Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-14
,wpr may 90 with ia -

left the room that probably in his entire
church membership there might not be
found score of disciples who were
capable Of doing work that would sue
ccssfully lead needy, sinful mon into
the knowledge of Christ. The thought
did not linger in his mind to vex him
"a he went on his way, but it was sim
ply part Of his whole new conception
of the meaning of Christian disciple
ship
When he and his little company Of
volunteers reached the Rectangle, the
tent was already crowded. They had
difficulty in getting TO the little plat
form. Rachel was there, with Virginia
and Jasper Chase, who had come in
stead of the doctor tonight.
When the meeting began with song
in which Rachel sang tho solo and tho
people were asked to join in the chorus
not foot of standing room was left in
the tent The night was mild, and the
sides of the tent were up, and n great
border Of faces stretched around, look
ing in and forming part Of the audience.
After the singing and prayer by
one of the city pastors who were present
Gray stated the reasons for his inability
to speak and in his simple manner
turned the service over to "Brother
Maxwell of the First church"
who's de bloke?" asked a hoarse
voice near the outside Of the tent
ode Fust church parson. We've got
de whole high tone swell outfit to-
night
"Did you say Fust church? know
him. My landlord has got front pew
up there, " said another voice, and there
was a laugh, for the speaker was sa-
loon keeper.
"T'row ont de life line cross de dark
wavel" began drunken man near by,
singing in such an unconscious imita-
ton of local travelling singer nasal
tone that roars of laughter and jeers Of
approval rose around him. The people
in the tent turned in the direction Of
the disturbance. There were shouts Of
"Put him out - "Give the Fust church
Il Chancep' "Song, songl Give us an
other songH'
Henry Maxwell stood up, and great
wave of actual terror went over him
This was not like preaching to the we'll
dressed, respectable, good hammered
people on the boulevard He began to
/ speak but the confusion increased.
! Gray went down into the crowd. but
did not seem able to quiet it. Henry
! Maxwell raised his arm and his voice.
| The crowd in the tent began to pay
some attention, but the noise on the
outside increased In few minutes the
audience was beyond Maxwell's control.
lie turned to Rachel with sad smile.
"Sing something, Miss Winslow.
They will listen to you, he said and
then sat down and put his face in his
hands
1t was Rachels opportunity, and she
was fully equal to it, Virginia was al
the organ, and Rachel asked her to play
few notes of the hymn;
Saviour. | follow on.
Guided by thee,
Seeing not yet the hand
That leadeth me.
flushed be my heart and still:
I Fear no further ill;
Only to meet thy will
Ny will shall be.
Rachel had not sung the first line be
fore the people in the tent were al
turned toward her, hushed and rever
ent. Before she had finished the vers,
the Rectangle was subdued and tanned
1t lay like some wild beast at her feet
and she sang it into harmlessness. All
What were the fippant, perfumed
critical audiences in concert halls com
pared with this dirty, drunken. impure
degraded. besotted humanity that trem
bled and wept and grew strangely sad
ly thoughtful under the touch of thu
divine ministry of this beautiful Touns
woman? Henry Maxwell as he raised
his head and saw the transformed mol
had glimpse of something that Jesu
would probably do with voice lik
Rachel Winslow's. Jasper Chase sa
with his eyes on the singer, and hi
greatest longing as an ambitious autho
was swallowed up in tlS thought o
what Rachel Winslow's love nigh
some time mean to him. And over ii
the shadow outside stood the last persol
any one might have expected to see a
gospel tent service, Rolhn Page, who
iostled on every side by rough men AM
women, who stared at the swell in til
fine clothes, seemed careless of his sur
roundings and at the same time evi
IDENTIFY swayed by the power that Rache
possessed. He had just come over fror
the club Neither Rachel nor Nirgini
} saw him that night.
} The song was over Henry Maxwell
rose again. This time he felt calm
, What would Jesus do2 He spoke as h
thought once he never could. Who wer
these people? They were immorta
Fouls. What was Christianity? A call
ing of sinners not the righteous, to re
pentance. How would Jesus speak
What would he say2 He could not tel
all that his message would include, bu
he felt sure Of part of it, and i'll tina
certainty he spoke on. Never befor
had he felt compassion for the multi
tude." What had the multitude BEEF
to him during his ten years in the Firs
church but vague, dangerous dirty
l troublesome factor in society, outsid
3 of the church and his reach an elemen
that caused him occasionally an un
D pleasant feeling Of conscience; a facto
4 in RAYMOND that was talked about a
1 associations as the masses in paper
a written by the brethren in attempts {
show why the "masses' were not bein
reached But tonight as he faced tn
, | ..,,,ossaor ba aslyad bt,nsalf whether