Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-10-17
LIFE WITH STURGEON
CONTINUED from Second Page. 7

CONTINUED from Second Page.
The preacher opens bis hymn book
turns to Psalm CXXII, aid in a marvel
Ously clear and melOdiOus voice begins:
How did my hosrt rejoice TO hear my friend
devOutly say
Il Zion let us all appear and keep the solemn
His voice is heard in every corner of the
big church ana know at once the secret
or one Of the ssCrets-cf his great popU-
lari'y. TIE OLD women In the gallery
lean forward with their trumpets 10 their
ears. The congregation listens attentive
/ " and the rosy checked boys from the or
/ phi nsge open their hymn books and fol-
low the greet preacher as he uitefs every
word. | get better look at this marvel
Gus man. HIS lace Ia long and far from
pgepOsssssirg His chm Is very prOmi-
nent and hardly covered ny his iron grey
whlskera HIS lips are full. Hia nose Is
thick and Iot well propor,iOned. His
yes seem small as they look out from uu-
der his bushy eyebrowns; but the fore
head = broad ard commanding His
shoulders SIZE round and be has an in
meusty OF girth that, if il does NOT
tell Of good living tells Of Insufficient *
eIc'se. His clothing IS ill-6tung, bu'
when he speaks all these defects disappear
His voice is meloGiOus; It IL as sweet as
the babbling of a brook in June; IL rises
aud falls in perfect rhythm; 1t Is voice
thar eaptivates and holds the hearer spell
bound. There IS lot a trace of English
accent IL il, although It's owner is Sd
EuglisAm0u, Gs we're HE father and grand
fathers before him As be inishes read
ny the last hue of the hymn, he ad-
vances 2 step CT two ana In quiet
familiar way. tells his audience that he
wished everybody 10 sing; that there are
no strangers IN Gods house and that
while some of them present may not be
Nelson's or MariOs yet it is their duty 20
praise God
AZ this moment gtey-haired map OF
fifty steps nimbly forward Oppos te ,hs
preacher He takes an Old.fsshiOned tun-
iog-fork from his pocket, taps it gently on
he rail Of the platform, puts 1t to his ear
until he gets the proper note and then in a
cracked and far from pleasant voice leads
tbs vast congregation in singing This is
perhaps the most nOSel feature OF the great
church. The orphan boys on the platform
below ably sustain the ptecentOr. Their
sweet, childish and musical voices very
quickly drown the leader harsh notes aud
IN an instant the thousands in the cOupre
cation take mp the hymn ana sing it with
a will, until Ibs very rsfters shake and
through the open windows the soog may
BE- heard two blOcks away.
Mr. Spurgson leans on the rail of tie
platform Familiarity. He looks lovingly
az the bOys beneath him, smiles foEdly a.
those whom be recognizes Ia the oongre-
cation and then sings line OF two as we
can easily tell by the movement Of bis
lips.
The singing ceases. The last notes havs
died away. The great preacher bows his
hesd 70 pray and almost the entire audi
ence follows bin. DE gives the prayer in
a Clesr, distinct voice Il is simple plss
for mercy. There il nothing theatrical n
| his manner OF bis method. His language
IL 81 p am that even tbs tiniest of the or
I phau boys understand him and his voice
Is marvel oG-ly sweet. The little fello -s
| listen attentively TO every WORD. There
are fery'd ameus from every corner. The
great preacher remains IN the sane
position, with bis arms extended, until be
cones 90 tue last sentence. MAY moth
I iog disturb the childlike simplicity Of our
| faith hat makes rs look up heavenward
aud say ,rusiiDgly, Oar Father" I zee
/ that bis ewes ale resting lovingly on the
/ little waits beneath BIN
There is smother hymn and tine old FL
I low with TIE tuning loIk leads in the
sirgiug as b. fore Then Sir. SpurReOn
steps forward aud reads the morning
rotice,. Af'er this be reads his text IN .
clear, ringing VOICE aud bsglus his serulcl
/ me text 70 from joshua snd tho sermon
describes the march Of the children Of
/ Isreal O7er Jordan. Tbs great orator
describes, in a glowing pen picture, the
| travels of tie chosen Oues of the Lord;
nut is is all 70 simple a-d
pain that the most uneducatsd in the su-
! dieuce can follow him He occupies thirty
/ Eve minutes in his discourse, talking
about 40 words yer minute, end is lis
tened 10 with msrSed attention. The SER
mon ia ipteIsp eIssd with bits of descriptive
incident aud aneCdote I, is al told in
such "a plain. ftheiy ard simple way that
/ +, carries conviction 10 the heart and 10 Is
easy enough q see thst one source % The
great preachers success g the simplicity OF
his manner Of preaching.
I have listened 70 many orators on both
sides Cf the Atlantic, have heard oil the
famous preachers. but know Of none vhC
psrallels this real bishop Of London IL his
esrnestness, his eloquencs and his simple
inv II were asked 10 name q man " Do
orsachs 4 to the next largest audieucss.
sould say that that man IS D. 7 De- Wit
Talmage, Of Brooklyn, New York.
The service ends by the singing of an
other hymn and the benediction. TIT
great audience passes out through 'h'
various doors and the preacher retires e
one of the auterooms As soon as they car
reach him 8 couple Of hundred stranger
and friends Join him there. For an houi
he Is kept busy bsnd shaking and givlui
words If encouragement and cheer to thos'
whom he knows and those who come t
him for advice I iud myself in this ante
room with the others. l tell the grea
nrescher that I am an American aud
newspaper writer aud he greets me in tn
most cordisl way.
at is q little odd" he goes on, "bu
YOU are the tenth person who, within tn
last ten minutes has told me that the
came from soross the ses. Il is nothinl
unusual for me to have among my audi
ence visitors from India, Australia, China
} japan and from Americs, and am Away
glsd to see my friends. Give my love Il
those who are working earnestly for m
cause of Christ scro1s the ocean. Tel
. them 10 be Of good faith. Christianity 1
making great progress but it needs new
soldiers for its army. wish it we're pos
sible for me to 90 10 America and see som
OF the dear friends there; but that Cal
never be must devote my time ard at
tention 10 my own dear people here II
London"
He passes on to the Others who ar
waiting for a word with him, picks up
little child, kisses it with the fODdness o
father, whispers some tender mssssge Il
he ear Of a new convert; in fact, go
about the loom like sunbeam.