The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-29

what the manner or our worship is,
so long as its spirit is right7 God is
spirit, and must be worshiped in
spirit and in truth, you know"
"Yes, l do know, Mr.. Thomas. And
| apprehend that God is an intelli-
gent being, also, and is to be wor-
shipped in an Ineligible way by his
intelligent children; but when they
lap one sentence over the other, as we
did last Sunday, when they tumble
words together without pause, en-
phasis, or infection, it seems to me
there is neither intelligence, nor spir-
it, nor truth, in their worship"
perhaps not, perhaps not" said
the minister, refectively. "Yet God
looks upon the heart. But if any
heart is disturbed and vexed we must
be more careful, we must be more
careful. I consented to the change,
Miss Daphne, with much inward mis-
giving, not for the congregation, but
for myself You remember, at your
own most kind suggestion, long ago
gave up reading the hymns to save
my failing voice, and the new service
is longer than the hymns. ] am will
ing, however, to do the best l can,"
he added quickly.
Then Miss Daphne did remember
with CONSERVATION her strategic du-
plicity in persuading her pastor to
drop reading the hymns, not so much
in behalf of his voice as her own ex-
acting taste and nerves. She felt all
her guilt and said, humbly:
"Forgive me, Mr.. Thomas, forgive
me for everything! Most of all for
give me for not thinking of the extra
work that falls on you. If it is too
great we must relieve you, somehow
But, in the meantime, will you please
ask the people to read more slowly,
and more Understandings? And,
oh, Mr.. Thomas, can't you make them
see that God means us to mind the
stops, always"
The minister's lifelong habit of
finding suggestions for sermons in
chance remarks did not desert him
now. His dim eyes frightened as he
perceived the head and shoulders of
a fine moral discourse lying in Miss
Daphne's words, like the statue in
the block of marble. With a beam
ing smile he promised to speak to
the congregation, and to try himself
to do what she desired.
The following Sunday found Miss
Daphne an early occupant of the
front pew, where she was joined in
due season by her young friends
Clara and George. She had brought
light foot-stool under her mantle,
by which to augment her own low
stature and give nature standing
rebuke for combining SO much energy
in so small compass.
AS he had promised, Mr.. Thomas
prefaced the responsive service by
tender, fatherly exhortation to his
people to make it an expressive and
impressive presentation of their COM
bined needs and aspirations, includ
ing himself in the admonition. They
started off in tolerable order, but an
increasing animation and fervor in
the aged pastor soon broke up the
march toward perfection. He began
his lines before the previous response
was ended, as if he desired to be
with his people in all things, and
the people scrambled to get through
with their part in advance of him. In
vain Miss Daphne gave full vent to
her fine contralto voice, and Clara
and George followed closely; matters
were rapidly growing worse. Sud-
denly Miss Daphne picked up her
foot-stool, assembled to the platform
around the pulpit, mounted the stool
and poured her energetic soul into
the response, which, in singular fit
ness, happened to be: "The Lord is
the strength of my life; of whom,
then. shall | be afraids"
The tone of leadership admitted of
no gainsaying; even the erratic good
man in the pulpit was inspired to
mind his stops" by the positive, in
cisive voice below him; and to follow
Miss Daphne was second nature to
the citizens of Grantley and the mem
bers of the West Church. The
strangers present, of whom there were
many on that summer morning, saw
little blackeyed, slivery- haired wo-
man aglow with the fervor of her
spirit, self-forgetful, and determined,
whose not unpleasant voice pene-
trated to the farthest corner of the
church, and they willingly followed
L L