Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-03-09


got to have new start in the way Of
The whole thing needs re-
don't look for any re-
form worth anything To come out Of
the churches. They are not with the
people They are with the aristocrats,
with the men of money The trusts and
monopolies have their greatest men in
the churches. The ministers as class
are their slaves. What we need Ii q
system that shall start from the COM
mon basis of socialism founded on the
rights of the common people"
Carlson had evidently forgotten all
about the three minute rule and was
launching himself into regular ora
ton that meant, in his usual surround
ings. before his usual audience. an hour
at least. when the man just behind him
pulled him down unceremoniously and
rose. Carlson was angry at first and
threatened little disturbance. but the
bishop reminded him of the rule. and
he subsidized, with several mutterings
in his beard, while the next speaker be-
gan with u very strong eulogy on the
value of the single tax rs a genuine
remedy for all the social ills. He was
followed 10y man who made a bitter
attack on the churches and ministers
and declared that the two great obsta-
clcs in the way Of all true reform were
the courts and the ecclesiastical ma
chimes
When he sat down man who bore
every mark Of being street laborer
epraug 10 his feet and poured out per
feet torrent Of abuse against the corpor-
aticus especially the railroads. The
mi, te his time was up big, brawny
fellow who said he was a metal worker
by trade claimed the floor and declared
that the remedy for the social wrongs
was trades unionism This, he said.
would bring on the millennium for la
Dor more than anything else. The next
man endeavored 10 give some reasons
why so many persons were out of en-
ploymcnt aud condemned inventions as
the works OF the devil He was loudly
applau1cd by the rest Of the company.
Finally the bishop called time on the
free for all and asked Rachel TO sing.
Rachel Winslow had grown into Il
very strong. hcathful, humble Chris
iian during that wonderful year in
Raymond dating from the Sunday
when she first took the pledge TO do as
Icsu, would do and her great talent OF
song had been fully consecrated to the
service of h.r Master When she began
~ sing tonight at this settlement meet
ing, she lad never prayed more deeply
fer results - come from her voice-the
voice which she now regarded as the
Masters. 70 he used for him.
Certainly her prayer was being an
swered as she sang. She had chosen the
words
Hark, tho voice Of Jesus calling.
Follow me, follow me!
Again Henry Maxwell. sitting there.
was reminded of his first night at the
Rectangle in the tent when Rachel sang
the people into quiet. The effect was
the same here. What wonderful power
a good voice consecrated 10 the Master Q
service always isl Rachels great nat
ural ability would have made her one
of the foremost opera singers OF the age
Surely this audience had never before
heard such melody. How could itP The
men who had drifted in from the street
sat entranced by voice which "back
in the world never could be heard by
the common people because the owner
Of it would charge 81 or 50 for the
privilege. The song poured out through
the hall as free and glad as II II were q
foretaste of salvation itself.
Carlson, with his great black bearded
face. absorbed the music with the deep
love Of it peculiar to his nationality.
and a tear ran over his cheek and glis.
tened in his beard as his face softened
and became almost noble in its aspect.
The man out of work who had wanted
to know what Jesus would do in his
place sat with grimy hand on the back
Of the bench in front Of him, with his
mouth partly open. his great tragedy
for the moment forgotten. The song
while il lasted was food and work and
warmth and union with his wife and
babies once more The man who had
spoken so fiercely against the churches
and the ministers sat with his head
erect at first with look Of stolid re-
sistance. as if he stubbornly resented
the introduction into the exercises OF
anything that was even remotely con
nected with the church or its form Of
worship. but gradually he yielded tC
the power that was swaying the hearts
of all the persons in that room, and 6
look of sad thoughtfLlness crept ovel
his face
The bishop said To himself that nigh
while Rachel was singing that if thu
world of sinful, diseased, depraved, los
humanity could only have the gospe
preached to it by consecrated primt
donnas and professional tenors and alto
and bassos he believed it would hasteI
the coming Of the kingdom quickeI
than any other one force. why. oh
why, he cried in his heart as he lis
tened "has the world s great treasure IL
song been SO often held far from tn
poor because the personal possessor o
voice or fingers capable Of stirring di
vinest melody has so often regarded tn
gift as something with which to max
money! Shall there be no martyr