Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-11-30

Deen heard of outside the purlieus of w.,
cago. The clergy, bewildered b,, IL. IN
centric genius, and suspicious Of HE -,
conventional ways, looked askanco a. hi,i,
ana II was only as time mellowed bis bnaJ
strong youth into a soberer vot MOI ~
Jealous, manhood that the solitar,, 49,, iooo
round influential friends to con1tonan noa
ana guide him. His activity osnooiaii''
during the years of the var 49,, ny
~, U u WIN almost superhuman devotion
L. IL cue Ohristlan Commission led MANY of
i ti,S iulIo"-laoorers to know his worth: and
w val over, ne became at last a recopniz.
TT I"cIor IN the religious life of Chicago.
, lne mission which he had slowly built up
Was elevated to the rank of a church. with
Mr. moody, who had long since given IN
ousliess Ill order to devote his entire time
" "naI lay nearer his heart, as its pastor.
development as n Public Speaker.
=, as public speaker up to this time Mr.
moody was the reverse of celebrated
"hen he hrst attempted speaking, in Bos-
Ton, he was promptly told to hold his
tongue, and further efforts in Chicago
were not less discouraging. "He had new
er heard, writes Mr.. Daniels. in his we'll
known biography, "of Talleyrand's ia
nous doctrine, that speech is useful for
Cohceallng ones thoughts. Like Antony.
ne only spoke right on There was fire.
quently pungency in his exhortation
winch his brethren did not altogether rel
ISM Sometimes in his prayers he would
express opinions to the Lord concerning
them which were by no means fattering
ana 1t was not long before he received the
same fatherly advice which had been given
MN at BostOn-to the effect that he should
Keep his four pews full of young men, and
leave the speaking and praying to those
who could do it better" Undaunted nv
such pleasantries, Mr.. Moody did, on oc-
casion, continue to use his tongue-no
doubt much ashamed of himself. He
spoke not because he thought he could
speak, but because he could not be silent.
The ragged children whom he gathered
round him in the empty saloon near the
North Side Market had to be talked to
somehow, and among such audiences, with
neither generalization nor preparation, he
laid the foundations of that amazingly di-
rect anecdotal style and explosive delivery
which became such a splendid instrument
of his future service. Training for the
| public platform, this man, who has done
/ LiACAN plbtAOll III Nblh llldu any llldu Vi Ills
! generation, had none. He knew only two
books, the Bible and Human Nature. Out
of these he spoke; and because both are
books of life, his words were afire with
life; and the people to whom he spoke, be-
ing real people, listened and understood
When Mr.. Moody first began to be in de
mand on public platforms, it was not be
cause he could speak. 1t was his expert
ence that was wanted, not his eloquence
AS a practical man in work among tn,
masses, his advice and enthusiasm wer,
called for at Sunday school and other con
yentions, and he soon became known il
this connection throughout the surround
ing states. 1t was at one of these conven
lions that he had the good fortune to NEE
Mr.. Ira d. Sankey, whose name must eve
be associated with his, and who hencefortl
shared his labors at home and abroad, AM
contributed, in ways the value of which
is impossible to eXaggerate, to the success
of his after work.