Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-01-07
Foa SUNDAY DIGEST.

run SpNUhf LEO
An Evening in h Week of Prayer Al
Passed by the Conventions MAN nj
q Tree"
A wandeFer abont the streets oil Tank
ton upon any one of the nights of til.
week which is just closing might have
caught himself wondering why two ot
the churches of the city we're lighted uI
on week day evenings and il he oonclud.
ed that they were Illuminated for the
purpose of permitting the worship oil
God, he might have wondered why God
was not sufficiently worshipped on Sum
day and why people would turn out on
clustering and chilly nights to do wha.
he might consider simply Sabbath day
duties. But let the wsnderer enter one
Of these churches and he would have
been surprised to find all his surmises
correct. Gathered there he would have
found q body of christians, perhaps not
many but zone the less devout. who
weie simply laying a foundation for the
church work Of the ensuing year.
During the meeting he heard them sing
and pray, and discuss with much zeal
all the topics which are dearest to the
heart OF the devout christian. He would
have found much OF an interesting ma
tnre in ell these things, snd would have
been more or less impressed with OBJ
servances of the week of prayer. This
custom wa originated something like
thirty years ago, and is kept up by all
the evangelical churches at present ex-
isting. And who can tell how much
or how little good has resulted from its
strict observance. All through the dark
days OF tho war OF the rebellion, prayers
for the union went up from thousands
OF iast such persons, and from that day
until this, all great reforms have opened
and closed with prayer. The observer of
the week OF supplicstion takes particular
pains to ask divine blessing upon every
thing exsant. Charity pure and simple
enters into ell his supplications, and if
he finds that his prayers are answered
only in o meagre way be feels than
grateful, and prays all the harder. While
this may be only q custom, it has been
beyond doubt the aause Of much good
TO humanity, and humanity is in duty
bound to respect it.
Last evening q wanderer wandered
into n OF the evangelical churches OF
Yankton, in which the week of prayer
has been devoutly observed. and whore
On nights ever as unpleasant as last
night, the pastor and a certain number
Of his flock have gathered each evening
sing and pray. The order of missions
in all places was the topic OF discussion
and the subject for prayer. Maps for
the purpose of showing the missionary
were hung on the walls, and
after the lpastor had pointed ont the
homes Of sacrificing persons who seek to
the teachings Of the bible to the
uttermost parts OF the earth, and had
told OF the good they had done, had re-
cited their needs and enjoyed their
characters, the heads OF the as
sembled believers we're deyou:ly tilted
forward and q prayer for the state of ell
missions assembled to the ear of the
Great Comptroller. Then q missionary,
whose special life work is in the advance
guard OF christianity in its journey west
ward, told of the needs of che nIssion-
airy in Dakota, and told of countless
in the wsy of that advance
guard, the heads were sgain bowed, and
9 prayer for the western missionary was
heard. Then q song interviewed aud
after that q church man suggested ways
and ear OF assisting in this great
work, and o prayer followed his remarks.
Thus the meeting continued. Prayer
and song and advice, and advice and
song and prayer until the hands OF the
clock pointed TO the hour for closing.
Without noise end without ostentation
the christians wendell their ways home.
ward, the sexton dowsed the lights and
q passer by half an hour later would not
have presumed that in that church there
had been gathered q portion of human
ity who we're interested In humanity.
And thus will prayers ascend year
after year, century after century, and
who is to prevent? This philanshropic
enigma has never been solved.
Card.