Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-13
VALUE OF oppoRruN1rY.
Address at z. M. c. A. Big Meeting
bv Rev. W. E. Sheridan.

A ''big meeting" audience was at the
Lafayette Theater, regardless of the wealth
er, yesterday afternoon at the regular
weekly services held under the auspices Of
the Y. NJ. c. A. President E. A. Hughes of
De Paw University was to have made the
address but he was compelled to remain
away because Of death in his family. His
place was taken by Rev. W. f. Sheridan.
pastor of the Mt Vernon Methodist Church
of Baltimore, who spoke on Opportunity
and Its Value A section of the Marine
Band furnished the music usual, and
the singing was conducted by Mr.. Percy 5
Foster. The Amphion Glee Club sang one
selection. and the musical program was
concluded by solo by Miss E. GraSe Up
degraff of New York. Miss Updegraff
braved the storm to keep her engagement,
and stated that she would have gone twice
as far to have faced that audience of
men," Miss Updesraff is in Washington to
sing at the unwilling of the statue of Fran
ces E. Willard at the Capitol next week.
The songs in the dark formed part of
the program, the words being thrown upon
screen by means of stereopticon. The
meeting was as usual followed by Bible
study and dinner at the Y. NJ. C. A. head
quarters on G street.
Mr.. Lyman l.. Pierce, general secretary of
the association, was in charge of the meet
ing at the theater, having just returned,
after an absence of several days during
Charleston, S. c.. Cincinnati and other
places.
DIR. Sheridan said all days are not alike;
that some are filled with opportunities and
others are completely devoid of them. Lead
ing up to the idea that the present OPP
portunities in church life and evangelistc
work greater than they ever have been,
he paraphrased a familiar passage saying,
There Is tide In the affairs of men which,
II taken at its food leads on to victory"
He referred particularly to the big meet
ings'' held under the auspices of the Y. NJ.
c. A, and stated that in his opinion 1t
had grasped an opportunity and had taken
advantage of the tide which already had
led to victory.
There is passing Of a church's oppor-
tunity as well of nation said the
speaker. Just as surely as the Jews have
neglected their opportunities and have suf-
fered ever since, churches have given
themselves over to festivals and worldiness
and to advertisements which are not strictly
within the province of the church. Some
Of these were the very things for which
Christ scourged the money changers in the
temple. And these opportunities pass,
with them passes the power to do good
To illustrate the failure to grasp oppor-
tunfties DR.. Sheridan referred to the story
of Darwin, the great scientist and author
who. through his persistent aversion to mu-
sic in his early youth found later in life
that he had lost completely the power to
appreciate 1t even to distinguish one
note from another.
In concluding DIR. Sheridan declared that
while opportunities Of different kinds are
continually passing and some may even
come back with second invitation. that
we must all look forward to death. which
no reprieve can put off long
1--WE know not when death may overtake
us 1t may be today, it may be tomorrow,
but when it comes our last opportunity Is
gone"