Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-12-13
8eligiuas department.
MOODY AND SANKEY IN
CALIFORNIA,


/ doubt if any public character ever
came to California and disarmed criticism
as have Moody and Sankey. Critics,
professional and non-professional, were
prepared to dissect them at the first per-
Torrance. They were ready to detect
hypocricy as it lurked under cover be-
yond common eyes. They were sure
they could tear Sankey's voice to pieces
and detect a whine somewhere in some
of Moody's prayers. Californians, per-
haps 1 should say San Franciscans, pride
themselves upon being critical, if not
cynical. Moody and Sankey have come
and people have actually been taken back.
They expected couple of lean sentiment
talists, one singing hymns in sweet
kind of way, and the other preaching
hell fire in an odd, crude fashion; and
instead, they have found two men who
look remarkably well fed, and whose gifts
are real. They are taken back, and those
who are inclined to be cynical hardly
know yet how to express themselves.
''There is something about Moody" 1
heard one of these say to a companion,
''and have not yet decided what it is;
it isn't eloquence-" SIS it?" 1 said to
myself. eve will ascertain" and 1
opened my Webster's dictionary and
found the word: ''Eloquence-the ex-
preston or utterance of strong emotion
in manner adapted to excite correspon-
ding emotion in another, speaking out of
the abundance of the heart, ETC." Yet it
seems to please good many pious people
to imagine that the great evangelist's
gifts are not gifts, but that he draws be-
cause the Lord works back Of him. The
Lord works back of everything, no doubt;
but why would it not subserve pious in
terests as well to say that the Lord made
Moody smart as well cas- good, and that
he is using his gifts for the cause of re-
ligion?
Everybody who hears Moody is in
tensely interested in him. Everybody
does not perhaps believe in the same re-
ligious means that he does, some who
hear him have not much religious belief
even, but there he stands, walled by the
ministry and supported breathlessly by
the people, the words actually tumbling
out ofhis mouth. And what is he talking
about? Gods love-telling it as though
he had actually tasted and knows what
it is like, and as earnestly as though his
life depended upon it. A prayer by any
one of the clergy present sounds strained
and tame after Moody's honest request
to the Almighty to send down help and
blessing, emphasized by the quick, hearty
and satisfactory "amen" which / should
ahink the ministerial brethren would envy
him as much as anything. Sankey was
expected to beat time, wave his hands
bend his body and walk about, but he sit!
perfectly quiet and lets the breathles.
stiffness and his wonderful voice combine
for effect. There is terrible earnestnes
about both of these men that, considering
they are religionists, surprises the peOpl
of San Francisco, and there is that con
sciousnes of power in both which awe
them into respect. No one could lool
into Moody's strangely-made face ant
imagine that he is merely goody-goody
or hear him speak and yet criticise coldly
He draws on the sympathies in spite o
previous mental precaution or even relig
ious antagonisms. An honest natur
seems, in his case to actually demand
response.-Co Correspondence of the Spring
field Republican.