The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-07-21
A TENT or 1870

~Aasaga Nsa11 !
| A TENT OF 1870 sssi
tent worship but to enjoy it at Ocean
Grove, the location Of the most famous
camp meeting In the world, instead oi
| going TO the meetings they had 90 many
years attended i'm Brother Fosdick's q
/ woods. "
They had made the journey from their
inland home. fully prepared. they be-
lieved. for the unexpected, but not for
such y crowd OF persons, DO their eyes
thoroughly "citifed" i'm dress and man
ner, nor for such noise and hustle, nor
for the policemen that were scattered
about But after o bit they pluclsd mp
courage and took seats In one or the
carryall-like stages that navigate be-
tween the station and ''the Grove. Y The
fare was 10 cents apiece, and later they
learned with dismay that all but q cents
Of the 30 they expended for the trans
portation might have been saved by
walking half mile or thereabouts and
paying q ferriage fee Of cent each
Park" and s'the Grove
It had been their intention, ON the
advice Of friends who knew of the ar
rangements for temporal comfort at
Ocean Grove, TO rent furnished tent
and live under canvas there, as they
were wont TO do at home, but when
they learned that tents rent for S1 q
day, tables for 30 cents week, chairs
for % and other things I'm proportion
they figuerd up tho cost when the food
should be paid for, considered the trou-
BILE of keeping house and decided to
board at the hotel at which they had
been set down by the stage driver and
devote their time to worship and rest
and decorous sightseeing.
During their first day at ''the Grove
they met with but one experience atsall
familiar. 1t was repeated often during
the fortnight TO which their stay was
extended and was furnished by the fer
vor of the love feasts No other feature
of these gatherings was like the love
feasts they had enjoyed at home. There
it was an extremely well attended love
feast if 200 were present, and in such
cases the feast would be held under the.
trees in front of the preachers stand. =
Often the attendance would not exceed
a score or So and then the gathering
would be under the canvas of one OF
the larger of the brethren's tents. AT
Ocean Grove the love feasts were held
in vast auditorium, and the attend
ance varied from 5000 to 1000. The
size of the building and the immensity
of the throng at first quite took their
breath away. AT the feasts they had been
accustomed to the brethren and sisters
broke bread together and drank water
from the same cup. Here they could do
nothing Ut the sort because of the vast
ness of the assemblage, but q substitute
was introduced that warmed the hearts
of the visitors nightly.
Let every brother and every sister, =
said the leader I'm loud, clear tones,
shake hands with every brother and
sister within reaching distance. !"
Then every One stood. and there was
q swaying of the multitude as Ii d
mighty wind had swept over it Here
and there every one reached for hands,
and the man with the fringe OF snowy
chin whiskers and the woman with
prunella shoes found that, though the
hands extended TO them were softer than
those OF most of the brothers and sisters
met at the love feasts at home, they
were not less cordial Above the rustling
Of garments and the murmur of low
spoken greetings, too, were heard the
calculations Of Praise the
Lordr' and "Halleluiahi'' and there
came from the lips Of the fervia mp
himself soul satisfied
"Ameni' as his being was permeated
with the spirit Of the time and place
After q little the voice of the leader,
penetrating every part of the buiIding,
was heard again.
Now shake hands with .mer' he
cried. and every right hand in the throng