The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-30
CHAPTER XII.
A CAMPAIGN FOR A SOUL.

A FOR A SOUL
AS he rode TO town that Sunday. in the
warm sunlight and the rest which is a real
ity in the country districts upon a Sabbath
morning, he noted with quick apprehension
a dozen jay birds Fostering a hawk in Stat
tery's pasture, and in it he saw an epitome
of universal justice and retribution for
wrong. 1t was in this state of mind that
he entered the church. after a ride which
his mother thought rather monotonous.
They went down the aisle just as the first
prayer was ended, and while the congre-
cation, led by a cabinet organ, was sing
ing the next number from a collection in
tended for Sunday schools the preacher sat
changing the location Of some book marks
in the Bible and penciling new notes on
the slips of paper. He asked that the last
verse of the song be repeated, since it was
so beautiful, but the deacons down in the
front benches were secretly delighted to see
that what the preacher really wanted was
to change his sermon for the day on ac-
count of Shackletts arrival. To take quick
advantage of opportunities is a token Of
success in church work as well as in polit-
ical campaigns, and this preacher had a
modicum of the art of war in his agile
brain.
The text was. Let your light so shine be-
fore men that they may see your good
works" The preceding verses in Matthew
were explained. especially the fact that the
word translated ''bushel' really in the
Greek means a measure of about fifteen
pints, and then the subject was taken up
with energy. The duty of every man to
show his colors and to put on the uniform
Of faith by complying with the regulations
laid down in the book of directions for life,
as the soldier dons the blue when he enters
the army, was gone over with fervor and
force. The necessity of complying with the
directions given US by God was emphasized,
and then came the specialization that since
He has commanded that the entrance to
His church shall be by baptism in the
water. there is no other way to legitimately
enter the church on earth or the multitudes
praising him above. The exhOrtation was
to take the light out from under the busheI
and make a courageous. public confession
of the intention to be one of Gods people
by complying with the regulations he has
laid down and being baptized in the water,
as Christ commanded of old.
At the end of the sermon the six or seven
"a oAA4 - 80 NN1 A0lIE scat
opened the song books, which they had
been looking over more or less furtively
during the time the preacher was talking,
and at a signal from the man next the
aisle. who used a short lead pencil for a
baton, began to sing forte and with splen-
did attack. whatever the shading. a song
the refrain of which was Calling to-day"
The two sopranos and the two altos dweIt
lovingly on Calling" while the single
believing basso and two phenomenal tenOrs
came in with gusto at the same time with
Calling. calling" and. whatever else could
be said OF the music. il was in perfect and
very much accentuated time, and some sue
cess as an Evolutionary expression OF the
pathos in the words. Then a sincere Chris
tan. who had recently given up all his
property 10 pay his debts. offered a prayer.
which was no sooner ended than the con-
structive choir began. with a ~cuickness
which indicated that they had been making
a selection while they were all standing in
prayer, another song In which half the peo-
pie joined. The first words were.
why do you wait. dear brother?'
and the chorus was.
why not. why not. why not come to Him
now?"
There was a rest at each Interrogation
point. which the singers made the more