Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-10-05

manned in front of the drawing room
fire.
mo" replied Rose from the other
room; 81 won't trouble her tonight If
you go in, tell her / am too tired TO be
agreeable.
So Felicia turned into her mothers
room As sse went mp the great stair
case and down the upper hall the light
was burning there, and the servant who
always waited on Mrs. Sterling was
reckoning Felicia TO come in.
Tell Clara to go out" exclaimed
Mrs. Sterling as Felicia came up to the
bed and kneeled by it.
Felicia was surprised, but she did as
her mother babe her and then inquired
how she was feeling.
Felicia, said her mother. lean
you pray?"
The question was so unlike any her
mother had ever asked before that Fee
hcia was startled, but she answered.:
"Why, yes, mother. What makes
You ask such question ?"
"Felicia, l am frightened. Your fa-
ther-I have had such strange fears
about him all day. Something is wrong
with him | want you to pray"
"Nows Here, mother2"
Eyes. Pray, Felicia"
Felicia reached ont her hand and took
her mothers It was trembling Mrs.
Sterling had never shown much tender
ness for her younger daughter, and her
CT Io,,,o,,1 tl,n lrpt
sign of any confidence in Felicia s
character
The girl still kneeled, holding her
mothers trembling hand, and prayed.
1t was doubtful if she had ever prayed
aloud before She must have said in
her prayer the words that her mother
needed for when it was silent in the
room the invalid was weeping softly,
and her nervous tension was over.
Felicia staid some time. When she
was assured that her mother would not
need her any longer, she rose to 20.
Good night mother. You must let
Clara call me if you feel bad in the
night
Il feel better now" Then as Felicia
was moving away Mrs Sterling said
"Won t you kiss me, Felicia p
Felicia went back and bent over her
mother. The kiss was almost as strange
to her as the prayer had been When
Felicia went ont of the room, her cheeks
We're wet with tears. She had not cried
since she was Il little girl.
Sunday morning at the Sterling man
sion was generally very quiet. The girls
usually went to church at II o'clock
service. Mr.. Sterling was not a mem
Der, hut heavy contributor and he
generally went to church in the morn
ing This time he did not come down
to breakfast and finally sent word by a
servant that he did not feel well enough
to go ont So Rose and Felicia drove
up to the door of the Nazareth Avenue
church and entered the family pew
alone
When DR. Bruce walked out of the
room at the rear Of the platform and
went up to the pulpit TO open the Bible,
rs his custom was, those who knew
him best did not detect anything I'M
usual III HIS BlfiIIiNl VI iIlo "a ~ fSNlOll
He proceeded with the service as usual
He was calm, and his voice was steady
and firm. His prayer was the first init
nation the people had of anything new
or strange in the service 1t is safe &c
say that the Nazareth Avenue church
had not heard DR.. Bruce offer such q
PRAYER during the ~ years he had been
pastor there How would minister be
likely to pray who had come out of a
revolution i'll Christian feeling that had
completely changed his definition Of
what was meant 10y following Jesus
No one in Nazareth Avenue church had
any idea that the Rev. Calvin Bruce,
d. d., the dignified, cultured refined
doctor of divinity, had within few
days been crying like a little child, or
his knees, asking for strength and cour
age and Christlikencss to speak his sun
day MESA re, and yet the prayer was al
unconscious, involuntary disclosure o.
the souls experience such as Nazaretl
Avenue people seldom heard and never
b5fore from that pulpit
In the hush that succeeded the prayer
distinct wave of spiritual power
moved over the congregation. The moSt
careless persons in the church felt it.
Felicia, whose sensitive religious natur,
responded swiftly to every touch OF
emotion. quivcrcd under the passing Of
that supernatural power. and when she
lifted her head and looked up at tn,
minister there WAS "a look in her eve,
that announced her intense, eager an
ticipation of the scene that was to fol
low
And she was not alone in her atti
tude There was something in the
prayer and the result Of it that stirred
many and many disciple in NaZaretl
Avenue church. All over the house mel
and women leaned forward, and whei
/ DR.. Bruce began to speak of his visit t,
/ Raymond in the opening sentences o
/ his address. which this morning pre-
| coded his sermon, there was an answer
ing response in the church that cam'
/ back to him rs he spoke and thrilled
! him with the hope of spiritual bap
/ tism such as he had never during al
his ministry experienced.
~ am just back from a visit TO Ray
mond, DR. Bruce began, land | wan
to tell you something Of my impression
Of the movement there.
He paused, and his look went owe
his people with yearning for them ant
at the same time with great unccr
tainty at his heart How many of hi