The Advocate and news., 1898-10-19


the First church people liked that. It
gave their preacher and their parish a
pleasant distinction that was agreeable.
1t was also true that the pastor OF the
First church loved to preach. He sell
dom exchanged. He was eager to be In
his own pulpit when Sunday came.
There was an exhilirating half hour for
him as he stood facing a church full Of
people and knew that he had hearing.
He was peculiarly sensitive to variations
in the audience. He never preached we'll
before a small audience. The weather
also affected him decidedly. He was at
his best before just such an audience as
faced him now, on just such morning.
He felt glow of satisfaction as he went
on. The church was the first in the city.
It had the best choir. II had a MEM
bership composed Of the leading people,
representatives Of the wealth. society
and intelligence Of Raymond. He was
going abroad on three months vaca-
tion this summer, and the circumstances
Of his pastorage, his influence and his
position as pastor Of the first church in
the city.
It is not certain that the Rev. Henry
Maxwell knew just how he would carry
on all that thought in connection with
his sermon, but as he drew near the end
Of it he knew that he had at some point
in his delivery had all these feelings
They had entered into the very sub
stance Of his thought, it might have been
all in few seconds Of time; but he had
been conscious of defining his position
and his emotions as well as If he had
held solilouuy, and his delivery par
took of the throll Of deep personal sat
isfaction.
The sermon was interesting. 1t was
full Of striking sentences. They would
have commanded attention printed. Spo-
ken with the passion Of dramatic utter
ance that had the good taste never to
offend with a suspicion of ranting or
defamation. they were very effective.
If the Rev. Henry Maxwell that morning
felt satisfied with the condition of his
pastorate, the parish Of First church
also had a similar feeling as it congrat-
ulated itself on the presence in the pulpit
of this scholarly, refined, somewhat
striking face and figure, preaching with
such animation and freedom from all
vulgar noisy or disagreeable manner
ism. Suddenly, into the midst Of this
perfect accord and concord between
preacher and audience, there came
very remarkable interruption. 1t would
be difficult to indicate the extent Of the
shock which this interruption meas
ured. It was so unexpected, so entirely
contrary to any thought Of any person
present that it offered no room for argu-
ment, or, for the time being, Of resist
ance.
The sermon had come to a close. The
Rev. Henry Maxwell had turned the leaf
of the big Bible over his manuscript
and was about to sit down, as the quar-
tette prepared to rise and sing the clos
ing selection,
IAN for Jesus, all for Jesus,
All my beings ransomed powers"
when the entire congregation was star
tied by the sound of a mans voice. 1t
came from the rear Of the church, from
one of the seats under the gallery The
next moment the figure of a man came
out OF the shadow there and walked
down the middle aisle.
Before the startled congregation real
iZed what was being done, the man had
reached the open space in front Of the
pulpit and had turned about, facing the
people.
"T've been wondering since came in
here"-they were the words he used un-
der the gallery, and he repeated them
'if it would be just the thing to say a
word at the close of this service.
I'm not drunk and I'm not crazy, and
I'm perfectly harmless; but if I die, as
there is every likelihood l shall in a few
days, want the satisfaction of think
ing that I said my say in place like
this, before this sort Of a crowd"
Henry Maxwell had not taken his seat,
and he now remained standing, leaning
on his pulpit looking down at the stran-
ger. 1t was the man who had come to
his house Friday morning, the same
Ia