Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-17

II
Earnest Prayers by Clergymen and Lay
men-Personai Appeals TO the Uncovered
square room. high ceiled and lacking in or
namentation: semi-circula-ly arranged above
the walnut and gilt-fronted pipe organ the
words. The earth is the Lords and the fullnesi
thereof on the gently sloping floor hundreds
of crimson upholstered opera chairs and nea,
the platform an upright piano. That is the
interior of the Church of the Tabernacle, just
south of the National Museum. A pleasant
faced man, of medium height and forid coun.
tenance; countenance decorated with light
brown mustache and chin whiskers, around
the shapely head, rearward from ear to
ear. fringe of brown hair. That is
the Rev. Edward Payson Hammond, the
evangelist. Take the room described and fill
| every chair with male female humanity; put
| the man just sketched on the platform and sur
round him with sympathetic laborers in the
| vineyard of the Lord; start the organ or the
piano and call into activity the vocal organs of
| those who occupy the chairs, end then you
have one scene i'll a revival meeting-such meet
| ings as are now being conducted by DIR. Ham,
mOnd in opposition to the -frequen mt assemblages
| IN this city run by or in the interests of per-
sonal devil.
4 FEATURES OF HIS MEETINGS..
| One of DIR. Hammond's services very closely
resembles any other under his direction, and
yet to the religious enthusiast there are new
features in each meeting. The people were
| erowdlng into the edifice when STAR reporter
entered the other evening. A lady, seated at
| the piano. was doing what Mark Twain would
call her ''level best to lead the congregation in
singing hymn set to the tune OF annie Lisle, ~
and when the last verse was done DIR. Ham,
i OF 90 I1,1-
| leaned upon it for a moment or two and then
| said: Il want to tell you about hymn in this
| book" Tie had the undivided attention of all
| present while he told a simple but effective
story as to the origin Of the hymn which he
was about to announce as next on the program.
Suddenly he bowed his head and before any
one seemed to realize what he was doing he
| had prayed audibly that the singing of the
hymn might be blessed. Two Of the verses he
sang almost without assistance, but in the
| choruses the fortissimo was supplied by the
organ and the gradually increasing familiarity
| OF the congregation with the tune.
| HOW HYMN Is SUNG.
People were still crowding in, giving the
ushers all they could attend to, when DR.. Ham
mond announced: "Well sing Jesus of Naza-
reth Passes BY to the tune Sweet Hour Of
| Prayer. Some of you, continued the doctor,
have never sung that hymn to that tune
| before, but you'll do it now. There are some
II
never gave your heart to Christ; but some of
YOU are going to do 1t tonight"
Very rarely Is hymn sung through without
interruption. The evangelist knows some
story connected with nearly all his hymns. and
he tells it between the verses. The choir,
which is a small one, lacks public leader. but
| the preacher ills the void. ''You are all ready
now, he says, and then voice and q waving
| hymn book accentuate the time and accelerate
tine speed. Occasionally tagging vocalists are
rIxad kAs,x
brought into contact with the piano top or the
reading desk. 1nder the doctors direction
| the singing rapidly shows symptoms of i'm
provement. The stock of hymn books was in
sufficient, so each verse was read before any
attempt was made to sing it. A few spirited
| remarks preceded the concluding stanza and
then DIR. Hammond, with remarkable elocu-
tionary and heart-touching expression, recited
| the verse:
| but If you still this call refuse
| And dare such wondrous love abuse.
Soon will BE sadly from you turn.
Your bitter prayer in justice spurn
| Too lI.e, too late! Will be the cry,
| Jesus o! Nazareth has passed by!i
1--WE started for Canaan" was the theme OF
the next hymn, which followed closely after its
predecessor. The tune was, Home. Swee,
Home" and the congregation made the walls
of the church ring again with the world-loved
melody. Busy ushers had distributed printed
copies Of the hymn and that accounted for a
good deal of the increased volume of vocaiiza-
| ton.
TESTIMONY OF CONVERTS.
Snow We are all going to pray" said the
doctor. This brother COUGHING a minister
who had been at his right hand) will do the
talking, and Wen pray with our hearts: pray
that the words which come through lips of clay
| the hearts OF adamant may break" The peti
ton was brief. and then. in obedience to tine
leaders request, an old gentleman-yhose face
looLed at the congregation out of a frame OF
white hsir-stood up, and, with earnest but
| stamnering tongue, told of his conversion by
Dr.. Hammond sixteen years before. He wal
followed by another occupant of the platform
u tail. black-bearded man, whose speech wal
very interesting and whose religious experienc,
was eyidentlywell founded and loIg-hved. 4
third one OF tile volunteer assistants then cam,
forward and pleaded for more work among tn,
children: if the little ones could only be saved
for the next ten years the millennium was no
far away.
AN APPEAL FOR CASH.
Up to this tine the pastor of the church, tn,
Rev. G.. j. Jones, had done nothing more thar
try to provide seats for the seatless, but he be
came interested in the proceedings and tool
up position ON the platform. DR.. Jones is
pleasing speaker, his Welsh accent adding I,
the popularity of his oratory. His interest i,
the occasion Observation-Disclosures
|, financial. He declared his belief in PRAYER
but affirmed that his belief in collec tons wa
as great lie couiJ not, lie Silt be gOOt
Christian for one day unless he gave OF hi
: lnesns 20 tine support OF the Lords cause. Hi
appeal did not fall on unheeding ears and Their
Was much currency in the baskets and hat
when they were turned over to the prope
authorities TO be counted.a gratifying con(iit oI
Of affairs, fer most reviyals are expensive
affairs
Let us take the wings of the morning an,
fly away to Jesus sang the congregation an,
while this was being done DIR. Harmon,
requested one of those sitting nearest each win
dow to let in a little oxygen; it was needed
The pastor assured everybody that opening tn
windows would not give anybody a cold, bu
, there was no rush TO admit few much-reede
. fragments of the outer atmosphere. Then ID
! Jones and one of the ushers opened the neces
sary windows, and when they had been ope
long enough shut them again.
DIR. KANMoNDs ExRoarATIoNs.
By that time DIR. Hammond was ready to be
gin his exhortation, some thing he did withou
any predatory or apologize remarks. Almost a
soon he stated he missed his Bags.er Bib
and at once gave audible expression to the hop
that it had not been stolen, an expression whic
caused some of the young ladies in the choir I
look as though they wanted to say II didn
take your bihte.
Until Dir. Hammond warns up to his wor
e his voice frequently lacks penetration. Hi
, words, at times, fail to reach the listeners i
r the rear OF the church. but his name
4 conveys precisely the impression his word