The Brookhaven leader., 1891-12-03


bulc to the door opening into the
church proper. Mere we found tide
of humanity facing us.
"Is the house full ?"
"Yes."
"Then let us make for the CALLER
les !"
We turned up stairway which
luckily was near, and on reaching the
top found that the front seats were al
ready crowded, but we got places in
the second tier fiom the railing, and
congratulated ourselves on doing so
well. looked back aud saw that all
the seats in the gallery were full, and
that the crowd just inside was being
pressed forward uncomfortably by the
eager multitude on the stairs and in
the doors. a pretty girl suddenly
cried out to those behind her: "lf
you've got any manners, please don't
squeeze me to death Which
showed that at least one Georgia girl
objected to being pressed against
bench. looked then down into the
church. Not only the aisles were
filed with men and women-sOme in
chairs, some standiDg-but against
each wall the whole length of the
church people stood in single file like
soldiers. And chairs were being
brought through the doors near the
pulpit, and this continued until every
foot of room was occupied. Then it
was announced that there were plenty
of people in the street to fill the base
ment, and that they wanted some
body to preach there, but in this they
were disappointed and had to go home
sulking.
Then the inimitable Sam began to
talk, and for nearly two hours held
that immense crowd in their places
the ISLANDERS as well as those who sat.
At the beginning he was interrupted
by the people who were struggling
for standing room at the back of the
galleries. The preacher paused for a
moment. Then he called odt "When
you blab- -mouthed fools there shut ur
I'll 90 on Silence followed for a
little while, but it was soon broken by
a wOman's voice. "Just listen at that
old sister shoOtin' off her lip!' said
Jones. And the sister, and the crowd
became as still as mice.
1t is not my purpose to recite what
Sam Jones said. All America knows
more or less about his pulpit ways
and sayings. Suffice it to say that his
address was triumphant combina
ton of the elements that go to the
making up of a successful speech.
The golden idea of the sermon was
that conservation is the key-wOrd of
Christianity. The want of thorough
conservation to the cause of Christ the
chief stumbling block of ministry and
laity. He said he had mingled with
the church people of all the States of
the Union. He supposed he had
grasped the hands of ten thousand
preachers, yet he did not believe he
had met more than twenty that were
thoroughly cOnsecrated to the cause
of Christ. He believed he had met
two million laymen, but of that num-
Der he believed not more than one
hundred were thoroughly cOnsecrated
His remarks on this point called to my
mind these words from Arnold's
Light of the World:
''The echo, not the meaning of his speech
Lives, and men tell it sadly each to each,
With lips not hearts,
Jones' capacity for the logical and
grammatical statement of abstract
principles, his eloquence and pathos,
his story telling gift, his powers of
humor and burlesque, as either OF all
may be demanded by his subject,
prove him to be man of genius.
At will he scars to the loftiest flights,
or descends without impairment of
force to the slang epithets of the
streets. Rain or shine he draws
like circus.
When Jones came upon Small he
discovered bonanza. Small is the
life of the anti bar-room campaign
now in progress here, and was the
central figure of most remarkable
scene last Sunday afternoon. The
public expected two anti whiskey ad-
dresses at 3 p. m. Jones was to hold
forth at De Gives Opera House, and
Small at the Edgwood Avenue thea
tire. The day was dismal, and misera-
ble with mud and rain and sloppy
streets. Long before three, however,
despite the frOwn of the elements,
hundreds of people crowded the side
walk at De Gives. A few minutes
before three Sam Small appeared on
the steps, and announced that Jones,
owing to sickness in his family, could
not,keep his appointment. "But ~
said Small, evil try to entertain you
| at the EdoNOOdn And the crowd