Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-08-11
Indiana Revival.

Ind, has been the scene of thrilling
spectacles, stirring incidents, and con-
siderable excitement. The occasion of
this is series of revival meetings,
Conducted by Mrs. Mary Mershon. of
Pendleton, Ind. Mrs. Mershon is a
disciple and convert of Mrs. Wood
worth, the noted trance evangelist,
whose peculiar methods have for the
past two years been The theme of wide
spread interest and speculation. The
lady who is conducting the meetings
at this place was converted two years
ago, and was It once called to be-
come an evangelist. Although an in
valid, she obeyed the call, and to-day
is q strong, vigorous and energetic
woman. She is about 60 years old,
has q broad forehead, black hair and
eyes, and is of medium height. She
has pleasing and commanding pres
ence and a graceful bearing. Her
theology is of the heroic order, without
any faint of mugwumpry. Her rea-
soning is not powerful nor her logic
faultless, but her powers of peruasion
are great, her earnestness convincing,
and her sincerity beyond question.
The meetings were commenced ON Sat-
urday, the 5th of June. but for time
they dragged. The evangelist says she
never conducted meeting
where she commended with
greater difficulties at the start.
or where the indications gave as little
promise. 1t was next to impossible to
secure a tent. The attendance was
light, and the interest seemingly dead.
She was not discouraged. Her faith
appeared to be of the quality which
will remove mountains. The plain,
unpretentious, and eloquent preaching
had its effect. The atten lance in
creased. Her enthusiasm took hold
of her hearers. The fame and report
of the wild scenes enacted spread
among the people, and the attendance
and interest were further magnihed
and multiplied. Last Sunday witness
ed the largest attendance up to date.
The young converts are most enthusi-
astic and demonstrative. They crowd
the space set apart for seekers after
divine favor, md with singing, shout
ing, shrieking, and praying, gradually
work themselves into a wild frenzy.
Their hands are uplifted and their faces
turned upward. Some shout and yell
in the exhuberance of their ecstacy;
others plead, implore, and cry for the
rolling away of their burdens. The
spectacle at times is wild, weird, and
unearthly, The most nervous and ex-
citable soon succumb and go "under
the power They are stretched out
in every corner and every attitude,
they become rigid, and their wide-open,
staring eyes have deathlike and un-
earthly expression, as though gazing
upon scenes not presented to the eyes
of mortals.
Sunday night witnessed the widest
and most extravagant scenes yet enact.
ed. Such shouting, such jumping such
hallelujahs, such delightful, promiscu-
Gus, and abandoned hugging of BROTH
ers and sisters in the Lord presented a
scene the like of whic has never be-
fore been witnessed in this country. It
was wild, unrestrained saturnalia of
unbridled passion and emotion. The
converts who were stricken down by
the hand of God prior to their CONVEX
sion relate wonderful tales of being
suspended by hair over the pit of hell
of being famed by the sulphurous
breezes from the Internal regions, of
looking into boiling cauldrons, of boil
ing nibbled at by the fiery serpents and
grinning devils of being saved bv the
outstretched hand of plying Provi-
dence.