The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-06-27

10 ~, q
FRANCIS E. CLARK, ID, President.
with q rapidity neyere qualed there by any
other society, of whatever kind. Even III
Brazil (where il is known as the l-lda-
dores Christaos'), in Samoa (where Its ma
tive name is ''Oe an Use Ole Fcagal3a J.
in India. in New Guinea-inany place You
NAV select at random from list OF couh-
tries afar off and little known, you VIII 1liid
the Young Peoples Society OF Christian En-
deayor It's constitution has been trans
lated into almost every written language III
existence.
1t is as if n great train of religious Ter
yor had been ready laid from Portland Me-
TO all parts of the civilized world Ill me
winter Of 1881, waiting for Dr. frahclS IL.
Clark to touch to it the match OF conceh-
trated zeal. This he did when, on the even
ing of February ID, he invited the young
converts of recent religious revival III the
Willston church, of which he was pastor.
to gather ut his house. DR.. Clark, casting
about for some way by which to keep those
Young disciples lin the way hit upon the
nlon Of organizing among them society,
which should have many pleasant features,
but which should first, last and all the time
work for the glory of Jesus Christ, ana 1or
the spreitd ttmung yoni'g Pe"r'" "i 'ii' i|-
lgion Before the meeting he made rouSh
draft of the scheme on which he proposed
to organize the society, and drew up what
he called 4 ''constitutioI." These docu-
ments were the beginning of the Young Peo-
pies Society of Christian EndeaH0r. Every
one of the young people present signed the
constitutions when is practically the one
t,,
Oh the roll was that of w. IL. IeInell, who
taught Il large Sunday school class III the
Williston church, and who has ever since
been prominent in the Socetys work, hay
inc been three times elected president
thereof since it has grown to greatness.
Until August, 1881, the society,"
growth was confined to the parent city,
where it prospered amazingly. linen some
one wrote an article for Boston religious
monthly, under the heading, How One
Church Takes Care of Its Young People,
and the mine was fired Almost instantly
began the organization OF similar societies
all over the land, the name chosen by Or.
Clark being everywhere retained. January
membership of 1871 The same date III 1853
saw ilfty-six societies in existence, with
2S10 members. Figures Tor succeeding
years up to the present are:lSSi'l3 1916 Socl-
cites, 5000 members; $3.50 30 societies.
1864 members; 1856, 500 societies, 30
900 members; 1887, 2,314 societies, 10000
members; 1883, 1879 societies, 100000
members; 1889, 1872 societies, 4SooOO
members; 1890, lob societies, GGO0OO
members; 1891, 16,2I4 societies, l,OOS,9SO
members; 1893, 1880 societies, l, 100, 100
members; 1893 (estimated) 1000 societies,
80 900 members.
Last years convention in the Madison
Square Garden, New York city, became par
ticularly impressive through i comparison .
which many people made. Within Il few
weeks of the meeting of this convention OF
Young Christians, both of the great national
political conventions were i'll session. The
attendance at the Christian Endeavor CON
yention outnumbered ten to one the attend
ance at either of the political gatherings,
and for sustained enthusiasm the meet
ngs at Minneapolis and Chicago did not
compare with that i'll New York. although
on the former depended the choice OF candi-
dates for the presidency of the United
States, and the latter was wholly free
from the element of uncertainty or SuS-
pcnSe. 1t was purely an occasion for reJoc-
ing. There was no rivalry. no wire pull
ing, no heartburns no jealousy III It, at
tended three of the sessions, and they will
remain pictured on my memory as long as
| live. The most impressive prayers | have
evr heard were the short supplicationS Of
fcrcd III concert by each OF the delegations
in quick succession. The most impressive
singing | have ever heard was when the
vast congregation united on the last day
of the convention in Cardinal Newman
Lead. Kindly Light" The most impressive
sight of any sort | have ever witnessed
WAS the final ceremony of that convention,
when the delegates conSecrated themselves
anew to the service of Christ. AT that
moment President Clark lifted his hands,
trembling with emotion. raised his eyes,
streaming with tears of joy. and blessed the
multitude of bowed heads before him with
the glorious MiZpah blessing.
The Lord be between me and thee when
we are far from each other rang out his
voice in tones that reached to the uttermost
limits Of the enormous amphtheater. his
hands were stretched out in the attitude
of benediction. He made no effort to
check his weeping, and the multltude-ior
thirty seconds it was wrapped in supreme
silence. Then the presidents hands drop
ped to his side, and his voice was weak as
he said Il declare the eleventh annual
international convention of the United So
cieties of Christian Endeavor closed" In
the thirty seconds of silence that preceded
those last words the greatest prayer that
ever arose went up to God. AS the ten
sion of sublime emotion which had held the
concourse spellbound relayed, thousands
broke down and wcpt. 1t was the greatest
single exhibition of Christian sentiment that
the world ever saw.
The result of that convention has been
an almost incredible increase Of member
ship One reason for this is that q distinct
effort was made ut that convention to inn
press two facts on the public mnid. First,
that no pledge of permanent Christianity is
required of members-they must merely
promise to try to follow the teachings of
the Savior; second, that the society is not