St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-18
STARS IN A CHURCH.


Abbott and Annandale sing i'm the
First Methodist Congregation.
Abbott and Annandale are strong COM
bination, whether in theater or sane
tuary, and the announcement that they
would sing yesterday forenoon was the
means of flling Rev. S. G. Smiths capa-
ciOuS First Methodist church with as large
and representative an audience as ever
gathered within its walls. OF course Rev.
Mr. Smith was the magnet that attracted
the crowd, to a certain eXtent-becauSe he
is a very popular minister and always draws
well-but the presence of two operate
stars gave to the occasion a tinge OF nov
city that brought out many people who
could not have been attracted alone by the
eloquence and the sound doctrine of the
able pastor. The best element of ST.
PauIS people predominated in the makeup
of the audience, and leverything seemed
propitious. The day was bright and cheer
full, and the audience, when not listening
TO the sweet tones of the two celebrated
vocalists, entered heartily into the spirit of
the service. Annandale, looking very dig
nitied and demure, came in early, before
the audience had assembled or the service
begun. and took seat on the extreme right
hand, close 10 the organ. She looked like
a woman who had come to worship. and
she did not seem to realize that she was the
center Of attraction. The pastor had made
his announcements, two songs had been
sung. and the responsive service had con-
cuded, when the rustic of q dress in the
right-hand aisle caused all eyes to turn in |
that direction. 1t was Abbott, who was
making her way rapidly to the 'front.' where |
Anuandae was seated. She was attended |
by young gentleman, who carried her |
WraO on his left arm, while his right hand |
held dainty little cane. She was shown |
TO a chair directly alongside of the aisle |
where Annandale sat. Abbott leaned over
and whispered something to Annandale. |
and then smiled. as if the topic had been
amusing to her. The congregation, stand |
ing. sang, with much force and feeling, Il |
Love to Tell the Story" Abbott and |
Annandale stood up, holding a hymn-book |
between them, but they simply glanced at |
the lines, and did not join in the singing. |
They wore a very deVOut expression, how |
ever. and looked as much like sincere wOr |
shippers as any in the ediiice. After the |
collection had been taken, Annandale !
assembled the platform and sang. amid the |
most intense silence, ''Oh! Rest in the |
Lord" She sang
WITH MUCH DIGNITY
and expressiveness. There was no show of
OStentatiOn, nor any attempt at dramatic |
effect. She stood perfectly still, and sang |
without much apparent effort, but her full. |
rich voice filled every part of the church |
with ease, and she proved herself again the |
thorough artistic that she is. She was !
dressed plainly and appropriately, in
pleasant conformity with the dignity of her |
carriage. She was attired in a street suit |
of various shades of brown, artistically |
blended, with hat and gloves to match, |
the somber tone of her costume being re- |
lieVed by tiny bunch of red flowers. |
After very brief sermon by Rev. Mr..
Smith. who seemed inspired and enthused |
by the suspicious surroundings, Miss Abb !
bolt took her place upon the platform and |
sang, in a magnificent manner, 'Guide |
Me, OH Thou Great Jehovah" It was a |
brilliant rendering of this grand musical |
masterpiece, Miss Abbott throwing her very
soul into the rendition, the strength and |
sweet melody of her voice being beautifully |
comningled with wonderful effect. It is |
doubtful if more thorough justice has ever |
been done this sublime inspiration of |
great mind than on this occasion. Miss |
Abbott thrilled the audience and held them |
Spell-bOund until the sound of the last note
had died away. But there were two de-
fects-oDe of which, however was of small !
consequence. She was dressed in bad taste,
and there was too much in her action to
remind one of the theater and the repreSen-
tation of character in an Opera-that is, 1t |
seemed a trife out of place in church
service. She wore combination suit of |
black silk and brocade velvet; dark street
hat. with black and white wings, and |
black silk mits. Encircling her neck was
picadilly linen collar, and at her throat |
a lace barb fastened with dazzling dia-
mOnd pin. Diamonds of brilliant lustre
were in her ears and on her fingers and en-
circling her waist was snowy and attract
I've gold watch chain.
DIR. FORBES ON s.TEMPERANCE."
He Says 4 Drunkard's Death is the
Most Contemplate One He Knows
Gf.
DR.. Robert Forbes, pastor of the Jackson
Street NJ. Z. church, preached to very full |
house last evening, and in his strong, out
spoken style gave his views on the temper
ance question. He also defined the posi-
ton taken by the recent conference at Still
water on the question. He characterized |
saioonkeepers as paupers and scoundrels on
general principles class that produced |
nothing. He elaborated the idea that a
drunkard was nuisance, a curse to society |
and himself. He said it was not bad |
thing to die well, but to die drunkard was |
miserable and contemplate thing, the |
meanest kind Of suicide. He thought the |
only hope for drunkard was the gospel, |
that the difficulties between capital and |
labor grew largely out of the fact that a
man wanted to support both a
family and saloon on $1.50
a day, but that sober, indus
trioGs workmen did not have half the
trouble demagogues would have the public
think they do. He thought the country
had larger contract on hand to get rid of
the saloon than it had to abolish slavery,
but the saloon must go or the nation, the
home and the church would fall. He re-
spected the temperance work done by the
Catholic church, but if they kept on 100
years they might get as good as the Meth
odists are now, he said. There were no
drunken Methodists-they were total alb
stainers, but the best field in the world for
temperance work was among the Catholics
themselves. There were 90, 900 Methodist
ministers in this country, and no bishop
would appoint one to a church who was
known to be anything but total abstafner.
He alluded to the political features of tenn
perance, but thought politics should not be
discussed in church on Sunday evening.
The Prohibition party thought that they
had the right solution of the problem but
they must not try to furnish the conscience
to the other fellow. He explained the pro-
hibition resolutions adopted by the confer
ence, and the one also explaining that the
action did not bind the conference to any
political party.
FRENCH IN AMERICA.