The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-10-25

| air was clear and DraC1nS, Gn0 Sky Was
free from all threatening signs, and ev-
cry one in Henry Ma1well's parish pre-
pared to go to church. When the service
opened at II O'Clock, the large building
was filed with an audience Of the best
dressed, most comfortable looking peo-
pie in Raymond
The First chu,ch of Raymond be
ieved in having the best music that
money could buy, and its quartet choir
this morning was a great source Of
pleasure to the congregation The al
them was inspiring. ALI the music was
in keeping with the subject of the ser
mon And the anthem was an elaborate
adaptation to the most modern music,
i of the hymn:
| Jesus. my cross have taken,
! All to leave and follow thee.
Just before the sermon the soprano
sang solo. the well known hymn:
Where he leads me Will follow.
I'll go with him. with him all the way.
Rachel Winslow looked very beauti-
full that morning as she stood up be-
hind the screen Of carved oak which
! was significantly marked with the en-
blems of the cross and the crown Her
! voice was even more beautiful than
her face. and that meannt a great deal
There was general rustic of e1pecta-
ton over the audience as she arose
Henry Maxwell settled himself content
edly behind the pulpit Rachel Wins
lows singing always ne.ped him. He
generally arranged for song before
the sermon It made possible certain
inspiration of feeling that he knew
made his delivery more impressive
People said to themselves they had
never heard such singing even in the
First church. It is certain that if it
had not been church service her solo
would have been vigorously applauded
It even seemed to Henry Maxwell when
she sat down that something like an at
tempted clapping of hands or striking
Of feet on the floor swept through the
church. He was startled by it. AS he
rose, however, and laid his sermon on
the open Bible he said to himself he
had been deceived OF course it could
not occur. In few moments he was
absorbed in his sermon, and everything
else was forgotten in the pleasure of
the delivery.
No one had ever accused Henry Max
well Of being dull preacher On the
contrary, he had often been charged
with being sensational, not in what he
said so much as in his way Of saying
it But the First church people liked
that. It gave their preacher and their
parish pleasant distinction that was
agreeable.
It was also true that the pastor of
the First church loved to preach. He
seldom exchanged He was eager to be
in his own pulpit when Sunday came
There was an celebrating half hour
for him as he stood facing a church full
of people and knew that he had hear
ing. He was peculiarly sensitive to
variations in the attendance. He never
preached well before small audience.
The weather also affected him decided
ly. He was at his best before just such
an audience as faced him now. on just
such a morning He felt a glow Of sat-
isfaction as he went on. The church
was the first in the city. It had the best
choir. It had membership composed
of the leading people, representatives
of the wealth, society and intelligence
Of Raymond He was going abroad on
a three months vacation in the sum-
mer, and the circumstances of his pas
torate. his influence and his position as
pastor of the first church in the city
1t is not certain that the Rev. Henry
! Maxwell knew just how he could carry
on all that thought in connection with
his sermon. but as he drew near tie
!, end Of it he knew that he had at son.e
point in his delivery had all these feel
ings They had entered into the very
| substance of his thought. 1t might
have been all in few seconds Of tim.
but he had been conscious Of defining
his position and his emotions as we'll as
/ if he had held soliloquy, and his de-
| livery partook of the thrill Of deep per-
sonal satisfaction.
The sermon was interesting. 1t was
full Of striking sentences They would
have commanded attention printed.
Spoken with the passion Of a dramatic
utterance that had the good taste never
to offend with suspicion of ranting OF
declsmation. they were very effective
If the Rev Henry Maxwell that morn
! ing felt satisfied with the conditions Of
his pastorate. the parish of First church
also had similar feeling as it congrat-
ulated itself on the presence in the pull
pit of this scholarly, refined, somewhat
striking face and figure. preaching
with such animation and freedom from
all vulgar. noisy or disagreeable man
nerism
Suddenly, into the midst of this per
feet accord and concord between preach
er and audience. there came very re-
markable interruption. 1t would be
difficult to indicate the extent of the
4 shock which this interruption measured.