Middletown transcript., 1899-12-23

MaxweIls church had faced that shah,
by figure with the faded hat more mem
bers Of his parish had been driven tc
their knees in prayer than during al
the previous term of his pastorate.
When she rose, her beautiful face
was wet with tears. She sat thought
fully little while and then wrote a
note to Virginia Page She sent it to
her by messenger and then went down
stairs again and told her mother that
she and Virginia were going down to
the Rectangle that evening to see Mr.
and Mrs Gray, the evangelists
''Virginia's uncle, DR.. West, win go
with us If she goes. have asked her to
call him up by telephone and go with
us. The doctor is a friend of the Grays
and attended some Of the meetings last
winter. "
Mrs Winslow did not say anything.
Her manner showed her complete dis
approval Of Rachel s course, and Rachel
felt her unspoken bitterness
About o'clock the doctor and Vir-
ginia appeared, and together the three
started for the scenc of the White Cross
meetings
The RectangIe was the most notori-
Gus district in all Raymond 1t was in
the territory close by the great railroad
shops and the packing houses. The slum
and tenement district of Raymond con-
gested its most wretched elements about
the Rectang1e. This was barren field
used in the summer by circus COM
panies and wandering showmen. 1t
was shut in by rows of saloons, gam
bling hells and cheap. dirty boarding
and lodging houses
The First church Of Raymond had
never touched the Rectangle problem
It was too dirty. too coarse, too sinful,
too awful, for close contact. Let us be
honest There had been an attempt to
cleanse this sore spot by sending down
an occasional committee of singers, Of
Sunday school teachers or gospel Wis
itors from various churches, but the
church of Raymond as an institution
had never really done anything to make
the Rectangle any less a stronghold of
the devil as the years went by.
Into this heart of the coarse part of
the sin of Raymond the travelling evan
gelist and his brave little wife had
pitched good sized tent and begun
meetings Itwas the spring of the year,
and the evenings were beginning to be
pleasant. The evangelists had asked for
the help of Christian people and had
received more than the usual amount
of encouragement, but they felt a great
need of more and better music. During
the meetings on the Sunday just gone
the assistant at the organ had been
taken i'll. The volunteers from the city
were few and the voices of ordinary
quality
There will be small meeting to-
night John. said his wife as they en-
tered the tent little after Z o'clock
and began to arrange the chairs and
light up
''Yes. | think so Mr. Gray was a
small. energetic man. with pleasant
voice and the courage of highborn
fighter He had already made friends
in the neighborhood. and one of his
converts, a heavy faced man, who had
just come in. began to help in the ar
of the seats
It was after s o'clock when Alexan-
der Powers opened the door of his Office
and started to go home He was going
to take car at the corner of the Rec
tangle. but as he neared it he was
aroused by voice coming from the
tent
1t was the voice of Rachel Winslow
It struck through his consciousness of |
struggle over his own question that had |
sent him into the Divine presence for
IN answer He had not yet reached a
,oEI.IUr1Sn lie was trjuDIcQ VIII I'd