The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-09

one side the Orphanage Bell Ringers
performed and two or three hun
dred children sung for our entertain
ment. Rev. Thos. Spurgeon went up
among the children, and spoke word
or two to the audience, introducing
his valued assistant, Mr.. Charles
| worth. A band of orphanage sing
ers travelled ali over the British Isles
last wear, and made $4,000 over their
expenses for the maintenance of the
institution.
After spending an hou- and half
at the orphanag., we bos: dc The
to story electric cars, ani mad5 our
| ..sy back along the Chaplain road
fer a mile or more to the Sturgeon
T.. hernacle, made sacrel anI nca-
o ,aI by the life and wocK Of the
greatest Baptist preacher of the last
century. Fully 35 years ago I began
to read Mr.. Spurgeon's sermons, and
have long desired to see the house
which he made historic.
The building on the interior is
complete ellipse. Lay an egg on a
paper, draw pencil around it, and
the result will be a fair outline Of the
lower floor. Above this, and running
entirely around is the first gallery,
and the pulpit is on level with this
gallery. Above this and running
likewise entirely around the house
even in the rear Of the pulpit-is the
third gallery. In all these galleries,
the seats rise tier on tier, the last row
being several feet higher than the
first. The protecting balustrade is
neat filigree work of iron, painter
with white and gold. Just beneath
the pulpit, between it and the loor.
| is second platform, on which is
table and chairs. The pulpit projects
a few feet forward. and this secon.i
rlatform eight or ten feec fur:!i.,r :1'il
.owards the front, oh being s,;:
rt II 6ed by a ne:.t raj, 15, su3r2r,-
| ed by iron posts. The church has no
choir. Latterly a piano has been
used to pitch the tune" but even this
| is an innovation which the elder Spur
geon would not have brooked. Tha
building will seat $500 persons COM
fortab4y. A gentleman sitting near
the preacher raises the tunes, and the
entire congregation seems to join in
the singing. Such volumes of sound
I have never heard. But "My Son
Tom is not maintaining the church
in its ancient glory. He is a fine
| worker, but not so great rs a preach
church when he was chosen past,r.
(To be continued tomorrow.)
Forty-eight negro delegates are
here from different Baptist bodies in
| the United States and Africa, and so
the overcasting negro prbienn pursues
US all over the lands and seas. The
English people have forgotten that
their Forefathers helped the Dutcn
to kidnap the Africans, and aided in
bringing them to America to oe
sold into bondage. Over here as
rule, only the best side of the negro IS
seen-the educated negro. He IS
received into the homes of the people,
sits at their tables, and on Sunday a
half dozen pulpits Of white churches
were filed by them. A southern dele
gate, who asked for entertainment.
was asked if he objected to having
another gentleman in the room with
him. On investigating the case, he
discovered that this gentleman was q
negro. The delegate then briefly con-
fessed that it was violation Of south
ern customs and institutions to sleep
with negro. Thereupon he was
offered another room, but being con-
fronted by the fact that he would
have to eat with "the brother in
black he excused himself, and found
board at hotel. The Englishman
knows nothing Of the negro. To him
there is no difference. except that
his skin is dark. In the south the
negroes themselves know better than
this, and many who are receiving
some training and culture already
begin to show an .unwillingness to
associate with the rabble. The world
will simply have to pardon the weak
ness of the southern people-if weak
ness it be-and let them abide in
their inherited habits.
But over here there is another
side to this picture. Last evening, [
walked out of the hotel court to look