The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-07

The First Iuplir Prayer Meeting ut
West priul i Christian Who Did
Ills Bu'N

The First Iuplir Prayer Meeting Mt
West Point Il christian Who Did
Ills Du'l
| Christian a Work.
one night in 1926 Clergyman was
! taking tea viii. Joan &. Calhoun, then
! secretary Ui war. Suddenly Mr.. Cal
hoUm said to his guest:
| "WUl yoI accept the place Of chap
| ain und professor Of ethics at West
FONT: II you will | viii appoint you
! at once.
TIE cl rGA man MAS Charles u. Nc
..vHn". tr,n bat - years OF age, and
subs, 4urnlYy known as the " L shop Of
DHlu. IL accepted the appointment
uvcuusu West Point then had an uu-
suvory reputation. There was not a
Inr.s:a,n among oili!,rs and cadets.
Many OF thcm were sccptics, and the
others were cuol!y Indifferent to reli
! g!un. lie was received as gentlemen
! receive gentleman. but nc one
! snuwc;. the least sympathy with him
a. Il c!crg imam. For months his
! preaching seemed as words spoken in
! the nir. HIS first encouragement was
AL 'N~Nsivr expression.
II" MAS walHing home from church
one sunday Il few feet in advance Of
/ ,,vcruI Inj:trS. The chaplain's .
jrrnching Is getting hotter ana hot
i,N, he heard one OF them say.
IN a few Gays he received another
| o.t ut encouragement. he was dining
with . company at the house uf an
/ 'iNrr". y lieutenant, a scC!fcr, hurled
! Il "ttyr surcr at c!ergymen. The
ct.au.uIu .rit the table. The CHI GERS
/ threatened u send the lieutenant to
"Nuyrr'rl If he did rot apologize.
1 tl> lni, =
!A'LuU.
Ato:r,r i,cr took offence at one c i
the viup;iI.'. sermons, and wrote q
. ." e nvo"@. .! sceptical opinions.
IhC chaplain, seeing in these Incl
dents that the chronic indi ference
Wa giving way to opposition, per-
severed. But opposition was all the
ENCOURAGEMENT he received during the
year. Not cadet had visited him or
even sought his acquaintance.
but on Saturday, the only day the
cadets were allowed to visit an otfcer
Without special permission. one OF the
m It popular Of the cadets knocked at
the chaplail's door. He wished to be-
gin the Christian life then and there,
and asked for counsel. In a day or
two another cadet called on q similar
'rraud {: then smother and another.
| Then several { file rs came. y meet
ing for prayer WAS appointed twice q
week. 1t was the first public prayer
me, ting held at West Point. Officers
and cadets crowded in, though all who
| came professed thereby to begin q re-
| ligious life. At first 1t required as
much courage to enter that room as 1t
did to lead q forlOrn hope.
One Of the cadets was Leonidas Polk
afterward bishop of Louisiana. Intel
| ligent, high.tOncd and commanding in
person, he was the cOnspicuOus cadet t.
Seeing that it was his duty to make a
public confession Of his faith in Christ
he asked for baptism.
After baptizing him the chaplain
made brief address, closing with 8
charge to be faithful. "Amen," re.
spondcd Polk. in II voice that rang
through the church. The amen
was from the heart. Immediately the
baptized cadet became q missionary tC
his comrades.
a so!cmnity porvadcd the academy
during the remaining two years that
this clergyman served as chaplain
Hall tho corps became Christian men
/ several Of them, leaving the army
, were promoted to the ministry. Many
s oi those who entered the army rosc tC
b eminence. They adorned their profes
sion and the Christian religion.
+ rms era in. West Point was created
r through divine aid by young man
VINO simply did his duty patiently and
Y lclt the result with God.