Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-28

and another row filed past, leaving
their flowers. All the time the singing
continued softly, like rain on tent
cover when the wind is gentle. 1t was
one Of the simplest aud at the same
time one of the most impressive sights
l ever witnessed. The sides of the tent
were up, and hundreds of people who
could not get in stood outside, all rs
still as death, with wonderful sadness
and solemnity for such rough looking
people. There must have been n hun
dred of these women, and | was told
many of them had been converted at
the meetings just recently. cannot de-
scribe the effect of that singing. Not a
man sang a note, all women voices,
and SO soft and yet 40 distinct that the
effect was startling.
1.-THE service closed with another solo
by Miss Winslow, who sang There
were ninety and nine, and then the
evangelist asked them all to bow their
heads while he prayed. ! was obliged,
in order to catch my train, to leave
during the prayer, and the last view
caught Of the scene as the train went
by the shops was sight of the great
crowd pouring ont of the tent and
forming in open ranks while the coffin
was borne out by six of the women. 1t
is long time since | have seen such a
picture in this unpoetical republic. "
If Loreen's funeral impressed pass
ing stranger like this, it is not difficult
to imagine the profound feelings of
those who had been SO intimately con-
nected with her life and death. Moth
ing had ever entered the Roctangle that
had moved it so deeply az Loreen S body
in that coffin, and the Holy Spirit
seemed to bless with special power the
use of this senseless clay, for that night
at the meeting he swept more than a
score of lost souls, mostly women, into
the fold of the Good Shepherd.
1t should be said here that Henry
MAXWELL statement concerning the
opening of the saloon from whose win
dow Loreen had been killed proved
nearly exactly true. 1t was formally
closed Monday and Tuesday while the
authorities arrested the proprietor,
charged with the murder, but nothing
could be proved against any one and
before Saturday of that week the saloon
was running as regularly as ever. No
one on the earth was ever punished by
earthly courts for the murder of Loreen.
No one in all Raymond, including
the Rcctangle, felt Loreen $ death more
keenly than Virginia 1t came like Il
distinct personal loss to her. That short
week while Lorccn had been in her
home had opened Virginia 5 heart to u
new life. She was talking it over with
Rachel the day after the funeral. They
were sitting in the hall of the Page
mansion
Il am going to do something with
my money t. help these women to o
better life" Virginia looked over to the
end of the hall where the day before
Loreen's body had lain. 81 have decid-
ed on a good plan, as it seems to me- 1
have talked it over with Rollin. He
will devote a large part of his money to
the same plan.
"How much money have you, Nir-
ginia, to give III this way?' asked
Rachel. Once she worrI never have
asked such IA personal question. Now it
seemed as natural to talk frankly about
money as about anything else that be-
longed to God.
Il have available for use at least
$3.50, 600. Rollin has as much more 1t
is one of his bitter regrets now that his
eXtravagant habits of life before his
conversion practically threw away half
that father left him. We are both eager
to make all the reparation in our pow
er. What would Jesus do with this
money! We want to answer that quos-
ton honestly and wisely. The money l
shall put into The News is, | am con-
fidcnt, in line with Jesus probable ac-
ton. 1t is as necessary that we have Il
daily Christian paper in Raymond,
especially now that we have the saloon
influence to meet, as it is to have a
church or a college. SO ] am satisfied
/ that the $500, 600 that Mr. Norman
will know how to use so well will be a
powerful factor in Raymond to do as
Jesus would do.
about my other plan Rachel, I
want you to work with me, Rollin and
| are going to buy up large part of
the property in the Rectanele. The field
whore the tent now is has been in liti-
cation for years. We mean to secure
the entire tract as soon as the courts
have settled the title. For some time |
have been making a SPECIAL study of the
various forms of college settlements and
resident methods of Christian work and
institutional church work in the heart
of great city slums l do not know that
| have yet been able to tell Just what
Is the wisest and most effective kind of
work that can be done in Raymond
but | do know this much-my money
/ q mean Gods, which he wants me to
use) can build wholesome lodging
houses, refugees for poor women, asy-
lums for shopgirls, safety for many and
many lost girl like Loreen And | do
not want to be simply a dispenser of
this money. God help mel | do want
to put myself into the problem, But do
You know, Rachel, | have feeling all
/ the time that all that limitless money
and limitless personal sacrifice can
possibly do will not really lessen
very much the awful conditions at
the Rectangle as long as the saloon
is legally established there. ! think that
is true of any Christian work now be-
ing carried on in any great city. The
saloon furnishes material to be saved