The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-18

and women began to rise all over the house
That's right, that's right. There's an
other and another. Perhaps there are some
in the galleries or On the stage that cant
see,7 Just one more. Remember on this de-
cision may rest aEsouls salvation. Let III
sing the second verse of Almost Persuad
ed All. there is another and another who
seeks he Lord. Let us pray"
At the close of the prayer the hymn 2ll
was sung. and the bcnediction pronounced
Then the private meeting was held in Re
ception hall.
The audience in the afternoon. composed
of young people living on the other SIDE
of Cong1 ess street. was one of the largest
ever seen in the hall. 1t ofowded the aisles
and occupied the stairways and all other
places within sound of the preachers voice
THE EVENING MEETING.
Large as was the afternoon meet ing, that
of the evening exceeded it. 1t is many
Those who remember the famous occasion
when william Fitt Fessenden addressed his
constituents after his vote against the I'M
peac bment of President johnson. say that
the settees were removed and the audience
stood as close as they could. That was very
likely the largest audience ever seen in the
ball. But last evenings was probably very
near the second largest. The doors were
opened at O'Clock. Fifteen minutes later
the stream of people coming away. havina
been unable to enter the hall, was SO LARGE
that one could hardly get mp the main stair.
way. There was an attempt to regulate
the admission by tickets; but it broke down
before the crowd. They pressed upon
the ticket takers SO fiercely that those
functionaries and the police assistants We're
nearly overwhelmed. Then Mr.. j. R. Lib
by of the corp of manager, came down and
began shouting at the top of his voice,
asking the crowd 10 keep back. This was
ef;cacious, and through Mr.. Libby's contin-
uations-in the good work, The hall was filled
with tolerable regularity.
At quarter after seven o'clock the hall
was as crowded as at any time, for the
simple reason that it held all it could.
Every aisle was filed with men and women
of All ages, and many children. Women
we'll advanced in years stood in the aisles
throughout the service for the simple rea-
son that once there hey could not readily
move The same crowded condition exist
Gu III LUG HdiiSIlSS. VII Inv Si"'i 49, 1870
in this enterways of The hall The crowded
condition produced considerable inconven-
fence. and one young man tainted and had
to be carried out.
The seats In the hall last evening wonld
seat oiBfortably within a few o. two thou
sand people. But they were crowded and
must have held over two thousand. Then
all the aises and vacant spaces We're
hacked full, SO that there must have been
from $500 to 5000 people in the hall. Ho"
many were turned away cannot be estimat'
ed; but the number was large. City Messen-
ger Mcgowan says nat he never saw the
corridors of the building SO crowded.
In rrefacing the collection, Rev. Mr.
Lindsay said that the money raised went
entirely for the expenses of the meeting
and not to Mr.. Mills. The hall rent costs
$3.50, and there are many other expenses
for music. advertising. etc. Mr.. Mills has
not cent assured to him. and made nc
terms with the committee. refusing 10 con
slider the matter of recompense at all.
The opening prayer last evening was
made by Rev. ]. Luce. Mr.. Hills was prom
inent in the singing as usual.
Mr.. Mills's sermon was devoted chiefly fc
the subject of revivals, and to the advan'
tages of such season for bringing people
to God. Al revival is almost the only time
when grown man gets into the kingd OIL
of God. 1 doubt if any minister in this
place knows ten men converted in middle
life Who were not converted in times of re
yiyaI. should like to have all men here
who were converted after thirty years Of
age by other means than revival, to hole
i III. l,1l $t.,s,
hands. Mr. Mills thought his was not 81
many in such large audience. "A canvass
Of the congregational churches in Con
necticut showed that four-ftths of the mem
bership of that consel vative church hae
come in through revivals. In many church
the proportion was greater.
Some objected to reviyals because they
created excitement. But was there any
abnormal excitement about these meetings
II was proper for men and women to he
come greatly interesied,on a subject SO vita
AS the salvation OF souls. In regard TO tht
| conversion of those of his own house III,
could truly say: MAY they be convertet
when the community is at a white heat, 81
that the image.of God may be stamped upor
! them at such time that it will stay qss
| After the regular meeting. Mr.. MILL
asked those who were interested in hem
selves or in Others to remain at a secon(
| meeting. Nearly all the audience remained
| Then Mr.. Mills asked all who could say
1.-THE religion of Christ means something
| to me; and l wish itsmeant more" to arise
| Then people began TO rise mere and Their,
all through the audience. sometimes singl.
and sometimes in groups of two or three
| I1,oha bIv a hnDdred in "A II ar0sa
| There we've distributed at all the meet
| in gs of yesterday cards like the following:
Portland, March,, 1926.