The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26

REVEALS and gave their friends distinctly
to understand that they took no stock in
them. Some said the real reason for
Colonel Billy's opposition to the emo
tional in religious observances was the
fact that his jolly friends who took a
nip and sat down for a frequent game
of cards in that gentleman's comfortable
office were. during a spell of warming up.
in mood for the remuneration of such
vices and stunned the poor old colonel,
who wandered lonesomely about town or
sought the company Of Miss Sally" as
she sat in her most aggressive anti-re-
vival meeting attitude, cutting carpet
rags with ferocious ships of her shining
scissors. Miss Sally always resorted to
this occupation in hours of especial ag-
gravation. Perhaps as she reduced the
colonels discarded broadcloths to strips
of wonderful uniformity she found vent
Tor the repressed emotion that was evil
denced by pair of swapping black eyes
and lips compressed entirely out Of the
line Of beauty.
One evening during the gloom of the
temporary unpopularity of this goddess
family, Sue and Betty might have been
seen in close consultation at the foot of
the stairs. Betty was urging upon her
reluctant sister some scheme to which
poor Sue demurred insistently.
You'll never dare to do it, Bet; you
simply couldn't be so wicked"
Il tell you l WILL" Kissed Betty In a
concentrated whisper. Il tell you, Dick
vance Is out there now waiting. You go
straight to mother and tell her we are
bored to death with all this quiet and
stupidity and are going to bed. Then I
Will crawl out on to the back porch roof
Dick will put up the ladder, and when
We come back he will wait and put it
away again. Well have to hurry or they
will be through. And you know 1 never
q rnxytx-
Davis Joined last night, Tom Wilson got
up and talked and Belle Langford rose
for prayer l tell you I'm going"
1t was not long after this whispered
interview that Dick Vance appeared.
triumphantly escorting Miss Betty Bald
win into church.
Her advent caused a ripple Of excite
ment, and one enthusiastic brother
shouted, Praise the Lord for that" and
they all Joined in triumphant singing.
The preacher preached at Betty, and
when the time came for working among
the outsiders presumed to be open to
argument many of the brethren and sis
tiers made their way to Miss Betty to
press her hand and ask her to consider
her ways. Betty was not flippant in her
replies; she was too we'll bred for that.
Neither was she in the least moved by
all that was said to her regarding the
welfare Of her immortal soul.
There were a number of young people
sitting in the back seats bravely hold
ing OUT against the wooings of the
spirit, and to their ranks Dick and Betty
were welcomed with glances of delighted
surprise. There is safety in numbers
and when one is enjoying the creepy
sensation of being on a narrow neck
or land 'twixt two unbOunded seas it
Is good to know that there are others
who are venturesome enough to occupy
point of space with you.
| Night after night thereafter Betty
Baldwin appeared at meeting escorted
| by one or another Of the village beaux
| their arrival being always a little late
and invariably causing a ripple of laugh
| ter along the row of those who were
| openly sitting in the seat of the scornful
| AS the days passed on there seemed to
come into the minds of those who were
carrying on the meetings a determination
| to storm the batteries of these young
| imps of Satan who came every night
| never growing disorderly beyond a quie,
| nudge or subdued litter, but setting in
| such open defiance of the commands OF
| the gospel.
On a certain Saturday night the peo-
| pie came together with that strange in
| SiStent feeling of premonition that pre-
| walls at times in periods of emotion
There seemed to be a going in the null
| berry trees" such as presaged the VIC
| tory Of the army of the Lord in days
| OF yore. Mothers had been praying for
| their sons and fathers for the gospel
| light about the feet Of hayward daugh-
| tiers. Poor Mary Ann Nixon from her
| somewhat doubtful paradise among the
| redeemed felt that it was an Adamless
| Eden and looked at Dick Vance piteous-
| ly enough when the choir was singing
How tedious and tasteless the hours"
On this Saturday night the meeting be-
| gan with deep emotion. Brother Israel
| Turner, a divine of the pioneer period
put up powerful prayer, in the course
of which he called out in a most earnest
| compelling shout for a live coal from
| the altar to kindle the hearts of them
young people setting back thar making
game of Gods work.
Some Of the rebel crew were visibly
] shaken by this prayer. Even Dick Vance
| cast down his eyes. Then came the SER
mon. Inspired from the very center Oh
religious feeling, word after word fell
| upon the stiffness, and as the minister
| reached it's close he raised his hand i'm
| pressively over the bowed audience
| "And now" he cried, "let us wait for the
] spirit to move. Let us see what Gods
| holy spirit will do. Sit, brethren anC
sisters, with open doors of your hearts
| and let Him come in"
| A deathlike silence followed, during
| which the occupants of the church could
| feel the electrical currents like soft un'
seen wings brushing past and throbbing
about them with a tangible nearness that
was suffocating in it's effect. Suddenly
| upon the waiting silence broke a note
| Of exquisite melody. Betty Baldwin was
singing, and the words were those mex
| pressibly tender ones, Alas! and die
my Savior bleed and did my sovereign
| die" That thrilling tune of Manvah
| Not a note but came with it's fullest in
| depreciation, not word but fell with
| it's intensest intonation of the sinners
remorse for crimes that 1 have done"
| Until the end of the first verse the aud.
| fence sat spellbound, but when she
| reached the words well might 1 hide
my blushing face" groan broke from
| Dick Vance and.he fell on his knees sob
| bling. The ranks of the sinners being
| thus broken, they all followed, and as the
| beautiful voice of the young singer rang
| out in the last triumphant strain, Here
Lord / give myself away, tits all that
| can do every member of the little
| coterie was in tears, and mothers
fathers, sweethearts and kindred Were
| gathered around welcoming 10 the ligh
| those who had been in darkness. Ths
reconciliation between Mary Ann Nixor
| and Dick Vance was a prominent feature
| in this thrilling scene. Poor Mary Ann
| her face TRANSPORTED by a celestial light
| came straight to his side and fell upor