Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-06-17
PHILLIPS BROOKS and THE BRO
KERS.
4 Business Mans Description ofthe Ser
mons at Old Trinity Church,
NelC York.

Nelu York C0ltiaclH.
"But you all remember those Lenten
services at Old Trinity given at midday.
They lasted for a week, and it was Won
der to everybody that the hurrying mon
ey-grabbers should leave their business
lust at the busiest hour to 90 to church.
l walked into Walpole & Stockton's Of
fee on Tuesday morning and after trans
acting some business young Walpole said
to me, "Come and have a drink and we'll
90 over to hear Brooks preach" | ac-
cepted the first part of the invitation
the remainder | thought was siekly
Joke. But it was not. He not only in
tended to go church, but insisted that |
should 90 too.
"I never saw Old Trinity so crowded in
all my life. We could not hope to get in
at the front, and would not have got in
at all but that Walpole met regular
worshiper there, who gave us the tip to
20 through the little door into the yestry.
From this we crowded our way into the
south side aisle. You never saw such an
audience in your life. All the big men
of the Street were there, several Of the
millionaires standing in the aisles among
the crowd.
"There were such representative men
as General Thomas l.. Watson, George
Bliss (not the Colonel, but the partner Of
the Vice President. Chas. S Smith, presi-
dent of the Chamber Of Commerce; George
w Ely, secretary of the Stock Ex-
change w. J.. Bull, then the president
of the Stock Exchange Che waited on
Mr.. Brooks after the sermon and took him
across the street to lunch) Frank En-
mon, John T. Terry, the executors Of
Governor Morgan's estate 4; Sidney Dillon,
now the president Of the Union Pacific
r. NJ. Galloway, the vice-president of the
Elevated and his general manager, +.
X. Hahn; Henry Clews, Richard Cross,
J. C. Calhoun, President c. G. Wilson,
of the Consolidated Exchange, Colonel
John J. McCooke, John j. Knox, j. d.
Verlilye, w. c. Rhinelander, Joseph II.
Choate, Allen w. Evarts, Elihu Root
well, take directory of the principal
men who have downtown offices. They
were all there.
"If they didn't get seat the first day
they went, they were on hand earlier the
next day. Every seat was occupied a
quarter Of an hour before the time Of ser
vice, and after that there was such crowd
ing as you never saw. The chorislers
could not make their way through the
crowd, so the professional and recessional
hymns had to be done away with. Trini-
tvs chior is a famous one, but | doubt if
anybody listened to them during the six
moons Philips Brooks occupied the pull
pit
"Then the preacher came out Of the
vestry in long white robe. A magnif-
cent specimen of manhood, and what he
preached was essentially what Kingsley
described as muscular Christianity
These Wall street men, you know, have
an idea that religion is woman's affair.
They pay the pew rent, and she takes the
children to church. 1t is the proper
thing, especially if you live in the sub
urbs. But a curious thing, there was not
woman to be seen at these services. l
wanted to take my mother and some
friends to hear the great Boston orator,
and wrote to DR.. Dix asking if it was
possible to reserve seats for them. He
made a courteous and lengthy reply that
he had thought of giving them seats in
the organ loft, but that the application
for seats for women were so numerous
that he felt it would be unfair to reserve
any seats for them.
"When Philips Brooks came in the
people crushed back and made a lane for
him, Just as they would for a charge Of
cavalry. His presence itself commanded
it. l should say he is about six feet three
and splendidly proportioned. The choir,
stalls and the whole Of the chancel, even
the steps to the communion table, were
crowded. Mr. Brooks went straight to
the pulpit, and reading only one or two
of the prayers for the day, Immediately
gave out a hymn.
"The audience was Immediately all
interest and expectation. Before this
their behavior was what might be called
reverence, but they were restless, and
looked often at their watches, and proba-
bly, some of them thought that the fleet
ing moments might wipe out their mar
gin. For not only the big bankers and
brokers and leading lawyers we're there,
but the curbstone brokers and clerks, who
Il