The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-03-05


man was close observer Of men and
things, and that he was as a rule, pretty
level-headed in his estimates Of what he
saw and heard, we resolved to pay him a
visit and gather for the benefit Of onr
readers bis views upon the new phase Of
religious work which has appeared in our
community. We found hnn enjoying him
self in front Of
AN OLD-FAsHfoNED WOOD FIRE.
while near him sat Mrs. Riley. engaged in
rounding off the heel Of a warm wooden
stocking, the click Of her knitting needles
making a cheerful interIude in the pauses
of the conversation, to which she gave
strict attention, although taking little part
therein Mr.. Riley greeted us warmly
and gave us cosy seat by the fire, and
after the preliminary weather talk, in
which he jocOscly alluded to his recent
''snow talk" and expressed the opinion
that he was right after all on his dates.
although he didn't think it of sufficient
consequence to make much disturbance
over, we introduced the object Of our call.
so you heard I'd been at the Army
meetings, did you? ?" said he .'Well, yes.
I'd been a hearin' a good bit about the
Salvation Amy and how they kicked up
power of trouble wherever they went, and
the newspapers said they were plague
and ought to be run out O town. and so on,
and jest concluded I'd go some time and
see for myself. Somebody told me it was
NEW KIND or RELIGION
they was gettin' up, but I must say
didn't see it was much different from the
old kind, as fur as | could judge. The
Captain told the people that they must re-
# =,
heaven, and begin to serve the Lord. and |
guess that's about the substance Of what
the preachers and churches has been q
tellin' US ever since | can remember, and
amt no spring chicken myself. ! seen
some of the church members there at the
meetin', and they seemed to be takin' holt
like they was III their own church, so
| guess there wasn't much difference
about the religion part. They may serve
it out in different fashion from some of the
other societies, but | don't know AZ it
makes much odds how you git it, if you We
got the genuine article. That's the main
thing, accordin' to my way of thinkin.
| know sometimes when Mrs. Riley has
been putin up her canned peaches, and
she's a master hand at presarvin, let me
tell you, sometimes she has more peaches
than jars, and she just takes
ANY OLD PIECE or cRocKEEY
she can find, so It's whole and sound, and
puts the overplush into 1t and seals It up
and when it comes up to be disled up for
supper. you cant tell whether it comes
outen the glass jars, or the tin cans. or the
old crock. Ef the peaches is good that's
the main thing, and eff the religion is the gen
uine article, guess 1t don't matter whether
you ketch it in q pew with velvet cushions
to the music of s., 900 organ, or on the
bare floor of hall or school house. with
the music of a tambourine ringin' in your
ears. | hear some folks say they don like
this tambourine and drum business, an
they think it's funny for the women folks
to be a speakin' an prayin an exhortin'
in the meetin's. | reckon when the
children of Israel got over the Red
Sea and Miraim and all the women
took their timbrels and played on EN-
and DANCED for joy, while Moses and
the children of Israel sung 4 lively song
there was some in the meetin that thought
the timbrels made too much noise and the
women ought to take back seat but
never heerd that the Lord found any fault
about it.
l heard meetin' man say the other day
that he guessed
THE ARMY WAS \ GOOD THING,
for they got hold of people the churches
couldn't reach, and have an idee that's
what's been ailin' some of the churches
lately. They amt been tryin very hard
to reach 'em, for what with their big build
ings, an fine preachin, an singin, an
raisin money to pay for it all, they've had
too much to do to git the big fish that
could help EN- pay their debts, rather than
the sinners that needed savin', but couldn't
help much with the financeerin' but | al
ways thought that in the Lords sight,
one soul was worth about as much as
another, an he counts souls ! reckon,
an not money or clothes. Least
ways that's the way the Master used
to do when he was on earth. He didn't
waste much time on the Scribes and Phar-
isecs. and when he did talk to 'em lie
didn't flatter EN- any, but he went around
among the poor who hadn't any big
churches and had to go cut into the fields
to hold meetin', and the best sermon he
ever preached was out OIL a mountain,
and he picked out the wayside sinners and
the sick folks that couldn't pay big doc
tors bin and went to the pool of bethesda
and c0nIdn { get anybody to help them in
when the waters were moved, an he made
more account of the widow who put her
two mites in the collection basket, than
all the rich men that
HEADED THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST.
expect if he was on earth to-day, some Of
his people would be ashamed of him for
the company he would keep, but lie took
his company where it was most needed,
and it amt a bad example to follow nova
days. | don't mean that poor man is any
better than Il rich man. but | think he
needs sayin' about as bad, and He thought
so too an | reckon the bigger sinner
man is, whether he's rich or poor, the
more he needs savin', an | spose the
churches and the army alike, knows it's
their work to save him. I'm right down
glad 10 hear of SO many converts in the
Army, an there's no KNOWN what the re-
suit may be with many Of 'em, but
amt a goin' to Judge EN- yet by what they
say in the meetin's If they amt got the
right kind of religion it'll soon tell on EN-.
The night was there heard EN- singin'
"Tve been in The Army 50 long,
I'm hain'i got weary set"
and one of the young converts was lettin'
himself out ON it and thought TO myself,
no, young man, you hain't had time to cit
weary yet You'n have lots of time for
that later on | reckon this amt no three
weeks service in the Army, but it's ex-
pccted to last you while You live, and it'N
be next summer
WHEN Y0U RE OUT FLOWN
~ Il