The record-union., 1899-01-30
WEBER MOVES THE AUDIENCE.
A MASTER OF EMOTION, HE
sTIRs HUNDREDS.
How the Cyclone Preacher Talks
and Acts for the Lowly
Nazarene.

NaZ8Ye0es
There is blunt American maxim
which runs, Nothing succeeds like sue
cess Incongrous as the comparison
may seem, there is a compelling force
in Evangelist Weber which drives the
most stoical observer to admit that he
is rapidly fulfilling his forecasts con-
corning himself-and he foretold his
success.
'There'll not be room here for the
people who want to hear me- he said
two weeks ago-and last nights con-
gregation more than yielded the fruits
of his prophecy.
Without the graces of grammer and
the discriminative use Of English that
characterizes scholarly expounders OF
the Gospel, Weber outdoes platoons OF
everyday preachers in the delicate in
donations of voice and the pantomlmlc
uses of gesture that hold the attention
of all who come within his hearing. He
expresses emotion so as to awaken emo
tions in others, and then they forget ev-
erything but Weber and his theme.
Last nights sermon might have APPLY
been called Mothers Prayers" though
he gave it some such name as, What
Fools Sinners Are 1t was forcible
appeal to the multitude to forget their
sins and come to Jesus" The orator
gave his hearers little time to think
for thought is a stern, glowering and
cold-yisaged doubter; but he kept ev-
cry eye glued to him and every ear
cooked to catch the musical intonatlons
and the graceful gestures of the
speaker He gave no time for hesita-
ton
boys, listen." he said in soft.
dreamy tones Dwelling upon the vowel
sounds and sinking the cadences into
the tones of tears" he continued:
Listen. Your old mother is away over
yonder praying for you. Don't you hear
her, boys? Listen! Her voice rises
above the roaring Of the winds in those
New England storms, her withered race
is whittier than the snow, and she is
asking Jesus to save her wandering
boy. Say, say, boys, don't you hear
her? and won't you, won't you please,
please write TO her that you are
saved tonight? If you haven't the
money. come to me. and listen.-Weper
will pay for the telegram to poor old
mother Come! come now! for 1t may
be too late for the good cheer to dear
old mother
And the Evangelist quietly dropped to
his knees and silently, trembilngly
prayed for every wanderer in Sacra-
mento; and his voice was now as genue
as the cooling of a dove, then as turpu-
lent as an alarm of fire-always In
keeping with the sentiment in view.
Help, help, help! help! help. he
cried five times in explosive quality OF
voice, which he then dropped to the Ell
fusive and soothing orotund, as he
added, ''help all poor sinners, God, TO
find their way to heaven!"
He then added: 1T may be too late,
too late. and they will be lost"
Stealing quietly to a seat "a frequent
habit of his while speaking and aeting),
he dropped to an impressive converse
tional tone, saying, 20, God. save them
all before it is too late, too Latte.
and in another moment he was softly
playing his own accompaniment on an
OF gan, and singing a pleading song, fuil
of incidents corroborative of the
thought, Too late"
Now it was the son-too late to tell
his mother of his conversion, for death
had stilled her heart; next it was the
wife dying heart-broken and far from
home, while the wicked husband found
God too Late
Many were in tears when the last
notes of the plaintive song had faded
to whispers down the sobbing aisles.
Throughout this magnetic man
phenomenal evening of song ana
prayer. music and pantomime, the great
crowd was silent-save when laughing,
grooming or sobbing. Not for one mo-
ment during the serious part OF the
discourse) did the speaker withdraw
from ear and eye the picture of peace
devouring and sorrow-sowing Death.
The certainty of bereavement, the
sorrow of the mourning husband, pa
rent, child and 1over-the ever-present
horror of the blighting reaper-these
were the Evangelist's theme.
And at the end of this picture OF the
field of desolation, standing over every
coffin, and springing from every mound
of earth. like delicate immortelles sug-
costing the morning of eternal youth,
the orator portrayed the Christ OF Cos
pei, white-robed messenger of everlast-
ing life.
And after all this, hundreds remained
through the second meeting-some 10
pray and sing, some to sob and CONFESS
a change of heart.