Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-12-06

young man fresh from taking high honor'
| i'll college life and his earnest words brought
tears to many eyes.
Another said: II have been made free tt
| certain extent, but want you topray fol
me that I may be made wholly free"
Another, an old man, said he had beef
trying the way of Jesus for fifty odd years
and had had his trials and temptations. HI
urged them never to give up going tt
church.
Several others gave their testimony, some
ten OIL twelve.
Secretary Dadmun closed this part of the
services by relating his visit to the bedside
OF dying man that afternoon. The man
had asked that ''Shall we gather at the
river" be sung to him, and when it was done
he asked that it be sung over again. And
then after it was sung, he asked in his fast
failing voice, ''Do you think l could get
there. Is it all right; will He save me p
''But,7 said Mr.. Dadmun in closing his
narrative, ''what hard place a death-bed
Is W UeSlu 10 III uSU Jesus.
SILENT PRAYER.
Then came the few moments of silent
prayer during which lifted hand is taken
as request for prayers. This is one of
the most touching scenes of the whole ser
vice. Every head is bowed in silence. Here
goes up the hand of a boy. Here starts up
a hand which is taken back, then makes an
other false start, and then starts up and
stays up. A young man reaches out for the
hand of another and gently tries to lift it for
prayer. Its owner will not, and the other
let's go. The Secretary says few words OF
cheer and encouragement in low tone, not
loud enough to disturb the silence that lies
over the sea of bowed heads in front. A
hand goes up, another, three, four, five, six
1t looks like life-saving station with
those drowning hands stretched up out of
the sea for divine help and the station master
calling out encouraging words from the
shore. "There is no trouble" the station
master keeps saying, ''you will not be lost;
you aciU be saved if you call on Jesus. Only
hold up your hands out of the water and let
us see where you are.'' Another hand, and
another goes up. Everything is still silent.
The hour is near for closing. The voice of
a minister is heard in earnest prayer. The
hour for closing has come. There rises
sweetly on the air two hundred voices sing
ing ''God be with you till we meet again. >
The voice of minister is heard saying the
benediction. The evening is over.
WHAT FOLLOWS.
1t is over for the mere spectator, but not
for those with a deeper interest-those lif-
ted hands that have been drawn ashore. The
Secretary informs the leaving audience that
all who are interested in their souls are
begged to come into the adjoining parlor.
He and others want to see them there and
talk with them. Many go. And the rest
go down the broad stairway leading to the
street, having spent an evening long to be
remembered.
THE MEETINGS TO BE CONTINUED.
Up to last night the interest was undi-
unfinished. Every night the hall by the
time the meeting closes is full, for many
drop in after it has commenced and provis-
ion for them is made. Up to this time Is
persons have protested conversion. The
inquiry room nightly has from fifteen to
twenty new inquirers in it. They are not
alone from Staunton, for there have beer
men in there from Highland county who
had happened to drop in on the meeting, and
men from other parts OF Augusta.
In view of all this it has been con
cluded not to try to stop the meetings this
week, but to continue them as long as this
extraordinary interest exists. There will
be no Ladies Day next Sunday afternoon
but the meeting will be for men only and
so will be the meetings all next week.