Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-07-29
'tacy from bestowed, rather than antic!-


pated, material and spiritual content.
/ noticed too, ss the ever.ng advanced,
that ct least half the folk upon the street
held In their hands folded slips of paper,
large follos Ike programmes, or tiny
bound copies of the gospels, their pages
interspersed with pressed mountain leaves
and flowers or with ribbons, esch appa-
rently at the place of some timely text.
Most of these folk gradually changed the
course of their various promensdes to a
common direction. After a time, partly
from vsgrant impnlss, romething from Gu
rious interest, largely because knew not
where else to go, and no little from those
emotions which are always active in the
wanderers breast from something Ike a
home sick feryor for human companion
ship, even If every face and form you
look upon have alien ties, ! followed the
crowds through few squares Of the COM
pact old town.
Just at it's southern edge, where the
green swArd dipped prettily 10 the water
way of the romantic Greta stresm, / at
last came with the latest oomers TO huge
tent illsd With perhaps Eve thousand wor-
shippers, then engaged In prayer. / crept
into the place, secured an unoccup.ed set
tie along the tent edge some distance from
the door and stroye with q keenly avak-
ened interest to comprehend the exsct sig
nihcanee of 60 great religious gathering
In 60 remote part of England, and, with
something like critical cuEiosity, to Judge
If might the real spirit Of an Esssmblage,
composed as could be Instantly discovered,
of representatives. of widely divergent
faiths and cTeeds.
Straight opposite the entrance was e
broad, raised platform. Its central por-
ton was reserved for leaders and speakers,
and large wing at either side was filed
with members Of the choir. There was
naught else between the benches, ranged
arena like around the front snd ends, with
their occupants, and the canvas of the
roof above. Plain 10 severity Was the
place OF this great convcestion. The ser
vices, purely OF prayer and praise in cong,
seemed equally free from the many com
mon articles for exciting extrsneo1s IN
terest. Nor Ess there in the entire even
Ing service a single ebuliition Of these
physical phenomena which often sttend
certain conditions of religious excite
ment. l never elsewhere heard prayer IN
so softered tones. One might almost
hken it to barely audible aspiration of
spiritual longing for larger peace through
faith, rather than as in many similar gath
erinRs, q startling verbal argument with
the Almighty for failure la granting great
er lung power. The hymns were from q
collection called Hymns of Consecration
and Faith" They spoke tenderly and de
vCtsdly those two essentials to the perfect
Christian life, and those sluBe. Ii Eas as
though sn unbroken and uauttersble peace
possessed every one of those five thousand
souls. From opening invocation to clos-
ing word of blessing there was but one
exalted, peaceful strain swee;ly thrilling
through every human tOne-''I am Thine
and Thou art mine" And then they went
away with calm or glowing faces into the
balmy summer night.
AS the tent was being closed, not having
place to lay my head that night, still sat
at the tent-edgs on the old settle. A half
dozen men snd women came TO me. / st
tempted to xplain that could not secure
lodging in keswIck, though quite able 10
pay my reckoning. They would not hear
me out. Their hearts were aGtuned TO the
spirit of the place ard the voIds of the
service they had uttered. They saw me,
trsvel-stained and houseless. only with the
eyes of compassion and help. Two gave
me a Eixpence each, another a shilling,
another a thTi'penny bit, with words of
material and spiritual consolation for the
night, tbs morrow and eternity. Even the
old caretsker, having seen tsese good souls
out and extinguished the last lamp, STUN
his hand and let even his feeble light so
shine that he found huge copper penny,
which he pressed into my hand with the
kindly sduonitioD:
"Bide ere & moaru, n I'll let tha oct for
beet (bite) Z ny ain table Ma { Laird
be WI tha over meet an oalas (slwaysDl'
sank into a dresmless sluuber, and
was awakened betimes by the cid care
tsker. True TO his word be took me to bis
B.. k-r- III
tions left the coin go kindly forced upon
me the previous night: and, hsyirg had
the honor of being the Only pshson ever
exclusively entertained over night by the
Keswick convention, after bad got well
settled at q comfortable inn, where dspArt-
ing tourists gave me place, lsisurely en-
joyed old Keswick town and its romantic
surroundings and 8 curso.y study Of the
"keswick movement"
These now noted Kesxick conventions
are simply cUest gatherings OF English,
Scotch and ITish clergymsn aud o;hsr
Christian W.: kers cf all orthodox faiths
They are the outgrOwth CT mesiings many
Yeas agS in the north ard wcst cf Eng
land of local bodies OF the International
Evangelical Alliance, and their influence
upon the spiritual lives of individual cler-
gYmeD, particularly the late Canon 7. D.
HzriOrd- BstterEby, incumbent OF st.
Johns church, KeswIcll, who, perhaps sl-o
aided by the gentle spell Of the Lake die
tr.ct genii, gradually departed from TrAc
tartan principles 10 the Evangelical SCHOOL.
His lie and work were those OF = grand,
sweet sud indeed holy man, borrowing for
| the metes aud bounds OF crseds separating
those working for the salvation of men,
| and ferveutly striving for cOnpsets Chris
tian unity in essentials through realization
of an exalted faith.
In September. ls74 was held the OK.
/ ford convention on sinilaT lines. Ii cres-
ted an epoch In the lives of many hun,
dreds OF believing Christians, and set Cu
foot movement OF great and increasing
power for the promotion OF holiness
Canon Bsttersby attended this. IL re
moved his last douh.. He "enteTtd int
the rest Of faith, " be wrote, ~ this con
yentIon. In Juns OF tie next year tk
"KssRick movement which had nOT
practically become the BstterEby move
ment within the Church Of England, cul
minated in the hrst Of ths Keewick con
ventions. They have been held every yes
| since during the last week in July: and o
the Esd OF July, 1883, theiz founder die
here ~ KeswicE, with thousands Of thes
convention folk about him A. his gent
spirit was lost IN the unBiteTable glow
aud faded before faiths vision noisGles'
ly."
These mee.ings continue foT q weel
They may be said to differ from the AUel
lean ChEutAugua gatherings In the paFii'
ulars Of possessing no seculsriy educa.iT
or diverting features, and in the cole asp
ration by attendants of resting" TAtht
than q mere "seskiUg" faith. Indeed II
former Is the keynote of every phase {
effort here. Five daily services are he!t
i A - EzauHHk-
ssen but q few DAYS before In the remote
places OF Britain-oyer-w worked town Gle
gy; lonely country parsons; deyout VI
Mrs. I'm. HuLse, MaHfmsiJJkiHi g. 3
Taken from the grave.