Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-12-07

adaptation to the most modern music
Of the hymn.
Jesus r, cross have taken,
All TO leave and follow thee.
just before the sermon the soprano
sang a solo. the well known hymn:
Who're hc leads me I will follow.
I'll 90 with Kim. with him all the way.
Rachel Winslow looked very boauti-
ful that morning as she stood up be
hind the screen of carved oak which
was significantly marked with the en-
blems Of the cross aud the crown. Her
voice was even more beautiful than
her face. and that mcannt a great deal
There was general rustic of expecta-
tion over the audience as she arose.
Henry Maxwell settled himself content
edly behind the pulpit Rachel Wins
low 5 singing always helped him He
generally arranged for a song before
the sermon. 1t made possible a 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 1t is ct-tain that if it
had not been a church service her solo
would have been vigorously applauded
1t even seemed to Henry Maxwell whea
she sat down that something like an at
tempted clappiug Of hands or striking
of feet on the floor swept through the
church He was startled by it. IS 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 a 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
1t was also true that the pastor Of
the First church loved to preach. He
seldom exchanged. He was eager to he
in his own pulpit when Sunday came.
There was an exhilarating 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 a 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 morning He felt glow of sat
isfaction as he went on. The church
was the first in the city. 1t had the best
choir. 1t had membership composed
Of the leading people, representatives
of the wealth, society and intelligence
Of Raymond. He was going abroad on
q three lnc-,tls-' vscation in tho, suu=
mcr, and the circumstances OF his pas
torato. his influence and his position as
pastor Of the first church in the city
1t is not certain that the Rev. Henry
Maxwell knew inst how he could carry
on all that thought in connection with
his sermon, but as he drew near the
end Of it he knew that he had at some
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 a few seconds of time,
but he had been conscious of defining
his position and his emotions as well as
if he had held soliioquy, 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 dramatic
uttcrance that had the good taste never
to offend with a suspicion of raIting or
defamation, 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 a 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 audiense, there came a very re-
markable interruption. 1t would be
difficult to indicate the extent of the
shock which this interruption measured.
1t was so unexpected, so entirdly con
trary to any thought of any perso2
present, that it offered no room for
argument or, for the time being, Of re
sistance
The sermon had come TO a close. The
Rev Henry Maxwell had turned the
half Of the big Bible over upon his
manuscripts and was about to sit down
as the quartet prepared TO rise and
ling the closing selection,
All for Jesus. all for Jesus,
All my beings ransomed powers,
when the entire congregation was star
tied by the sound Of man S voice. 1t
came from the rear Of the church, from
one Of the seats under the gallery. The
next moment the figure Of II man came
out Of the shadow there and walked
down the middle aisle
Before the startled congregation real
lied what was being done the man had
reached the open space in front Of the
pulpit and had turned about, facing
the people.
"I've been wondering since | came
in here e'-they were the words he used
under the gallery, and ne repeated them
eff it would be just the thing TO say
word at the close Of this service. I'm !
not drunk, and I'm not crazy, and IN
perfectly harmless But if | die, as
there is every likelihood / shall in a
few days, | want the satisfaction Of |
thinking that | said my say in place !
like this, before just this sort Of a
crowd.
Henry Maxwell had not taken his !
seat, and he now remained standing, !
leaning on his pulpit, looking down mt |
the stranger 1t was the man who had |
come to his house Friday morning tho |
same dusty, worn, shabby looking !
young man. He held his faded hat in
his two hands 1t seemed TO be a ia |
vorite gesture. He had not been shaved, |
and his hair was rough and tangled. II |
was doubtful if any one like this had |
ever confronted the First church within |
the sanctuary. II was tolarably familiar |
with this sort Of humanity out on the |
street, around the railroad shops, wan |
dering up and down the avenue, but it |
had never dreamed of such an incident |
as this so near
There was nothing offensive in the |
mans manner or tone. He was not cX-
cited, and he spoke in "A lCw but dis |
tinct voice Henry Maxwell was con |
scious, even rs he stood there smitten ]
into dumb astonishmeut at the event /
- .f. -.f fr..f.