The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-21
AT tent MEETING
IN THE HEART OF A BUSY CITY
NIGHTLY SESSIONS ARE
HELD
HOW ALIENS" ARE ATTRACTED
Interest Beneath the Tent Never
Wanes, Despite the Din of
COmmingIing Noises
Outside.

From concert hall nearby a ribald
song swept defiantly down and was heard
even above the din caused by fifty Metho-
dist voices singing with all their might
a good, old-fashioned Methodist hymn.
Other voices of the outside world rose
shrilly or joined in a chorus of laughter
that mingled oddly with the chorus of
praise. From across the street a sharp
voiced piano shrieked in exaggerated
staccato: ''If You Haint Got No Money
Why You Needn't Come Around.
Not one of those things, however, dis
turbed in any degree the Methodist tent
meeting that was in progress last night
at the corner of Eighth and Cedar
streets. Even when ribald song, laughter
and staccato-voiced piano Joined in one
tremendous, discordant and defiant cres-
cendo did the paeon of praise inside the
tent waver. The voices that sang the
hymn despised of the fastidious Mr.
Triggs, but beloved of the masses, car
ried it to a triumphant close, and the
voices of the outer world and of darkness
We're drowned in the pleading exhortation
of Rescue the Perishing.'
The big tent that, under the auspices
of the Methodist ministers of st. Paul,
is serving every night to house a hand
full of the faithful, and about a half a
handful of either the would-be faithful
or the curious, is perhaps the only thing
at all suggestive of an old-fashoned
Methodist camp meeting
The mourners' bench has been decent
ly tucked out of sight. The beauties of
heaven, rather than the disadvantages of
he'll, are dwelt upon by the preacher.
There are few testimonies" Even the
emotional Interruptions that once liberal
ly punctuated the sermon of the minister
or his prayer have dwindled away to a
few Thank the Lords ''God be
Praised" This is an age of repression,
and even religion at a camp meeting is
taken sedately.
Yet though this modern camp meeting
suggests little of that primitive religion
finding expression in outward signs, the
tent which has been pitched on Cedar
street, between Seventh and Eighth to
save souls is still an interesting place to
visit. Because the tent is large and gray,
and because the only light is a big splut-
tering globe swinging from the center,
the Rembrandt arrangement of light and
shadow must of necessity appeal to him
who has a love of beauty in his soul
The faithful, quite fttingly, too, sit well
up in front. Their voices ring out val
iantly in the chorus of praise The
others--the ''aliens in the commonwealth
OF Israel, as the man who preached last
night happily styled those outside the
fold-fOund seats well in the rear. Yet all
seemed intensely interested in the serV-
ice. The little congregation included
black and white, old and young None.
however, seemed well provided with
worldly wealth. Therefore the pictures
which the man who preached sketched
from the life of Christ seemed especially
appropriate last evening. Throughout
the service, even to the very benediction,
the congregation, a mere handful in the
beginning, was constantly receiving re-
cruits from the lighted streets outside
If the spiders webs were Ravens of
peace, if the spiders themselves were
humanitarians and the captured flies
brands snatched from the burning it
would not be absurd to say that such a
web is this tent For passers-by of all
classes it seems to possess a subtle fas-
cination. Hence the gradual filing up
OF the tent Perhaps it is the singing of
the tunes that mean so much to YOU
alone, common tunes that make you
choke and blow your nose;' perhaps it
is the pleading voice of the preache.
or perhaps it is just very human curios-
ity. Whatever it is, every little while a
face appears above the high board fence
nearly always a wOman's face but occa-
slonally man's-then uncertainty
doubtfully, shrinkingly, a figure passes
through the gate and the little congre-
cation is made larger by one member.
If it has been the intention of any of
the reluctantly attracted and late arrivals
to come to scott that intention is not re-
vealed by so mucn as glance and if not
all remain to pray all at least remain and
listen. And not infrequently these new
corners are carried away by the spirit Of
the occasion and in voices sweet or the
reverse, utter with the faithful the old
fashioned words that may not be good
literature, but are somehow forever as
scciated with the best memories of child
mood
Few get beyond stanza some sing
only verse. The shock of hearing their
own voices dumbs them and they gaze
resentfully around and during the re-
mainder of the singing finger the hymn
book in embarrassed fashion. They, of
course, are the "aliens" The true dwell
ers sing to the end, happily, heartily, in
excellent time and tune. The aliens
fight memories, perhaps or listen critical
ly as BELTS their past life or-their pres
ent attitude. They withdraw phlegmatic-
ally enough with the rest, for there is no
after meeting.