Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-07


ing noble thing to act as Professor
Swings audience on such day. But
others were there. Slowly the audience
room filed mp, and when the organ
struck up nocturne with cuckoo inter
lude, and the organist was feeling around
over the features of his instrument for
some new stops to pull out, the seats were
comfortably filed, and remained so till
the service was over. There was no
choir. The organist sat by himself up
in the loft, and toyed with the valves
and things, unmoved and unvexed by
the young people who generally eat but
terscotch and talk like theater party
while not vocalizing A slender young
man with far away and pensive look
led the congregation in song by means
of small baton which he waved to and
fro, but which he did not offer to play
on.
BURT forth into song. l could not
help it. People near me looked around,
struck by my strange, wild melody
Some seemed startled. Others were visi-
bly, affected, and would have repented if
they had been encouraged, think. Con-
viction could be seen ON their faces; also
remorse and sorrow for the past.
One man read newspaper during the
f, early part of the service. l could hear
an usher near me cussing him for his
lack of reverence. "Hell of way to do
in church, isn't it," he seemed to NUT
| ter, as the man went on reading about
the baccarat scandal in England, and of
how, bright little child in Michigan had
recently been boiled in q kettle of hot
maple sap.
Before and all through the services
the rattle of the lesson leaf or celestial
menu, if may be allowed that term, was
very disturbing, especially to those who
desired to hear and criticise the prayer.
/ would suggest the leather covers used
in restaurants sometimes for these hymn
slips to deaden the sound and keep them
clean. They would not rattle them
selves or the speaker so much then.
Professor Swing sis great big brainy
man." He does not get his sermons from
the worn wax cylinders of his mind, or
reel off the thunken thoughts of men now
dead and turned to dust. He is big,
broad man, in the shade of whose mighty
| think works, TO use smile of his own,
the little poison weeds of doubt and dis
trust die out and disappear. Great
| minds like great trees get all the sun
light, and the breeze, and the ozone, or
whatever it is which they require in their
business, and at their feet the little
measly jimson weed of schism and
those things curl up and die. Meantime
far above, and refusing to monkey with
the trivial dogmas and the pallid, noxious
growth below. the brave big tree losses
| its grand old arms about, and the birds
come there and build their nests and
spoon around in the early spring, and
thank God for the beautiful and the bully
| old universe, so free to use temporarily
and then return in good order to the
| Creator.
David seemed to know that was there,
and so he spoke well. l applauded him
| once with my umbrella, but was re-
preached for it by heavier set man than
l am, so did not carry it to excess.
Speaking of General Sherman Profess
scr Swing said: What glorious thing
| it is for US that God never repeats him
| self! He gives us man equally great
in some ways for the one we have lost.
but never again the same arrangement
| of talents. What grand man was Gen
eral Sherman! A character like his has
an eternal monopoly of itself.
The perfect man has the affections,
the understanding and the will equally
balanced. The scholar is apt to cult
vate his understanding at the expense of
his will and his affections" Thus he be-
comes bloodless, fabby hungerer for
more books, more problems, more to
read; loveless, abnormal man, a lop
sided copartnership between wabbly
will, a weak affection and a cerebral
tapeworm. (The language is not Pro-
fessor Swings; only the idea, the thought
germ. The word painting is mine.)
So, likewise, the drunkard and the lib
ertine allow the affections to run away
with the will and the understanding,
while the stubborn man permits his
will to ride with Mexican spurs over his
affections and his understanding. He
has firmness and that is ali. He does
not love anybody nor know anything
he is the great anthropoid jackass of the
ageNin which he lives.
Tho congregation united in repeating
the Lords Prayer, the big organ warmed
up to it's business, and the congregation,
including the bright yorng prima donna
who pens these lines, went softly and
plunkingly home in the rain, still re-
membering the closing hymn of the
morning:
Earth has MANY cool retreat,
Many a spot to memry dear;
Oft we find our weary feet
Lingering by some fountain clear;
Yet the purest waters flow
In the land tn Which xve on