Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-12
conditions faced Henry Maxwell this


mined on the week before. He had no
new statements to make about the evil
influence of the saloon in Raymond.
What new facts were there? He had no
startlinc. illustrations of the power of
the saloon in business or politics What
could he say that had not been said by
temperance orators a great many times
The effect of his message this morning
owed it's power to the unusual fact of
his preaching about the saloon at all,
together with the events that had STIR
red the people He had never in the
course of his ten years pastOrate men
toned the saloon as something to be re-
garded in the light of an enemy, not
only to the poor and the tempted, but
to the business life of the place and the
church itself He spoke now with a
freedom that seemed to measure his
complete sense of the conviction that
Jesus would speak so. At the close he
pleaded with the people to remember
the new life that had begun at the Rec
tangle. The regular election of city Off
GERS would be an issue in that election.
What of the poor creatures surrounded
by the hell of drink while just begin
ming to feel the joy of deliverance from
sin? Who could tell what depended on
their environment? Was there one
word to be said by the Christian disci-
pie, business man. professional man,
citizen, in favor Of continuing to license
these crimes and shame producing in
situations? Was not the most Christian
thing they could do to act as citizens
in the matter, fight the saloon at the
polls, elect good men to the city offices
and clean the municipality How much
had prayers helped to make Raymond
better while votes and actions had real
ly been on. the side of the enemies of
Jesus? Would not Jesus do this? What
time being to contain ali the actors and
their movements
''No, no." she had said aloud. HE
had no right to speak to me after all
that He should have respected the
place where our thoughts should have
been. [ am sure I do not love him, not
enough to give him my life.
And after she had thus spoken the
evenings experience at the tent came
crowding in again, thrusting out all
other things. It is perhaps the most
striking evidence of the tremendous
spiri tual factor which had now entered
the Rectangle that Rachel felt, even
when the great love of strong man
had come very near her, that the spir-
itual manifestation moved her with an
agitation far greater than anything
Jasper had felt for her personally or she
for him.
The people Of Raymond awoke Sun
day morning to a growing knowledge
of events which were beginning to rev
olutionize many of the regular custom
airy. Sabits Of the town. Alexander Pow
ers' action in the matter of the railroad
frauds had created sensation, not only
in Raymond, but throughout the coun
try. Edward Norman's daily changes
of policy in the conduct of his paper
had startled the community and caused |
more comment than any recent pOlit-
ical event Rachel Winslow's singing !
at the Rectangle meetings had made a
stir in society and excited the wonder |
Of all her friends Virginia Pages cen
duct, her presence every night with |
Rachel, her absence from the usual cir |
Gle Of her wealthy, fashionable ac-
quaintances, had furnished a great deal |
Of material for gossip and question. In |
addition to the events which centered |
about these persons who were so well |
known, there had been all through the
city, in very many homes and in bust
ness and social circles, strange happen
ngs. Nearly a hundred persons in
Henry Maxwell's church had made the
pledge to do everything after asking,
What would Jesus do?' and the re-
suit had been, in many cases, Unheard
If actions. The city was stirred as it
lad never been. AS a climax to the
weeks events had come the spiritual
manifestation at the Rectangle and the
announcement, which came to most
people before church time, of the actual
conversion at the tent of nearly so of
he worst characters in the neighbor-
hood, together with the conversion Of
2ollin Page, the well known society
md club man.
It is no wonder that under the pres
ure of all this, the First church of Ray
nond came to the morning service in
condition that made it quickly sensi-
i've to any large truth.
Perhaps nothing had astonished the
,eople more than the great change that
lad come over the minister since he
lad proposed to them the imitation of
Jesus in conduct. The dramatic deliv-
ry Of his sermons no longer impressed
hem. The self satisfied, contented, easy
lttitude of the fine figure and the re-
med face in the pulpit had been dis !
'laced by manner that could not be
ompared with the old style of his de
livery. The sermon had become a mes
age. It was no longer delivered. It
vas brought to them with a love, an
arnestness, a passion, a desire a hu-
nifty, that poured their enthusiasm
bout the truth and made ths speaker
10, I.