The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-09-05

hope it won't rain Sunday. We have
had so many rainy days lately"
"Yes; the audiences have been quite
small for some time. People will not
come out to church In a storm" The
Rev. Henry Maxwell sighed as he said
it. He was thinking of the careful, la
borious efforts he had made in prepar-
ing ermons for large audiences that
failed to appear.
But Sunday morning dawned on the
town of Raymond one of those perfect
days that sometimes come after long
periods of wind and rain and mud. The
air was clear and bracing, the sky was
free from all threatening signs, and ev-
cry one in Henry Maxwell's parish pre-
pared to go to church. When the service
opened at II o'clock, the large building
was filled with an audience of the best
dressed. most comfortable looking peo-
pie in Raymond.
The First church of Raymond be
lieved in having the best music that
money could buy, and its quartet choir
this morning was a great source of
pleasure to the congregation. The an
them was inspiring. All the music was
in keeping with the subject of the ser
mon. And the anthem was an elaborate
adaptation to the most modern music.
of the hymn:
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow thee.
just before the sermon the soprano
sang a solo. the we'll known hymn:
Where he leads me l will follow.
IN go with him. with him all the way.
Rachel Winslow looked very beauti-
full that morning as she stood up be-
hind the screen of carved oak which
was significantly marked with the en-
hlems OF the cross and the crown. Her
voice was eve more beautiful than
her face. and that meannt a great deal
There was a general rustic of expec.a-
ton over the audience as she arose.
Henry Maxwell settled himself content
edly behind the pulpit. Rachel Wins
lows 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
v heard such singing ever in the
First church. 1t is certain that if it
had not been a church service her solo
would have been vigorously applauded.
1t even seemed to Henry Maxwell when
she sat down that something like an at
tempted clapping of hands or striking
of feet on the floor swept through the
church. He was startled by it. AS 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. LII a few moments he was
absorbed in his sermon. and everything
else was forgotten in the pleasure of
the delivery.
No n had ever accused Henry Max
well of being a 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
1T. But the First church people liked
that. 1t gave their preacher and their
parish a 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 be
in his w pulpit when Sunday came.
There was an celebrating half hour
for him as he stood facing a church full
OF people and knew that he had a 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 lust
such a morning He felt a glow of sat
isfaction as he went on. The church
was the first in the city. 1t had the best
choir. 1t had a membership composed
OF the leading people, representatives
OF the wealth. society and intelligence
OF Raymond. He was going abroad on
a three months vacation in the sum-
mer. and the circumstances of his pas
torate. his influence and his position as
pastor OF the first church in the city
1t is not certain that the Rev. Henry
Maxwell knew just how he could carry
on all that thought in connection with
LIE sClAlou' Out DIS lie 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 a soliloquy. 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 a dramatic
utterance that had the good taste never
to offend with a suspicion of ranting OF
defamation, they We're very effective.
If the Rev. Henry Maxwell that morn
ing felt satisfied with the conditions of
his pa%storate. 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 vp1tro1. nnicv ~, IL, ...