Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-12
IN HIS STEPS.
"What Would Jesus Do?"
By CHARLES N. SHELDON.

Saturday night at the Rectangle wit
messed some of the most remarkable
scenes that Mr.. Gray and his wife had
ever known. The meetings had intensi-
fed with each night of Rachel's sing
ing A stranger passing through the
n Rectangle in the daytime might have
heard a good deal about the meetings in
one way and another. 1t cannot be said
that up to that Saturday night there
was any apEreciable lack of oaths and
impurity and heavy drinking. The Rec
tangle would not have acknowledged
that it was growing any better or that
even the singing had softened its con-
versation or its outward manner. 1t
had too much local pride in being
''tough." But, in spite of itself, there
was a yielding to power it had never
measured and did not know well enough
to resist beforehand.
Gray had recovered his voice, so that
Saturday he was able to speak. The
fact that he was obliged to use his voice
carefully made it necessary for the peo-
pie to be very quiet if they wanted to
hear Gradually they had come to I'M
derstand that this man was talking
these many weeks and using his time
and strength to give them a knowledge
of Saviour, all out of perfectly I'M
selfish love for them. Tonight the great
crowd was as quiet as Henry Maxwell's
decorous audience ever was. The fringe
around the tent was deeper, and the
saloons were practically empty. The
Holy Spirit had come at last, and Gray
knew that one of the great prayers of
his life was going to be answered.
And Rachel-her singing was the
best, most wonderful Virginia or Jasper
Chase had ever known. They had come
together again tonight with DR.. West,
who had spent all his spare time that
week in the Rectangle with some char
ity cases. Virginia was at the organ,
Jasper sat on front seat looking up at
Rachel, and the Rectangle swayed as
one man toward the platform as she
sang:
'tJust as / am, without plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidst me come to thee
o Lamb of God, 1 come, comet
Gray said hardly word. He stretch
ed out his hand with gesture of invi-
tation, and down the two aisles of the
tent broken, sinful creatures, men and
women, stumbled toward the platform.
One woman out of the street was near
the organ.
Virginia caught the look Of her face,
and for the first time in the life of the
rich girl the thought of what Jesus was
to a sinful woman came with sudden
ness and power that were like nothing
II 7of4
gan, went to her, looked into her face
and caught her hands in her own The
other girl trembled, then fell on her
knees, sobbing, with her head down
upon the back of the bench in front of
her, still clinging to Virginia. And Vir-
ginia, after moments hesitation,
kneeled down by her, and the two
heads were bowed close together.
But when the people had crowded in
Ia double row all about the platform,
most of them kneeling and crying, a
man in evening dress, different from
|the others, pushed through the seats
|ahd came and kneeled down by the side
|E he drunken man who had disturbed
hhe meeting when Henry Maxwell
Epoke. He kneeled within few feet of
Rachel Winslow, who was still singing
Bbftly, and as she turned for a moment
md looked in his direction she was
amazed to see the face of Rollin Pagel
Eor a moment her voice faltered. Then
Ehe went on:
ftJust l am thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome pardon, cleanse, relieve.
Because thy promise l believe,
o Lamb of God, 1 come, 1 come!''
The voice was as the voice of divine /
longing, and the Rectangle, for the /
time being, was swept into the harbor
bf redemptive grace.