The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-03-04
SKETCHES OF CITY LlFE-THE
SALVATION ARMY.
WILLIAM REED DUNROY

WILLIAM REED DUNROY
The meeting was held In an old store
room. The wall paper was discclored
and cob webs hung In gray festoons from
he ceiling. The gas lights fickered
and cast dark shadows in the corners
and brought out the sodden and pallid
faces Of the people In the room. On the
walls were brilliantly colored pictures
showing Shsdrach Moschac and Abed.
nego In the fiery furnace. and other
Bible scenes In grotesque coloring.
There were flags on the walls and paper
chains hung from the Rasoliers.
On the platform sat the soldiers.
There were tivo women in blue uniforms
and one man with straps on his shout
ders, also dressed in the blue uniform Of
the army. They had banjos and gui
tars which they nervonsly thrummed
while the people we're gathering into the
hall. They all wore fanstical express
sions on their faces and seemed always
nervously engaged 10 moving their feet
up and down or tossing their heads.
At last the room was about filed with
a motley crowd OF men. women and
children. There were drunkards and
gamblers; women with bold and brazen
faces, and children with the marks Of
vice already written across their faces in
unmistakable letters. Girls with cheap
gowns and hats 10 gsudy colors; mon
with colored collars and soied linen,
women IN calico gowns; and all the faces
we're marked with vice and over all was
the shadow OF poverty like q pail, bar
ring out from their lives all hope and
all happiness.
In one seat sat young man with the
silly leer Of drunkard on his face He
looked boldly into the faces OF the girls
present, and every once in while made
some remark In muttered tone which
made those sitting near him laugh de.
family during the services. Before the
service began, u party OF young ladies'
who were out Summing came in ard
occupied seats In body. They we're
from an organization which has Chris.
tian aim, but they carried an air OF
patronage as they came into the room
and held their dainty skirts aloof from
contact with the audience, their noses
tilted 10 the air ready to laugh slyly at
any outre remark or pecu.ia circum-
stance.
When the audience was finally settled
down, the leader gave signal, and to
the accompaniment OF guitars out OF
tune. the whole assembly broke toto q
doggerel soog to the tune Of, IDIOT Time
10 the Old Town Tonight" The words
were supposed to be religious 10 charac.
ter. However that may be the song
went with swing and Q flourish that
seemed to warm the very hearts Of those
present and the room wac full of die.
cordsnt sounds and the smell of berry
breaths.
The leader began to pray. He lifted
his voice on high 10 tremendous effort
to make himself heard all over the sur.
sounding country. He pleaded and beg
ged that the Lord would save the miser.
able sinners before him. He cried aloud
and became almost frenzied in bis petit
tons before he closed. He said in bis
prayer that there wene lost souls before
him plunging down to hell; that they
would leave this world and never have a
chance to repent. He cried out that
they might all turn and escape. the fires
OF hell. At the close Of his prayer his
voice was sounding through the room