercies and goodness, and to the foot of the cross of Christ. Then he asked that the family might be of some benefit to the 72 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM cause of Christ in that part of the world and closed. The two eavesdroppers now looked in each other's faces, and Gurley whispered: “What fools we were; let’s go back to bed.” “Not if your argument to-day was correct. The mere profession of religion by a person is no sign that he is not a villain, deep-dyed. And remember, you gave me instances to prove your contention.” “Yes, I know what I did. I gave you exam¬ ples of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Those folks in there are God’s lambs. And please His grace, I’m going to be one, too.” So the two travelers sneaked back to bed. It was strange how differently everything appeared next morning. The head of the family had a most benignant, patriarchal look; the mother was a sweet-faced Madonna; the daughter was a pure, lovely virgin; the son was an upstanding, clear-eyed, manly young fellow. Now that the suspicions of the previous evening were all dissi¬ pated, it was incredible to those men that they had doubted these people. It seemed that the father and son had come to this land the previous fall; had built the house during the winter; had put in a crop during the spring; that then the father had returned to CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 73 Illinois for the women folks, while the son had finished the crop; that the father and mother and daughter had reached there in the middle of the previous afternoon. When it came time for morning devotions, the father said, as he took the Book: “Will one of you read a chapter for us?” “No, sir,” responded Gurley. “We are not worthy. You read, and mention me in your prayers, sir.” “And pray for me, also,” added Hamilton, heartily. “Have you anything special you would like to sing?” “Do you know : “ ‘Savior, let thy pitying eye Call back a wandering sheep’?” “Yes, we know it well.” “Please sing it, then.” Mr. Jones had intended to read the Twenty- third Psalm, but he changed his mind while they were singing and selected the Fortieth Psalm. While he was reading how God lifted David’s feet up from the miry clay and placed them on the Rock, Gurley passed up to the Rock. Just as they were kneeling, he said gently: “Excuse me, Brother Jones, but I want very 74 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM much to lead in prayer, after all. I am a dif¬ ferent man from what I was when you started to read that chapter.” Gurley’s prayer was a thanksgiving for the family altar, and especially for this one. He was very happy, but a man of speech, so he was able to keep his thoughts in motion and to clothe them in the right language. It was like a prairie lire. All of the others, except Hamilton, led in prayer, before they arose from their knees. Elijah Green remarked, in relating this inci¬ dent, that it so often happens that an out-break¬ ing skeptic will get into the Kingdom ahead of a nominal believer, when they both start at the same time. But Hamilton was mightily saved that day, while they were riding along on the last lap of their long journey from Ohio. Hamilton dropped medicine the next fall and entered the ministry. Gurley became one of the strongest laymen in the State, and died in triumph. RECORD SHORT TIME IN CONVERSION In the second year of his supernumerary rela¬ tion, Elijah once found himself in a nice little city of central Indiana, during a revival. The crowds in attendance could not secure admission, so that the vestibules, the class rooms, and even CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 75 the sidewalks were crowded. Elijah shortly be¬ came employed on the sidewalk, talking religion, and led many to the altar for prayer. One evening, he accosted a young man on the outskirts of the crowd: “Brother, are you studying about your salva¬ tion4?” “Yes, sir; and I want salvation very much.” “Have you been to the altar4?” “No, sir; this is the first time I have been to the meeting.” “Come and go with me to the altar.” They were standing where they could see right up the auditorium to the chancel. Just at that moment some one was converted, and the crowd surged up and filled the aisle. The young man replied : “It would be very hard for me to get to the altar. Is it necessary for me to go there4?” “No, indeed; one place is as good as another. The advantage in the altar is, that there are many people up there to pray for you.” “It doesn’t seem that it will be very hard for me to get religion, so I don’t think I need very many to pray for me.” “Suppose we kneel right here on the sidewalk.” “I think there are some fellows around here that might disturb us.” Then, tentatively: “If we could only find some private place where we may pray together.” 76 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “All right; let’s go down the street among the freight cars.” It was only two blocks to the railroad, where a number of empties were standing idle. They went in between two tracks full of cars and knelt on the ground. With great simplicity, the boy said: “Now, God, you know me, and you know I want religion. You know I have been a pretty tough fellow, but you know that I cut out all of the tough business this afternoon. I want salva¬ tion. I see that it will be pretty hard to keep straight without religion. I don’t seem to know very well how to talk to you, so I have brought this gentleman along, and I’ll let him put the thing up to you in proper shape.” Then Elijah prayed : “O God, thou hast said, 'Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.’ Help this man to understand that right this very minute. Fact is, there doesn’t seem to be any need for delay.” Here the suppliant interrupted: “Why, no, God. If you said that, it looks to me like the next move is up to you. Oh, stranger, He has done it ! He has done it ! I am all right. Hurrah for Jesus!” They shortly made their way back to the meet¬ ing, praising God, in their several ways, for his goodness. Elijah ascertained that his new-found CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 77 friend had been convicted only that afternoon. He had not been reared religiously, so he was all at sea as to the procedure. He had come to the meeting for the purpose of going to the altar, but the house was crowded before his arrival, and he was wandering on the outskirts of the crowd when he met Elijah. Now that he was con¬ verted, he was very eager to find out all possible about his new life. Elijah gave him his own Testament and advised him to read the book of Mark first, and, if possible, at one sitting. The minister saw the convert about six months after¬ wards in an adjoining town, where he had gone to a Y. M. C. A. Convention. He was greatly pleased to meet his guide into the Heavenly Way. He said: “I know something more about religion than I did the night I first met you. I was so raw at that time, I wonder how I ever found God.” “I have thought several times that that was the reason you found Him so easily. Your only thought was salvation, and that mighty quick. With nothing to distract your attention, you ran right into the Kingdom.” Elijah says that he believes this conversion to be the record short case, to his knowledge. I cited the case of Saul of Tarsus, but Elijah replied that Saul was convicted, and was then three days under conviction. Undoubtedly Elijah’s mind 78 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM was directed to the right Scripture in his prayer between the freight cars. A TEN YEARS’ QUEST A case in sharp contrast to the foregoing oc¬ curred at a meeting at old Pennington’s Chapel, where the pastor asked Elijah to preach for him during a two weeks’ service. At this meeting, one young man came to the altar every night. He had been reared i^n the Church; had always gone to Sunday school and prayer meeting; never missed Circuit Preaching; was strictly moral; but had no evangelical knowledge of Christ. Elijah was very busy in this meeting, during the altar exercises, helping, advising, praying with many different persons, so he had only an altar acquaintance with this seeker. The last meeting of the series had come. Sev¬ eral had been converted ; the benediction had been pronounced; the greater part of the people had left the house; but this young John Hoagland was still at the altar. Elijah stooped down to his ear, and whispered: “John, nearly every one has left the house; wouldn’t you better rise to your feet*?” Hoag¬ land arose, and the minister clasped hands with him across the chancel rail. CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 79 “Oh, Brother Green, why is it so hard for me to get to Jesus? Two hundred have been saved here, and I am still seeking.5’ “I am sure that I don’t know, John, just what is the reason you are not satisfied. Maybe you have, in some way, been prescribing to yourself precisely how the blessing shall come. Perhaps you think there is a special efficacy in this par¬ ticular place. But you are in earnest about it, and will be gloriously saved some day, some¬ where. And John, allow me to say this: The thing you are hunting for is worth a lifetime of search. If you should find Jesus precious to your soul only one hour before you die, that hour re¬ maining will compensate for all of the sorrow you will have endured in the search. Now good- by. We may never meet again on earth, but I trust that we shall meet again in heaven.” The busy scenes and cares of Elijah Green’s active life after that night entirely obliterated the circumstance from his memory. Ten years afterwards, a dear friend who lived some dozen miles from Pennington’s Chapel wrote him a letter, in which she said: “Last Sunday, a new member came to our class at Sharp’s Mills, from Pennington’s Chapel. He was at Class Meeting in the afternoon and made a talk something as follows: “ 'Ten years ago last November, I was in a 80 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM meeting at Pennington’s Chapel, run by a min¬ ister by the name of Elijah Green. I went to the altar at every opportunity, without finding peace. On the last day, a Sunday, Brother Green, while holding my hand, told me never to give up the search, and if I should be a lifetime seeking, and find religion only an hour before I should die, there would be enough joy in that one hour to compensate for all the sorrow I might endure in the search. Well, I sought for ten years. One day last spring, I was meditating on my condition, when I said, quite offhand, but very sincerely: “Lord, it makes extremely little difference to me how you save me, just so I am saved.” And do you know, just then salvation came. Oh, how happy I was! The words of Brother Green, that one hour of conversion would make up for all the sorrow I would suffer in getting to Christ, came so gloriously true.’ ” How very little we know about what we are saying and doing! Here was a minister of God, in labors abundant, saying a thing which he im¬ mediately forgot, but which sank deep in another human consciousness. Through ten years, those words clung to the memory of him to whom they were spoken. By mere good fortune, the min¬ ister’s friend was present, when Hoagland related his experience at Sharp’s Mills. Thus the min- CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 81 ister learned of the consummation of the event for which he had prayed so many years before. How many influences of his life are there of which he will never hear in this world? Well, what is the difference if he never hears in this world? A CIRCUS CLOWN AND A GOOD BOY Among all of the irreligious classes with whom I have come in contact, I believe that actors would be the most susceptible to religious influ¬ ences — as a class. I was on a morning paper once, in a small city, where I had the task of “writing up” the constantly changing features of the theatrical programs. But I found myself more interested in the actors’ private lives than in their public careers. I shortly came to believe that actors, as a class, are irreligious on account of the dissipating influences with which they are surrounded. Their profession, in its legitimate practice, is a friend of morality and religion, but the dissolute environment of the stage has de¬ bauched it. These reflections were started in my mind when I heard the horrific experience of Silvertop, a circus clown, and the friend of Elijah Green. This clown was a man of domestic tastes, re- '82 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM fined sensibilities, strong religious convictions, and earnest moral tendencies. But he was never two nights in the same place, and his intimates in the circus business never inclined him to matrimony and a family. The coarse, garish life which he led suppressed nearly all refinement; while skepticism had no place in his system — or lack of system, he had no opportunity for the cultivation of his spiritual nature; the prevailing looseness broke down his moral fiber. Yet Silvertop loathed his life. He wanted a wife in a home with pictures and books and music. He wanted to go to church on Sunday; to be a decent, God-fearing member of society in some settled place of abode. But he must make the people laugh, when his own heart was full of tears. The tragedy of it! The almost inevitable result was a resort to drink. The only part of his spiritual heritage that had not been squandered was the memory of a sainted mother, and the badly frayed Testa¬ ment she had given him when he left home. This he frequently read as the caravan was slowly moving from place to place. But the drink habit grew upon him, and he grew less and less reliable. He was “fired” at last, and left in a little country town. He did not stay longer than it would take him to get to- CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 83 gether money with which to go to a near-by city, where he “slowly descended the drunkard’s stair¬ way to the nethermost hell.” But not without many manful attempts to re¬ cover sovereignty over himself did he go down so low. Several times did he “climb out of the pit by digging finger- and toenails in its slimy sides.” At last he could “no longer procure liquor, because he no longer had money.” He went into a delirium in which snakes writhed about his body and limbs, toads glimmered before his eyes, and the cavernous jaws of alligators yawned in front of him. After forty-eight hours of this agony, he came to himself in a hospital ward. Of course, his first request was for liquor, but it was refused. And then again he suffered “the agonies of the damned.” After a time, he recovered lucidity. A kindly man, of a benignant and wholesome countenance, stood beside him. Silvertop was only vaguely sane, so he inquired: “Are you the Lord Jesus4?” “Indeed, no. But I hope I am a follower of His ; however unworthy I am, that says so. Mayhap I can do something for you in His name.” “Do you guess that you could help me out of this torment with a prayer?” “I can try, at least. And be you full of faith 84 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM that the Lord will give you what you want/’ Then the suppliant reminded Christ very ear¬ nestly of how he had been in the same deplorable state as this poor sufferer, and of how His all- powerful blood had cleansed him from the sin of intemperance. The earnestness and sincerity of his tones impressed the poor, bedeviled Silvertop. He was soothed and helped, but he did not, at that time, get the assurance of victory. His new friend asked him if he thought he could go to a Gospel Temperance meeting that night. Silver- top said that he would try. After promising to send some one for him, the clown’s new-found friend departed. When Silvertop arrived in the vast auditorium where the meetings were in progress, he saw his friend of the afternoon seated on the platform. He whispered to his guide: “Who is the man on the platform that sent you for me?’ “Oh, he is an Irishman, by the name of Murphy.” “Not Frank Murphy, the temperance lec¬ turer?” “That same. And he will lecture to-night.” Then Silvertop heard his own case nearly duplicated by the experience of Murphy, and at the close he signed the pledge “with malice to¬ ward none; but with charity for all.” He asked CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 85 Jesus to help him keep the pledge, which He did, until the end. He went onto the lecture plat¬ form himself, and did great good. He settled in a conservative old community, married a win¬ some girl, and died in great peace, with his wife, two children, and many friends around him. Elijah Green was present one evening at a meeting held by Silvertop. He related his ex¬ perience with the drink demon as graphically as it can be fancied. He was followed on the pro¬ gram by a young man whom Elijah had induced to apply for a license to preach. Elijah was pretty intimate with this boy, but was not pre¬ pared for the speech which he made, substantially as follows: “I am always inclined to look askance at my own Christian experience, when I hear men like Brother Silvertop tell how wonderfully they were saved from sin. My knowledge of sin is all hear¬ say. I do not know the taste of any alcoholic beverage. I have never told a lie; I have never profaned the name of God; I have never broken the Sabbath. I have always dealt honestly with my fellowman ; I never took so much as the value of a pin from any one, by fraud. While I have sometimes been obliged, by force of circum¬ stances, to listen to obscene language and to talk that is off color, I get away from such places as quickly as possible. My thoughts of my sainted 86 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM mother’s sex have always been pure, and, in con¬ sequence, so have my actions. “On the other hand, I do not remember when I was converted. Having no sudden, cataclysmic halt in a career of sin, I winder sometimes if I really have been converted. But such thoughts linger only for a moment in my mind. For when I look carefully into my nature, I find all of the potentialities of wickedness lying there, con¬ trolled and powerless under the blood of Christ. “Is it necessary for me to put my finger on the date when the blood of Christ began to atone for me4? If it is necessary, I am still in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. But if I feel the witness of the Spirit to the application of the blood, why inquire as to when it was ap¬ plied4? Between you and me, I am not interested as to the when, although I am glad of the fact. “It might be thought by some that I cannot properly sympathize with Brother Silvertop, but it seems to me that I can. I feel so sorry for him on account of his great temptations and trials, that if it were necessary, in order to shield him from further temptation, that I must carry him in my arms, I would, for the sake of his soul, undertake the task. I want to shield every young man in this community from like dangers. And, although I never have wanted to drink intoxicat¬ ing liquors — never expect to have the least desire CONTRASTED CONVERSIONS 87 to do so — I shall try to be the first one to sign the pledge, when it is presented to-night.” That night Green was the guest of Isaac Sands, who had reared this local preacher who had made this extraordinary speech. As they were sitting around the evening lamp, he remarked: “That was a singular speech of Tommy’s, to¬ night.” “But singular as you say it is, it is not more so than the facts it related,” was the response. “Then you believe all that he said?” “With all my heart. I took Tommy to raise at the age of ten years, when his father died, and I have never known of his making the least step out of the path of rectitude. What is there sin¬ gular about it? Was not John the Baptist filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb?” “And I had nothing to add,” Elijah remarked, as he told the story. “More than that; I have casually found two other men with precisely the same story. One of them lived at Bartlett, Tenn., and the other at Fedora, S. Dak. If I had gone about looking for women with the same history, I presume that I might have found hun¬ dreds during the same time.” t V: RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY It is surely time for teachers of Chris - tianity to recognize the fact that soft say¬ ings about virtue, the poetic portrayals of a sentimental God who loves prayer and praise more than He loves righteousness are not likely to Christianize the world. There must be more iron in the blood of the Church . Bishop Leete. V Righteousness , Peace , and Joy . “Hello, there, Americus, come out to the gate a moment.” “Hello, Parson, light and come in.” “No, Americus, really I haven’t the time. I shall keep you only a moment.” The big woods¬ man, scarcely twenty, stuck his ax into the chop¬ ping block and lounged out to the gate. He affectionately twisted the fingers of his right hand in the mane of Green’s thoroughbred, squeezed the minister’s right knee playfully with his left hand, and waited. “Americus, I have something very important to say and not much time to say it in. You know how much I want to stop this barn burning*?” “I know you seem to be interested in it right sharply.” “Well, I’ve come to ask you to stop it.” The big fellow shot a keen glance at Green. “How you reckon I can stop it*?” “I’m sure I don’t know exactly how, old man. But it’s your duty, as a good citizen, to put an end to this lawlessness. You are on good terms with the rough element, and I feel that in some 91 92 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM way you can get next to the men who are doing the dirt.” “Do I look like a spy, Mr. Green ?” “Now, here, Americus, we must back-fire in this case. Somebody, with the devil in his heart, is in mighty low-down dirty business, destroying property. Somebody else, with the love of God in his heart, must catch that fellow with the devil in his heart. I say that you are the man for the job. I don’t know how you will do it, but I fully expect results in a week or two.” “You sure have the master way with you, ’Lije. ,You took up correctin’ the rolls, church buildin’, repairin’, debt payin’, harnessed up the old wheel bosses an’ made ’em work. As the pastor, that was your duty. But this here matter belongs to the law. Seems like the sheriff is the one to order me onto this work.” “He is the one; but he hasn’t moved in the matter, so I take it on myself. It’s as much my duty to see the law obeyed, as it is the duty of any other man. It is every good citizen’s duty, and surely a minister of God ought to be a good citizen. Now, Americus, I’m depending on you — don’t fail me.” Here the Rev. Elijah Green touched up his horse and cantered down the road toward Brown’s Camp Ground. Doogan strolled thoughtfully RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 93 into the house and sat down in his bachelor quarters, where he could see the crayon portraits of his father and mother. Darkness found him there, looking at those pictures. Then he aroused himself and said: “Well, ’Lije is dependin’ on me; I’ll not fail.” He now ate a few bites and went to bed. Before daylight he was on his way to the county seat, where the Grand Jury was in session. At Brown’s Camp Ground, the minister found his building committee assembled on the dot. tThey had learned to be punctual with him. He stood before the pulpit and said: “Brethren, we have talked away our day of grace on this thing of building a new church for a society of a hundred and fifty members, whose taxables amount, in the aggregate, to $150,000. .There is a particularly cunning devil in charge of affairs here — the devil of penuriousness. I fear that he will go not out, except by prayer. Let us pray.” They knelt, and the minister, in an intimately affectionate manner, told their Heavenly Father how the forbears of these men had laid the foun¬ dations of a strong spirituality here in this old log meetinghouse. Their spirits were before The Throne, while their bodies lay in the ceme- 94 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM tery near at hand. Their work, for their time, was good, but it must be followed up by other good work in this day and time. Numbers had increased, and the needs of the people had grown in many ways. A new building was necessary, but the neighborhood was split into seven fac¬ tions, so it seemed impossible to get the people together except with the compelling love of the All Father. Then, with melting fervor, he asked God to remove each of the various causes of trouble, carefully going over them seriatim, espe¬ cially to take away all cupidity, selfishness, penuriousness from the hearts of these leaders. Soon the amens began to roll upward, but that shepherd held on, and prayed, and prayed, and prayed. At last, when he finished, and they were about to rise, while he was still on his knees, he said: “Let us continue in prayer. Brother Frank Thomas, lead our prayers.” Never in his life did Brother Thomas want to pray quite so badly. He opened up by telling the Lord that there never was such a set of money lovers and money getters as the people of that church. He held himself the most culpable in the deadlock about build¬ ing, because, financially, he was the ablest man in the church. He promised the Lord to do any¬ thing that the church might think was right. Then, one after another, each of the committee RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 95 was called upon to pray. They were an hour upon their knees. When at last they arose, the minister said: “Now we are ready for business. Brother Gwarthmey, make a minute of the proceedings. Brother Thomas, what is your contribution4?” “I will put down one dollar on top of every dollar subscribed by those you appointed me to solicit.” “To what will that amount?” “If they were here this evening, it would be easy to raise a thousand dollars from them. I will guarantee five hundred.” Green had selected for the building committee these seven men, representing seven factions in the society. The other six men guaranteed $3,000. In the later Seventies of the last cen¬ tury, $4,000 meant a building above the average of country churches. At the close, this hustler for God urged: “Now, brethren, it will be necessary to get busy, so as to have a sum on hands by next Mon¬ day evening at seven o’clock large enough to en¬ able us to make a building contract. It seems that we will have a building as good for these times as this house was for your forefathers’ day.” It was Green’s practice to spend every night 96 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM possible in his bachelor quarters at the parsonage in Mockville; so he rode home that night, As recorded elsewhere, he had been on the supernumerary list for two years, banking money on which to proceed, without hindrance in his loved work of the rural ministry, and on re¬ entering the effective ranks he had asked for the hardest work in the Conference. He had re¬ ceived this six-class circuit. He was preaching three times every Sunday; getting around the circuit for preaching and prayer meeting once in two weeks. From the first, he had set a new pace for his people. When the officiary had come to assess the salary for Green, he had said with finality that he asked only $350, because there was so much required for benevolences, repair of churches, debt-paying, building, etc., that he wanted the salary fixed at a figure which could easily be paid. It was urged that it would look bad for the figures on the Annual Conference minutes to show a falling off on the assessment of salary. Green replied that they had assessed themselves $500 the year before and had paid $367. “I would rather for you to promise me $350, and pay me $351, than for you to promise $500, and pay only $499.” Some one said : “Let Brother Green have his way, even RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 97 though it does look bad.” The minister retorted: “It seems to me that it will look honest, any- how.” Thus the Rev. Elijah Green took the Decalogue to the Mockville Circuit. The morning after the meeting at Brown’s Camp Ground he was up at five; a plunge in the river; breakfast at the hotel; three hours of study; an hour’s correspondence; dinner at the hotel; away to Livonia for its Tuesday night prayer meeting. At the close of this meeting, he started back to Mockville, in company with Brother Hurst, who lived out of town a half mile. When well out of town, Hurst remarked: “I was up to Karaden to-day, attending circuit court. You might have knocked me down with a feather, when the grand jury returned that in¬ dictment against Americus Doogan.” “What indictment*?” roared Green. “Why, I supposed that you knew all about it. He says that you convinced him that he ought to confess to the burning.” “Has Americus been burning the barns*?” “He says he has. He is now in jail, but as happy as an angel, he says. He wants to stand trial, and pay the penalty.” “Oh, the poor boy. Why, Hurst, this is sim¬ ply awful.” “I supposed that you advised him to plead guilty.” I 98 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Not I. Why, I had the greatest confidence in him. I went to him only yesterday, and told him that I wanted him to stop this barn burning.” “Well, I guess he has stopped it, all right. But here is my lane. Good night.” A short distance further, the parson came to a fork in the road, where the right prong led to Karaden, while the left went to Mockville. He took the right, and at midnight he went to bed in a hotel in a county seat, instead of the par¬ sonage at Mockville. He was up early the next morning, and went to see William Tracy, the best lawyer in town. He employed him and asked : “What can be done for this boy Doogan?” “I don’t know anything, except to recommend him for clemency.” “What will the penalty be?” “Two years and upward in the penitentiary.” “But in view of his contrition and confession, can we not get the barn owners satisfied, and keep him out of prison?” “If he could and would pay for the property he has destroyed, and the owners of the property should ask for it, we might get the indictment quashed.” “Well, I shall bring up every man who has suffered loss, and they will all ask for the indict- RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 99 ment to be quashed. When will his case be called*?” “To-day, probably. Doogan threw himself entirely on the court and declared that he would not employ counsel. But the court appointed my son Bob his counsel. Bob doesn’t see any way out, except to plead for the clemency of the court. Americus says that he has been burning the barns of men who have wronged his parents or himself, but he now sees that he was all wrong. He has a little property and he wants it divided among the barn owners. He made quite a little speech and told the court that you had inadvertently convinced him of the wrong of the barn burning. He said: “ *1 want to reimburse the owners as far as possible for their losses, and then I wish to pay the penalty for the crimes/ ” “Well, when the case comes up, have it post¬ poned until to-morrow. I shall then have all of the barn owners in court. Don’t tell Americus that I have been here. I’ll go straight down into the Buck Creek country. I am personally acquainted with every man who has been injured, and can influence all of them to let him off.” “I trust that you are not mistaken, Parson. I know those men, and am afraid you will have hard sledding.” 100 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “You’ll see. Good-by, till to-morrow.’7 If Tracy had known the argument that Green was going to use with the barn owners, he would not have been so skeptical of his success. Green was glad that he bestrode a good horse before he got to bed that night. Otherwise, he would not have seen all live of his men. He had learned the damage to each and had then asked: “If I make good this loss with cash, will you ask the court to quash the indictment?” They had all acquiesced in this arrangement, taking his check in payment. He had enjoined secrecy on each and had stayed all night with Amos Turner, the last man he saw. These men were present with Green in court when the case was called. The judge had been privately informed of what they wanted to do, so he did not call for the prisoner. The Tracys presented their petition to have the indictment quashed, and the prosecuting attorney moved that it be so ordered. The clerk made the necessary entry, after which the barn owners and Green left the court and went to the jail. Americus was astounded when he was told that he was free. Then his pastor sternly inquired : “Americus, why have you, a member of the church, so shamefully abused my confidence?” The boy replied: “I joined the church and professed religion so RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 101 as to be on equal footing with these other hypo¬ crites. They all belong to the church, but they all injured either my parents or myself. I saw that the church covered their dirt, so I used it to hide mine. But, ’Lijey, you convinced me that I was all wrong, even while you thought I was all right.” “Tell me, in the presence of these men, just what these wrongs are.” “You see, Parson, my father and mother were both good Christians, and they believed every¬ body else was like them. My father was a handy man in all of the woodworking trades. He could make barrels, furniture, coffins, and could build houses and barns. He got together some money and bought a piece of land. After he had put good buildings on it, Josh Hammond, here, sold him a sawmill for a small cash payment and his note, secured by a mortgage on the place. Dad worked hard at the mill, but lumber went down, and the mill, being well worn when he bought it, petered out. Dad asked for more time, but Josh foreclosed and got the place he is now liv¬ ing on, with the buildings. “Dad scrapped the old mill for less than a hundred dollars and moved to Lavonia to open a cabinet shop with the fine walnut and other lumber, which he could not sell. Furniture was slow sale in a small place like Lavonia, so Dad, 102 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM working all the time, built up a fine stock, over and above the sales. He was on a dicker with a man in Karaden for a fair price for the whole stock, when Gus Connell comes along and offers him a herd of horses for it. The horses looked like a whole lot better trade than the Karaden man had been offering, so Dad took Gus up. Gus didn’t tell Dad that he had lost a hoss the day before with the glanders. All but one died inside of a month. “That left Dad depending on contract work. He built a house for Hank Woodell. A year passed without Dad getting a settlement from Hank, so Dad sued him on a mechanic’s lien. It turned out that the house was on land belonging to Hank’s wife. Dad ought to have sued her, but he said, CI hope I am too much of a gentle¬ man to go to law with a lady.5 “Then Billy Woods pretended to give Dad an acre of land to build a house on. My mother died there, three year ago. You know, Parson, it’s a mighty nice little home. It’s right in the woods, but handy to the store, school, post-office, the meeting house, and other places. No deed ever passed, so when Dad died a little over a year ago, Billy told me he must have possession. I hated awful bad to give the place up, so I per¬ suaded him to let me pay him for it with farm work. I worked six months for an acre of land RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 103 worth about twenty-five dollars before Dad built on it. “After Mother’s death, Dad bought a peddling route, team and wagon from Amos Turner. He went along, paying on his outfit every month for a year, when one of the hosses died. Dad had paid about four-fifths of the purchase price, and had the best hoss of the team left. He wanted to swap the wagon for a one-hoss wagon, and go on peddlin’, but the note was due and Turner sued on the chattel mortgage and got the hoss an’ wagon. “That seemed to take all the whey out of Dad, an’ he died a short time afterwards. While I was workin’ that six months for Billy Woods, I studied a lot on the skulduggery of these men and concluded I would get even with them. I kept friendly with them, an’ as I belonged to the church, nobody suspected me of barn burning. Of course, neither Dad nor Mother would have agreed to it. You arguing about it all the time thinking some one else was guilty, convinced me I ought to confess the crimes and suffer the con¬ sequences.” These five men had stood with bowed heads while Americus had gone through with his merci¬ less recital. At the close, there was a silent mo¬ ment. Amos Turner first relieved the tension. “So far as I am concerned, Parson, I won’t 104 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM have anything for my barn. Here is your check. Americus has told the truth about me. I see how he was trying to right his wrongs. It doesn’t help my case any to know that he went about it in the wrong way. He is doubly orphaned, and having no one to advise him, he took vengeance himself, instead of leaving it to God.” Now the the rest of them gave their checks back to Green, Doogan slowly comprehending the part his pas¬ tor had taken. He burst out: “ ’Lijey, did you pay these men for the barns I burnt?” Green was speechless, for he had not wanted Doogan to know of what he had done. Billy Woods impulsively exclaimed: “Yes, ’Mericus, ’Lijey saved you — ” “And all the rest of us,” solemnly intoned Amos Turner. “He has saved us from sharp dealings and hypocrisy. For my part, I work righteous¬ ness from this day.” “And so will I,” added all the others. “Let us all go home to dinner with Americus. We can make it by riding a little hard. We will take along oysters, ham, and other stuff for a big spread — have a regular stag party. There won’t be a woman in a quarter of a mile. Then we will drum up a big crowd for the prayer meet¬ ing at Rehobeth, to-night. I want to talk about righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 105 Ghost. This people always had the joy, seem- ingly. But the Bible puts righteousness first, then peace, and then joy. We shall take right¬ eousness and peace to the Rehobeth meeting -to-night, and there will be joy a-plenty.” It is small wonder that afterwards young Doogan placed the Rev. Elijah Green on the highest pedestal. Rotterdam was a point on Green’s Circuit situated in Rosey County, while the rest of the charge lay in Hendrix County. In ail civic and commercial ways it v/as separate and apart from the other parts of the circuit. In May of his first year, Green went to Rotterdam for his regular Sunday evening appointment, with the asthma worrying him. He always remained in Rotterdam over Tuesday evening for prayer meeting, because it was so difficult to return to Mockville from that point. But when time came to return to Mockville on Wednesday, he was so sick that he could not stir out. He asked a friend to write to Uncle Hal Lucas, in Mockville, what was the matter. In those days, mail be¬ tween little inland post-offices played queer freaks, and Uncle Hal did not get the letter. Green did not get to Mockville until the next Wednesday. As he was riding into the village, he met and spoke to a little boy of ten, with 106 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM whom he was familiar. The boy returned his salutation with a stare and passed on. All whom he met showed incivility — no one spoke to him. Deeply troubled, he put up his horse, and sought Elkanah Jones, next door. Mr. Jones saw him through the windows, and stepping to the door, stood outside on the porch, truculent and uncivil. “Kaney, do tell me what is the matter with the people in this place; I haven’t had a civil look since I entered the town.” “Perhaps Americus Doogan can inform you — if you should find him sober enough,” curtly re¬ sponded the neighbor. “Where is Americus?” “I saw him go into Whalley’s saloon, an hour ago,” said Kaney, as he turned and reentered the house, closing the door after him. The minister whirled and walked rapidly down town. He saw Doogan, unsteadily making his way along the opposite sidewalk. In a mo¬ ment, the men faced each other. The minister impulsively seized the drunken man’s arm. “Americus, old man, you’ve got to go home with me.” Doogan had recoiled at first, but that touch on the arm reached his heart, and he went along without a word. The man looked hag¬ gard, as well as drunk. The minister rightly sur¬ mised that he had been carousing and had not RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 107 slept lately, so he got him to bed. Shortly he was in a profound slumber. It was noon, and Green ate a few bites from a store of things he kept in the house for emer¬ gencies. He could only wait, with his feelings in a turmoil. What could the matter be? At supper time, he again ate in the parsonage. At daylight on Thursday, Americus awoke. “Good morning, Americus; have you had a good nap?” cTm in the parsonage — ain’t I?” “Surely. Been here since yesterday. This is Thursday. Come, now; pull yourself together, and tell me how you came to get drunk.” “Why, it was the report of your trouble over at Rotterdam.” “You mean to say that my little attack of asthma threw you off your kazipp?” “Now, here, Parson, Sam Billings was over to Greenmont, the day you was bound over, on your own recognizance, for a statutory offense against a girl twelve years old.” In all of Green’s imaginings of what could be the matter, nothing like this had occurred to him. While the man lay asleep, he had said a thou¬ sand times: “I must be calm when the blow comes. I must not allow my feelings to get beyond control.” 108 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM So, with all the powers of his soul, he mastered his impulses. But the effort stupiffed him for a moment, in which he sat vacantly staring at Doogan. At last, in a thin voice, he asked : “Who is Sam Billings ?” “He is the owner of the sawmill on Buck Creek, about a mile above where you ford, going to Lavonia.” Then very wistfully, he added: “Say, ’Lijey, tell me it ain’t so.” “It is utterly false.” Then that big fellow groveled on the floor at the minister’s feet, which he caught in his hands and kissed. “Oh, ’Lijey, ’ Lijey, forgive me, forgive me. When you didn’t come to Rehobeth last Sunday afternoon, every one was wondering what was the matter. I rode down here Monday morning, to find out what was the matter. I met Sam Billings at the Buck Creek Ford and told him what I was coming down here for. He said that you had been taken from Rotterdam to Green- mont by the sheriff, and that he saw you there in court on Saturday. It jest nachelly upset me, Parson, an’ I come on down to Mockville in a whoop — been drunker’n a b’iled owl ever since.” “Well, let’s have some breakfast; then I’ll go to see Mr. Billings.” “All right; I’ll go with you.” “No, I prefer to go alone. I shall be back in RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 109 an hour or two. You stay here in the parsonage. Don’t go near the saloon.” “You needn’t fear.” These men had frequently entertained each other at their bachelor quarters, when they “flew in” and helped each other with the housekeeping. Green preferred not to go down town for break¬ fast. His feelings had been cruelly hurt, and he shrank from meeting people who had lost faith in him, even on account of a falsehood. He would come back from Sam Billings’s mill with a complete vindication, when every one’s trust would be entirely restored and strengthened. At the table, Doogan tentatively inquired: “What do you propose to do when you get to the mill?’ “Circumstances must govern the case. Maybe I shall feel under obligations to beat the devil out of Mr. Billings.” “Ain’t that rough language for a preacher- man?” “It is pretty rough. But when you come to think of it, it is not so bad as it sounds. We prayed the devil of penuriousness out of Brown’s Camp Ground. The devil of falsehood must come out of Billings — what’s the matter with knocking it out?” After breakfast, the shepherd grimly mounted, 110 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM and started out to find the wolf who had torn his lamb. Green had been gone scarcely a half hour, when a packet came down the river with the mail. The postmaster handed a letter to Hal Lucas, the spiritual patriarch of the village. This letter was postmarked “Rotterdam,” and should have come over the route via Greenmont and Karaden. The old man read it and shouted to a large crowd assembled in the post-office lobby: “All of you listen to this letter: ‘Rotterdam, May 1, 1878. Dear Brother Lucas: Brother Green is sick, and the doctor says that he may not be able to leave here for a week. Fraternally, Charles Ringgold.’ This letter was written a week ago yesterday. Where are we at?” “We are right at the proposition that Sam Billings has told a extry big lie,” said Jim Ander¬ son. Immediately a great uproar arose. Instinc¬ tively, the crowd started toward the parsonage. Every one knew that the minister had taken Doogan home the day before, and that he had ridden out the Lavonia road that morning. But no one had seen Americus that day, and the liv¬ eryman said that his nag was still in the stable. When, in response to their call, Doogan appeared at the door of the parsonage, Lucas waved the letter and said: RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 111 “Americus, we have been all wrong about the preacher. He has been sick in Rotterdam. Where is he now*?” “He’s went to Billings’s mill to piously beat the devil out of Sam Billings for lying to me. Lucas exclaimed : “Some of you fellows follow him quick. Sam’s too big a man for ’Lijey to tackle alone.” Sev¬ eral husky young men rushed off for horses, and Lucas continued solemnly: “Now, the rest of us will go to the church and pray till Brother Green gets back to town. We must ask God to forgive us for doubting such a good man.” When Green reached the mill, Billings was alone, filing his saw. Glancing up, he saw the minister tying his horse to the fence. He rose, greatly agitated. “Now, Parson, I know what you’ve come for. Stay right there for a minute, an’ let me tell you all about this here business.” Green stood still, and Billings continued: “I know how Americus worships the ground you walk on, so I jest wanted to see how he would take sech a tale about you, expectin’ to correct it ’fore we separated. But the second he heerd it, he dug his heels into his hoss, an’ went toward Mockville like a crazy 112 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM man. I followed him to straighten it out, but was afraid to explain after I got there.” “What were you afraid of?” “Afraid the people would lick me. I never saw such excitement. Women an’ children screamed as though some one was dead. Old Hal Lucas swore like a pirate.” “Well, you’ve only put off the licking to this present moment, for I’m going to lick you to an attenuated frazzle. You unbalanced the char¬ acter of a man as a cold-blooded experiment, and you deserve the worst I can do for you.” Green had forgotten his own wrongs in his hot indignation for the wrong that had been done Doogan. He took off his coat, vest, and collar, and climbed the fence. But Billings, a great fighter himself, made no move. Instead he said conciliatorially : “There’s a better way to settle the thing, Parson. Anyhow, you don’t get any fight out of me.” Green had come close. “Are you afraid?” “No, sir, I’m not afraid; seein’ I weigh fifty pounds more’n you do, an’ I’ve scrapped men fifty pounds heavier’n I am. I’m nachelly ashamed of the whole thing, an’ want to do all I can be¬ fore the public to make it right. I propose to go to Mockville, get the people together in the RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY 113 church, an5 let me tell ’em the plain straight of the thing. Now, if nothin’ but a fight will suit you, it will be a one-sided fight, for I don’t in¬ tend to lift my hand.” After a moment, Green said: “All right; get your horse, and we’ll go to Mockville. But aren’t you afraid to go there ?” “Not with you along.” They had gone but a short distance when they met the squad which Lucas had sent after Green. Billings explained, and they all returned to town together. They went directly to the church. The minister and the liar marched up the aisle together. Americus was on the front seat of the Amen corner. Green faced the audience: “Brethren, there has been a misunderstanding. Mr. Billings will make everything clear.” Billings said: “Mr. Green is kind enough to call it a mis¬ understanding. The fact is that it is a plain, fine large lie out of whole cloth. I jest wanted to see how much faith Americus had in Mr. Green. I had no idee it would tear up things as it has. I ax all of your pardon. Most special I ax Americus’s pardon. It was the lowest down, dirtiest lie I ever told. An’, neighbors, I’m done with lyin’. I’ll never tell another lie.” Jim An¬ derson arose and said : 114 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Sam, you are such an awful liar, that we can hardly believe you when you say that you will never lie again/' “I know that generally I have been a liar, but this time I’m telling the truth. I’ll never lie again.” Green now entered the pulpit and preached a most searching sermon against falsehood. From that meeting a passion for righteousness spread over the entire circuit. Right in the busy corn¬ planting season, a revival started which brought numbers into the church to fill up the gaps where Green had cut out “dead timber.” He had been told that dropping so many names from the roll would look bad in the statistics; but the Mock- ville statistics showed up very well after all, in the Annual Conference minutes. VI: WHEN ELIJAH FAILED The safety of all we have is due to the churches , even in their present inefficient and inactive state. By all that we hold dear> let us from this very day give more time , money , and thought to the churches of our city , for upon these the value of all we own ultimately depends. Roger W. Babson. VI When Elijah Failed I introduced the Rev. Elijah Green to the reader on a railroad train in Wyoming, in the later years of his ministry. His work, related in other parts of this book, has fallen in different parts of the Union. Singular to relate, his “pile” was a bar to settlement for any length of time in any one Conference. He found several diffi¬ culties constantly cropping out, wherever it be¬ came known that he had $1,000 a year income besides his salary as pastor. It had a tendency to pauperize his people; it worked hardship on his successors who could not lay off work on his liberal lines; it furnished excuses for delin¬ quencies. So he was constantly on the move from one Conference to another. After a few years, he became so well acquainted with the gen¬ eral needs of the churches over the country that he knew just where he had better go. While he said that he took what the Bishop gave him, that was generally the hardest problem in the Confer¬ ence where he had just moved — because the bishops came to know him and his penchant for difficult tasks. 117 118 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM This chapter will show Elijah on a frontier circuit between the great Sioux reservations on the east, and the Black Hills on the west. It was in a country where he had soldiered. He liked the rough-and-tumble, catch-as-you-can society of the region, and generally held his own in the numerous gusty encounters among the cowboys and early farmers of that country. But I am going to tell of one of his failures. It would be easy, like Peter Cartwright, to speak of his suc¬ cesses only, but that might leave the impression that he never failed, which would be contrary to the experience of my readers, contrary to history, and contrary to most romance. Among the first friends that Elijah made was an upstanding, hard-riding, downright fellow by the name of McLeod, who owned the W. D. brand and ranch. McLeod was a good citizen, as citizens went in those days; never cheated at cards — nor allowed any one else to cheat where he was playing; hated sheep and sheep herders with a sort of religiosity; drank a little, but never got drunk — that is, he never lost control of his legs; had served on vigilance committees on occa¬ sions, but had prevented prejudice and personal spite from doing harm several times; would fight, when he had to, with vim and vigor, but never sought a quarrel; in short, was generally known as a “jam-up good man.” WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 119 This son of nature “fell for” the pretty face and quiet ways of Dolly Mizquet, the daughter of a farmer whom McLeod had induced to migrate from Illinois to the cattle country. This family of three boys, three girls, the father and mother, had brought quite a vogue of culture into the country. Dolly played the organ, and all of the rest sang in the choir. They all be¬ longed to the church in Illinois, and it was natural for Elijah to expect that the entire family would join the church at Fairbrook, when it would come time to organize. Although Robert McLeod was born and reared west of the Missouri, he found that he liked the Mizquets. It was his first experience in church¬ going, but he took kindly to it. His father, from old Scotch Presbyterian stock, had always read his Bible for the polemical points he could find in it, although his everyday life had been sadly deficient in Christian graces and virtues. He often said: “I know better than I do.” These Mizquets were different, only in respect of the time they had been in the West. Pro¬ fessing Christians, when they have no vital Chris¬ tian experience, who are going along in a Chris¬ tian community, living tolerably good lives, succumb easily, and fall away readily, when they remove to new scenes where restraints are not so strong. Elijah felt that he had come in 120 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM time to keep the Mizquets in line with the best in the Christian life. He announced a protracted meeting at Fairbrook on his third round, which fell about the first of December. On the Sunday afternoon of this round, Elijah was annoyed by a game of baseball on the prairie, in plain view from the open windows. It was a lovely day for December in Dakota, and the youngsters couldn’t afford to see it go to waste by sitting in a stuffy old schoolhouse. The Mizquets with McLeod, some elderly people who were afraid of catching cold, and some children who were made to attend, constituted the audi¬ ence that Sunday afternoon. This was the third time that McLeod had heard Green, and he was a deeply interested lis¬ tener. That afternoon, he made the round of the stores and drummed up a crowd for the eve¬ ning service. The next day, he and three other cowboys went over the country, urging the peo¬ ple to attend the meetings, and the crowds steadily increased until Wednesday night, when the house was packed. > Elijah’s round of themes in a revival was Sin, Penitence, New Birth, Pardon; and he preached this round over and over. A change of subject and text on each recurrence of the theme gave the variety which prevented his audience from notic- WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 121 ing that there was any particular method in his program. On Sunday afternoon, he had preached on Sin in a graphic way, from the subject, “The Vandal of the Soul.” He had returned to Sin on Wednesday night and treated it as the deadly, repulsive, damning thing that it is. He closed with the words: “Sin debauches and disfigures the body; pol¬ lutes and defiles the imagination; blunts and brutalizes the sensibilities; binds and enslaves the will; beclouds the intellect. Sin cripples the in¬ dividual; disrupts the community; undermines society; overthrows the state. Sin is the hideous serpent whose slimy path winds in and out through history, making it a stench to God and man. Sin stultifies art; drags literature into the bogs of putridity; misdirects science onto the * mountains of sophistry and falsehood ; creeps into the sanctuary itself and drives out the very elect into the desert of error and schism. I call on you to-night to break with sin. I ask you here and now to begin earnestly to extirpate it from your own body and soul, as the personal duty you owe yourself. I ask you to drive it out of your com¬ munity and make a godly citizenry of the ro¬ bust inhabitants of these plains ; I ask you to look to the future and plan for a clear-eyed, straight- limbed, clean-lived race of descendants who will 122 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM fear God, tell the truth, and make money. This ought to be the wish of every thoughtful man. Let every one who wants to see this country a decent, law-abiding, respectable place to live in, and to raise children in, rise to his feet.” Every¬ body got up. Possibly right there was where Elijah made the wrong move. But such a spon¬ taneous, unanimous movement has a bewildering effect on the oldest campaigners. He contin¬ ued : “Now, while you are on your feet, let every one who will go into an organization whose ob¬ ject is to root out sin and work righteousness come forward and take seats in front.” Without a moment’s hesitation, McLeod stepped to the front and sat down. Elijah shook hands with him in a transport of exaltation and called for more, but no more came. McLeod turned and beckoned to the Mizquets, but they averted their looks from him. After a moment, Elijah felt that he had shot his bolt for that time and, in a spasm of perplexity, pronounced the benedic¬ tion. In a moment, McLeod was back among the Mizquets. The crowd around Elijah prevented him from getting to them immediately. He saw, in a moment, that there was excitement among them and shortly made his way to McLeod’s side. The rancher turned on the minister, and asked : WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 123 “Was that an invitation to join the church that you made, when I went up front?” “It would most certainly lead to joining the church. What other organization do you know of whose object is to root out sin and to work righteousness?” “Well, that is what I understood you to mean, and that is what these good people understood. But it seems that they are not ready to join the church at this time. Mr. and Mrs. Mizquet say that the financial burden of a church will be too heavy for the few who will join.” This blunt statement in public of what Mrs. Mizquet had intended only for the private ear of McLeod annoyed her. She stammered: “Brother Green, you are aware that if we form a church organization at this place, we will pledge ourselves to support the church and its institutions. We don’t feel able to do anything much along such lines. We have rather been in hopes that you would defer the organization of a church until next year. Meantime, we would leave our membership in Illinois. The Home Missionary Society can take care of this point for at least another year.” McLeod broke in: “What would Fairb rook’s share in your sup¬ port be, Parson?” “That would be fixed at the First Quarterly Conference. Possibly a hundred dollars.” 124 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “And does that scare you, Mrs. Mizquet?” “I think that would be more than a class at this point would raise, this year.” McLeod’s glance fell upon Dolly. He spoke very gently: “And how do you feel about it, Miss Dolly?” “Nothing, only that Mamma knows best.” “And is that your sentiment, Mr. Mizquet?” “Yes, I really think it will be best to put off the organization a year.” “And is that what all of you good people think?” asked the ranchman, taking in the rest of the family with his glance. They all bowed in assent. “Well, I won’t ask any of these folks that don’t know anything more about religion and churches than I do. I have been thinking very strongly of a church at Fairbrook ever since last Sunday afternoon. This dirty little hundred dol¬ lars — thunder! A steer would pay the most of it. I would give a dozen steers to see a church here in good running order. With these eight Mizquet folks to sorter toll us along on the right trail, I thought we had the identical layout for a dandy snap along religious lines. But the Miz- quets have laid down on the job, so I guess that ends it. Miss Dolly, will you please return me the ring which I gave you, and which is on the WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 125 third finger of your left hand*?” She raised a startled look to his face and exclaimed: “You can’t mean that, Robert!” “Yes, I mean that. I am not looking for a wife in a family with not enough pep to stand up for a little thing like organizing a church.” She took the ring from her finger and, with angry tears, handed it to him. He dropped it in his vest pocket and strode from the room. In a moment, his horse’s hoofs were heard galloping up the road. Elijah was so nonplussed by the way the affair had terminated, that he could only say: “Well, it is time to go home.” The next morning, Elijah rode out to the W. D. ranch and found McLeod. The big ranchman would not have much to say. Evi¬ dently, he was badly hurt. These words escaped him: “Miss Dolly settled my hash, Parson. With her loyal to the church, we could have made it, even if the rest of them had gone back on the proposition.” “It seems a pity that they did not know that you would do so much for the church before the matter came to a head as it did.” “Yes, I can see that it would have made a big difference.” 126 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “Knowing that, I believe that you ought to start all over again.” “Now, Parson, how can you change the nature of such people*? The contemptible little pile of money involved is what scared them. If they start into it leaning on others, where will they be if for any reason others should fail them 9” “Maybe they would get a larger vision of their privileges and responsibilities and go on, if they were thrown on their own resources.” “Maybe so. But their actions last night made me doubt their profession. It has knocked my pins from under me, and I shall leave the whole thing alone.” Elijah stayed with McLeod all day, but accom¬ plished nothing. As he was leaving to go back to Fairbrook for the evening service, the rancher said: “Parson, I sure appreciate all that you have done for me. Here is a little package I want you not to open until Christmas morning. I shall always be glad to see you at the ranch.” Then very wistfully: “Maybe you will remember now and then to speak of me when you are pray- ing.” On Christmas morning, Elijah opened the en¬ velope and found a hundred dollar greenback in it. But McLeod never again went to church. WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 127 The meeting on that Thursday night was thinly attended and was discontinued on Friday eve¬ ning. The Mizquets took an aversion to Elijah and gave him much trouble. Luke Grossett, the oracle of Fairbrook, said: “Now it wouldn’t a hurt me so much fer folks to funk like the Mizquets done, but thet there Bob McLeod always was sech a queer feller. He acted jest like somebody had been a cheatin’ at kyards.” It was several years before a church was or¬ ganized at Fairbrook, and not a McLeod nor a Mizquet joined it. Elijah had had an experience something like this one with McLeod while he had been on the Mockville Circuit. He got very familiar with a young fellow by the name of Loup. This young man would fre¬ quently follow the preacher to his afternoon and evening appointments. Riding horseback from place to place, they had many long intimate talks. Andy was well educated, had taught school, and had recently been elected justice of the peace in Mockville, and was considered one of the rising young men of the county. The more abstruse problems of theology were the topics that he preferred to talk on. He dodged 128 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM practical Christianity, especially experimental re¬ ligion. One day, after a vain attempt to get an experimental note from Andy, Elijah bluntly asked : “Mr. Loup, why don’t you join the church4?” “I dislike very much to tell you.” “You seem to be a believer in Christianity; your morals are blameless; you must know that you could be a power for righteousness if you were affiliated with the people of God; your posi¬ tion outside of the church is anomolous and more or less a stone of stumbling for weaker men than you are; there are many urgent reasons why you should throw in your lot with us.” “Singular to relate, I have used every one of those arguments to myself, but every reason for joining the church is overborne by just one rea¬ son for remaining out.” “What can that reason be*?” “It is a stubborn disbelief in the reality of Christian experience.” “How did you ever arrive at such a state4?” “First, by my own personal failure in the pur¬ suit of a vital Christian experience; and, secondly, by an unworthy display of pride in a professor of religion.” 4 4 You interest me very much; do tell me the whole story.” WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 129 Thus solicited, Andrew Loup fell silent for some moments. Evidently he was carefully weighing his words. “I would like for you to know that I fully ap¬ preciate my own individual responsibility to God. I am not trying to evade that responsibility when I tell you of the share another has in my condi¬ tion. Still, I insist that that other one decided the matter, as it now stands, while the issue was still in doubt.55 “I guess you are thinking now of my uncom¬ promising attitude at all times on the subject of personal responsibility.55 “I feel that I was pretty well .grounded in that doctrine before I met you; so much so, that it seems ungenerous to bring any one else into the case. If I die unsaved, the Judge will doubtless make up His decision solely upon my own culpa¬ bility.55 Here he fell silent again, until Elijah exclaimed : “Come, Andy; I5m listening.55 “Well, to make a long story short, I am a very good theoretical Christian. The system appeals strongly to my reason and my order of intelli¬ gence. I love to hear Christian doctrine dis¬ cussed.55 “I certainly believe you on that statement. Otherwise, you would not follow me up to hear 130 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM the same subject discussed three times as you are doing to-day.” “Yes; I think that I could make a pretty good sermon on The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ' myself ?” “I have no doubt that you could excel mine. But get on with your story.” “Now, while my intellectual assent to Chris¬ tianity was so hearty, my spiritual experience was utterly neutral. I wished very much to get a satisfying, personal, Holy Ghost realization of oneness with God. Mr. Green, are you ac¬ quainted with Betty March?” “I have been at her father's house several times.” “What is your opinion of her?” “I heard her relate her experience at Brown’s Camp Ground, and I thought it was a powerful and evangelical testimony.” “Well, I was quite intimate with Betty for several months. She is a very attractive girl, as you know, but I trust that you will understand me when I say that I kept her company solely for the spiritual benefit that I might derive from association with her. Like yourself, I had abso¬ lute confidence in her religion. I asked for noth¬ ing better than an experience that would parallel hers. “About three years ago, Betty and I attended WHEN ELIJAH FAILED 131 an all-day meeting at Brown’s Camp Ground. A large crowd was present, and there was a big love-feast. It was the Sunday morning of the Quarterly Meeting, and people from the entire circuit were there, rejoicing in their acceptance with God. Betty got very happy. And I was as near the Kingdom as I had ever been before, as I watched the blessed expression on her face as she walked the aisles, shouting, praising God, clapping her hands, encouraging believers and ex¬ horting sinners. But I did not get the evidence of acceptance with God. “In the evening I drove her home. I remem¬ ber that I was collecting my thoughts to ask her some superlative question about the Christian life, when she said: “ 'Andy, how did I look to-day, when I was shouting around the camp ground?” Elijah was shocked beyond expression. He was looking full at his companion, who was look¬ ing straight back at him across the space between their horses. After a moment of painful silence, Loup said: “I see that her question affects you just as it affected me. I hope that I may never again en¬ counter such a terrific anti-climax. I hope that I misjudged her, but all that I could think of was the hateful reflection that she was an arrant hypocrite. Since then, I have tried to look at it 132 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM in the light of spiritual pride. But whatever it may have been, I would give a thousand dollars if she had not spoken the words.” “What was your reply to her?” “I could make no reply. After a moment of embarrassment, I stopped the horse, and pre¬ tended to fix something about the harness, while I changed the subject. I got her home, somehow, and have never seen her since. She lives on the other end of the circuit, and it is not necessary for us to meet.” “And you can’t get around that silly question of hers?” “No. To properly understand me, you must try to realize the confidence I had in her. When I was looking at her, I was thinking of the rap¬ ture of her soul — pure, spiritual, above the earth- clouds. I was devoutly wishing that my soul, like hers, might soar away, like hers, into the empyrean of pure ethereal joys, and bask, like hers, in supernal light. All of that time, she was wondering how she looked! I presume that a ballroom belle has the same thoughts. Oh, Mr. Green, it — it — it is just heart-sickening.” VII: TREMBLING FOR JESUS . . . A man may lose his sense of moral direction . He may not become a whit less respectable in the eyes of his neighbors than before , but he is lost , like a sheep in the wil¬ derness. The wolves of temptation may not have devoured him> or the winds of hard circumstance overcome him — but he is in peril through not knowing the way. Bishop McConnell. VII Trembling for Jesus The Epworth League in Greenford was trying out an Adventure in Evangelism. The Adven¬ ture consisted of a series of revival meetings in a schoolhouse five miles from town. The method was for a band wagon full of the Epworthians to go to the schoolhouse every night and hold a meeting. While Elijah had suggested this program, he did not undertake to control it. Of course, he was ready with advice when needed. He was a plain member of the local chapter and took his place in the ranks, performing the duties required of him. He was expecting a strong reflex influ¬ ence on the chapter. There were forty members who could do this work. It was agreed at the outset that the pas¬ tor, president, and secretary should attend every meeting. This left nine members to be chosen from the body of the chapter each night, and as the secretary chose new members every night, the round of the chapter was made once in four days. George Mulvaney was the most spiritual mem¬ ber in the chapter, but he was so excessively dif- 135 136 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM fident that it had been impossible to get him into that part of the work down to Friday night of the second week, on which day he came into the detail for the third time. As the Thursday night detail was returning home after a very encouraging meeting, Elijah and Brewer, the President, were sitting together in a corner of the wagon, quietly discussing the situation. Brewer said : “I feel as though we have reached the crisis of the meetings. Much — very much depends upon our efforts to-morrow night. I would say that I am in favor of selecting only the best workers for to-morrow night. Miss Hanson says that George Mulvaney falls in the detail. It seems to me that we might excuse George to-morrow night.” “That is your affair, Brother Brewer, but I would say, in a general way, that it will be bad policy. This is the wrong time to tamper with established methods. If some preacher were carrying on this meeting, and if he understood the psychology of revivals, he would not ask a bishop himself to preach to-morrow night, so im¬ portant is the established order in critical periods of a meeting. But in a special way, it would seem to me particularly wise to have Mulvaney on the program for to-morrow night. Are you TREMBLING FOR JESUS 137 aware of the great influence that George wields in that community “I know that about two-thirds of the people attending the meetings are his tenants.” “Yes, and every tenant is under many obliga¬ tions to George. He put down one-half of the money for that schoolhouse, the best rural school building in the county. Last year, when typhoid swept the neighborhood, he hired Dr. Gabbert at fifteen dollars a day to stay right with the epi¬ demic. That ten days’ intensive work of Gab- bert’s undoubtedly saved many lives, gave the people a dozen pointers in sanitation, and inci¬ dentally gave a young physician exactly the opportunity he needed in starting a practice. These, and many other acts of George Mul- vaney’s make him one of the powerful human agencies in this revival.” “Very well, Brother Green, I shall take your advice and let the detail stand as it is.” “See George to-morrow and suggest that he prepare something to say in the meeting.” “That’s a capital suggestion, and I believe that I will pass it back to you for all that it is worth.” “Thank you; I had already determined on taking my own medicine.” The next morning Brother Green happened in 138 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM at Mulvaney’s office. After a few common¬ places, he remarked casually: “Had a mighty good meeting last night, George, out at Mulvaney’s Schoolhouse.” “Yes, Brewer was in here a moment ago and told me about it. He tells me that I am on the detail to-night and seems especially anxious that I should speak. I have avoided speaking in pub¬ lic so far; it seems that more voluble folks than I am should do the talking.” “Now, Brother Mulvaney, allow me to remark that volubility is not the principal ingredient of talk. I am glad that Brother Brewer has spoken to you about it. To tell you the truth, George, I am building big hopes on your speech to-night.” “All right, ’Lijey, I shall do my best.” Then Mulvaney fell silent, and the wise pastor took his departure, feeling that it was a fine time to leave the man alone. That night, after the wagon, with the twelve Epworthians aboard, had started, the president laid off the work, appointed a leader, and as¬ signed each person on the detail his task on the program. The speeches were to occupy, nomi¬ nally, five minutes. Allowing for the usual num¬ ber of shorter speeches, it was believed that this part of the program would consume between thirty and thirty-five minutes. George was the TREMBLING FOR JESUS 139 eleventh one on the list, the president coming last. He said, with a sort of choke : £‘I shall try to do whatever He would have me do.” The house was packed. Every Epworthian seemed alive to the situation. The speeches came in quick succession and rapidly worked the thor¬ oughly mellow congregation into a receptive state. Mulvaney’s time came. The pastor, presi¬ dent, and leader all glanced encouragingly toward him. He seemed ready to run, and only by a mighty effort did he arise. His jaw worked con¬ vulsively twice, and then, brokenly, in a solemn stillness, he said: ££My friends, I would like to tell you how much Jesus has done for me, but somehow my mouth won’t go off. But if I can’t say anything for Jesus, I can at least stand here and tremble for him.” He was actually trembling, so his words were not at all theatrical. Their effect was electrical. A mighty tremor passed through the audience. Strong men sobbed; women cried aloud; Brewer afterwards said that the appearance of things re¬ sembled nothing more than a coming storm. Mulvaney seemed to have prepared a speech, of which, apparently, he could not remember a word. He stood quite still for a moment trem- 140 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM bling in every liber, while the excitement con¬ stantly increased. When he sat down, the Holy Ghost filled all the house as with a mighty, rushing wind. More than a score were eagerly asking: “What shall I do to be saved?” The president’s speech came next, but he tact¬ fully turned it into an inquiry meeting, and the Greenford Chapter had all it could do for the next two hours, passing from one to another, pointing them to Christ. At this work, George Mulvaney made a full hand. Before the meeting closed, he rejoiced many times that he had stood up and trembled for Jesus. Elijah said that among the many incidental, reflex effects of that Adventure in Evangelism was the unstopping of George Mulvaney’s mouth. He was never again at a loss what to say at a League meeting. WAITING AND WATCHING In another meeting Elijah had been kind to a little motherless girl of ten who constantly at¬ tended alone. One evening he asked her why her father did not attend. She burst into tears and said: “Brother Green, please pray for my father.” As that was all she could say, Elijah took the TREMBLING FOR JESUS 141 matter quite seriously and prayed frequently the next day for “the father of the little girl who is so distressed about him.” That night, when the child came and took her accustomed seat about the middle of the auditorium, a man ac¬ companied her. Elijah could sing a little, and that night he sang the solo, “Waiting and Watching.” He could see that the father was greatly affected, and intended to speak to him at the close of the service, but was hindered by the crowd that pressed up to the chancel when the benediction was pronounced. When he found himself at lib¬ erty, the man was gone and the child with him. He could only pray that some seed might have fallen in good ground. The next evening, the couple were in their places. Personal testimonies were always a part of the meetings, and a half hour was occupied on that evening with an experience meeting. The third one to arise was the father of this mother¬ less child. He said: “Most of you know me for a non-attendant at church services for the past two years. Since my wife died, I have had to follow my trade of shoemaking and keep house at the same time. But of course every one has time for divine service — if he only thinks so. My real reason for staying away was that I felt hard and bitter 142 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM against God for taking away my wife. Little Minnie, here, has been attending these revival services all the time and has been after me every night to come with her. But I always packed her off alone and stayed in my shop, working and brooding over the loss of my wife and my little daughter Lucy. “All day yesterday, Minnie was begging me on every occasion to go to the meeting at night. And there was some influence besides Minnie at work, for I felt drawn this way. My thoughts had become very rebellious in the two years since my wife left me, and I had grown hard and wicked. But toward evening, yesterday, I prom¬ ised Minnie that I would come, and I was here last night. But my heart was steeled against divine influences. “Everything went in at one ear and out at the other, until the preacher sang, ‘Waiting and Watching/ just after the experience and prayer meeting. It was the first time I ever heard it, and the first two verses passed by without touch¬ ing my hard heart. Then he sang: “ ‘There are little ones glancing about in my path, In want of a friend and a guide.’ “Ah! That struck me like a blow in the face. Here is my little Minnie, needing my daily Chris¬ tian walk; my hand to guide her away from the TREMBLING FOR JESUS 143 traps and pitfalls of life; and I was moping away my time, complaining against God, who doeth all things well, for taking from me my wife, to be an angel in heaven, when all the time, I had this sweet child left me, to cheer and comfort me, and for me to guide aright. But the preacher sang further : “ ‘There are dear little eyes looking up into mine, Whose tears might be easily dried/ “I had so easily dried Minnie’s tears, yesterday, by merely promising to come to meeting. Why shouldn’t I go right on, comforting her and dry¬ ing her tears4? I began to make promises to ease the heart stabs of that song, but the singer kept right on: “ ‘But Jesus may beckon the children away In the midst of their grief and their glee/ “That broke my heart. I cried, but my tears were not altogether bitter, as so many of my tears have lately been. They were penitent tears. I had sinned against my God so grievously. I prayed back here in my seat for forgiveness, but the distracting sights and sounds in the church prevented me from centering my thoughts, so I was not relieved. Then I went home, and there, in my own room, kneeling beside my bed, peace 144 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM came. So I have been happy all day and am here to-night, with my own tears and my little Minnie’s tears dried. I am happy in the thought that there will be those I love at the beautiful gate, waiting and watching for me.” This man was one of the very few whom Elijah overlooked in his pastoral visits. But he had been only a short time in Frankton when this occurred. The unobtrusive, retiring ways of the shoemaker had been accentuated by his great loss, and, brooding over his widowed condition alone, had nearly cost him his birthright. Little Minnie’s despairing cry, “Pray for my father,” started the chain of Christian influence which enveloped and saved her father for God. It is obvious that Elijah’s prayers acted in the divine ether of the meeting, so as to draw Minnie’s father to the church. DISOBEYING HIS MOTHER IN THE LORD At Frankton, Elijah had another singular ex¬ perience with a child. Mrs. Walker, the Recording Steward, came to him and made the strange request that he would not talk to her boy on religious matters. He replied : “Of course I shall respect your parental rights in this thing, Sister Walker, but I am at a loss TREMBLING FOR JESUS 145 to understand why you should make such a re¬ quest.” “Well, David is a very good boy and has strong religious inclinations. He now has his education on his hands, and if he gets an undue bias toward study on religious subjects, he will not make the progress in literary lines which it is important for him to make at this period of his life.” “In what grade is he now studying4?” “He is working in the Sixth at school, but is preparing the Seventh at home.” “And how old is he4?” “He is just past twelve.” 4 ‘Then he must have doubled one year before this.” “He entered school in the Second Grade at the age of seven. You see, Brother Green, I am anxious that he should enter High School next September a year. Besides the two grades he will make this year, he is carrying piano and pastel work out of school hours.” “Well! If all of these studies are essential at his age, it would seem unwise to crowd religious training on him.” “Now, Brother Green, don’t get sarcastic* David will have plenty of time, after he makes the High School, to study on religion.” “Well, Sister, as I said before, I recognize your 146 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM parental authority over David. I shall not talk to him on religious topics, only when he forces me to do so by asking me questions. We are often together. His conversation is constantly reverting to theological and religious themes, so you have set me a difficult task.” That very afternoon, young Walker called at the parsonage on his way from school and strolled at once into the library. It was in January of 1915, when the war was raging on so many fronts. He seemed perfectly informed on the war news, and, after talking it for a while, he remarked, quite casually: “Mr. Green, in your sermon last night, you spoke of the time you were born again. I wish that you would explain just what you mean by that.” Elijah turned to the third chapter of John and read it very carefully, commenting as he went. The boy seemed to be listening only casu¬ ally, but his mind received instruction with such ease that it was not necessary for him to pay the strict attention which some people must give, in order to understand a subject. At the close of the chapter, he remarked: “It is very clear, isn’t it?” “I am glad to hear you say so, David. A great many people make a difficulty of it.” “Yes, Nicodemus seemed to have trouble with TREMBLING FOR JESUS 147 it. But it is not hard for me to see that there may be a soul birth as well as a body birth. There are many different kinds of body birth, even. The birth of a mammal is different from that of a fowl or a reptile. Then see the dragon fly, the butterfly, the mosquito. A plant has a birth, too. We can see them born in the culture jars in the school windows. The soul birth is only a little more hard to understand, so, just as you say, we have to take God’s Word for it. Mr. Green, do you think that I am too young to be born again?” Now wasn’t that a tight corner he had crowded poor Elijah into? He could only answer : “Certainly not, David; I have frequently seen younger people than you converted.” “Well, then, it seems that I ought to attend to the matter and get it off my mind.” “It does look like that would be the part of wisdom, David. But do you think, in view of the large number of studies you are now pursu¬ ing, that it will be wise to bother yourself with religion?” “Why, that is precisely the way that Mamma talks ! But it looks to me that if it were off my mind, and I were perfectly satisfied about it, I would then be able to go on with my other studies to better advantage.” “Well, now, to tell you the exact fact, David, 148 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM your mother does not want you to be troubling yourself with these matters. You know that Paul says, ‘Children, obey your parents.’ ” “Yes, Mamma quoted that to me the other day. I found the passage with the Concordance, the way you taught me. Neither you nor Mamma quoted all of the passage. It reads, ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord' I believe that that Scripture means that we must obey our parents so long as it is not contrary to the will of God; but it is the will of God that I should be saved. I ought to obey God rather than man.” That was one of the times that Elijah had nothing to say, and he said it. David continued: “I guess you and Mamma aren’t trying to defeat me in this thing?” “God bless you, child, a thousand times, no.” “All right.” Then he lowered his voice. “I shall ask God to convert me to-night, when I kneel for my evening prayer at nine o’clock. I wish )T)u would be at prayer at the same time. God might refuse me, but he can’t refuse you. I believe you are not in the habit of being refused.” That choked Elijah all up. He made the promise, and for some time before nine o’clock he was on his knees in the library. The Enfold¬ ing, Filling Presence was with him in great sweet¬ ness. He felt as sure that David Walker was passing into the Kingdom as he felt that he was TREMBLING FOR JESUS 149 on his knees. He went into the library next morning, when the first school bell rang, and soon David came along. He dodged in and whis¬ pered : “It was just like we expected it would be. Thank you for helping me.” Then he was gone. The naivete of it was like sweet music and fra¬ grant incense all day to Elijah. That afternoon, David came by on his way home and said : “Oh, Brother Green, I had good lessons to¬ day.” “Why, David, I understand that you always have good lessons.” He blushed and responded: “Others may say that, but I know that I am fresher some days than others. And to-day I was fresher than ever. I could study so easily. Say,” lowering his voice, “will you please go into the church with me for a while T’ The minister won- deringly followed the child into the church. They sat on the back seat. “Brother Green, you must pray for me so that I shall go aright in what I am going to say. I am in a hurry to get home, so you won’t have much time.” They knelt and Elijah very feel¬ ingly asked the Holy Spirit to direct David’s words. Then the boy said: “Brother Green, I must join the church, next Sunday.” “David, will your mother approved” 150 ADVENTURES IN EVANGELISM “We must convince her that it is the thing to do.” “Very well; you mention it to her to-night; I shall call on her and talk it over to-morrow.” But when Elijah called, Mrs. Walker immedi¬ ately broached the subject, by saying: “Oh, Brother Green, I know what you have come for. David told me that you would be here to talk about his joining the church next Sunday, but you will not have to argue the point. He swept away all of my objections. Oh, you can’t fancy how I feel so small and so magnified, both at once. I feel so little when I think of my fussy interference with the will of God, and so great, when I consider how He has honored me by giv¬ ing me such a son.” “Sister Walker, I want to tell you, to begin with, that I did not go contrary to your wishes in the matter. David pushed the question on me every time.” “Yes, he explained that to me. But it has come out all right. How singularly blind and stupid I was. But God has forgiven me. I see that he has first of all given me my child to train for Him. Hereafter, all ether training can afford to wait.” “And it will be all right for David to join the church next Sunday4?” TREMBLING FOR JESUS 151 “Indeed, yes. I am now only too anxious for him to be in the church. And next Sunday of all others, because it is Communion, and I shall commune with him.” VIII: THE FUNERAL OF A FIDDLE A gospel for men , wicked , weary , heavily laden with their cares of mind , body , hearty memory — 772^/2 divine instincts , however untended ; men I have found that the appeal to life , /Ae appeal to the mightier impulses — conscience , character , eternity , bution , /