Evening star., 1907-08-11
Famous Exeter Hall
To Be a Restaurant


FXETER HALL, as two generations
r, have known II. no longer exists TO
last meeting within its precincts has
been held. says the London Telegraph. and
| the doors closed. The demise of the famous
gathering ground Of evanGcists and phil
/ anthropists has been brought about 10y tho
! county council. At its bchcst many huu-
! drcls Of pounds have been spent I'm alter
/ atoms within a very few years. Recently
1t made further demands. which the ten
ants felt themselves unable to comply
with. and Exeter Han In its old historic
! character has ceased to he tor some time
! the dark lofty narrow pori!co. framed in
| with Graeco-C Corinthian columns. will con-
tinue 10 mark out the place. Possibly IL
may remain permanently, but the interior
is bound to be transformed in the restless
| reconstruction OF the Strand. for a well
| known firm of restaurauteurs has acquired
! the building, and its Encouragement viii lie
necessary.
The famous hall was built at cost OF
! e30W0 sixty-siX years ago. wnen tie
Strand was more decorous and austcre.
perhaps, than ii now is. There was need
! for such building, where the forces OF re-
! lig!ous and benevolent life could Conccn-
! trate The uses to which II was put quick
| ly earned for 1t the description OF IA tenn
| pie OF modern philanthropy" But IT gained
| an even greater distinction. 1t came TO
rank among the national buildings. AID
was better known than some that come
more appropriately within the category.
There are thousands OF provincials now
| living certain OF the whereabouts OF
| Exeter Hall than many people born and
| reared in London. 1t has been their mecca
| Of annual visitation for decades, emhody-
ing the spirit which keenS.alive and invig-
crates their social ambitions. That spirit
was not always spoken OF with respect.
There was a time when the phrase the
Exeter Hall spirit was used derisively in
| some quarters. 1t was meant to imply a
| surfeit OF cant and dogmatism. But the
! period of harsh criticism ended years ago.
| People were driven of necessity to adopt
more liberal phraseology, for the hall
somewhat changed and broadened It's asso-
| Citations time progressed, though il
| never surrendered its primary function as
the center of religious and philanthropio
| effort
1t was in this perplexing buding-per-
picking because of its marvelousy Gecep-
! tive size when its narrow portals Lave
| been passed-that music was brought to
! the aid OF religion in a way hitherto un-
known. In Exeter Hall people once gath
| cred to listen to the works of the great
masters OF oratorio. The change of homo
was drastic The custom had been TO
! present oratorios in the London theaters
/
| But a departure came about when the
! Sacred Harmonic Society was established
| In 1881 The theaters were then abandoned,
! and the great hail. lying back from the
Strand, resounded with the glorious har-
mony created under the guidance of Sir
Michael Costa. Oratorio has since taken TO
fingers on those great days, and recalls the
delights of that last representation OF
Israel in Egypt" in April 1880
Throughout its career Exeter Hall has
| haa, TN niat ions Of tl4a
| characteristics of the age. And religion
and philanthropy have been characteristics
| Of every age since Christianity began. No
change in proprietorship impariled the ideal
| set forth when the initial brick of the laby-
| rinthne pile laid. When the Young
| Mems Christian Association took over the
building In 1880 100000 was spent for the
property and on restoration, with the ex-
press object Of carrying on the noble work.
And records contain accounts of meetings
held there that have never been surpa ssed
for glowing hopefulness. The great meet
ings which Spurgeon and other divines con-
tnuously conducted on Sundays did not out
do in impressiveness that memorable gath
erng which inaugurated the new when
Shaftesbury and Cairns and the Archbishop
of Canterbury poured out their eloquence
before a mighty congregation Of men and
women who had launched an undying move
ment
Yet It is not among the great gatherings
of a strictly religious character that We
shall find the events that have stamped
| have been meetings there of social and
national character that will never fade from
memory. The evil of the slave trade drew
| thither men and women In desperate ard
resolute protest. One meeting of the abo!i-
tionists, held In June. lS4O, stands out in
the forefront Of that long and bitter strife.
| Its central figure was the venerable Thomas
| Clarkson. This patrarchal father Of phil
anthropy was the chosen president. The han
had filled to the doors when the totterins
old man, accompanied by his daughter,!n-
law and tiny grandson. moved to the plat
form, and gazed with dim eyes upon an au-
dience that burned with fierce resolve, Yet
watched his faltering movements with ten
der soicitude. He began in feeble tones
with apologies for the failing memory which
made strangers of many lifelong friends sit
ting around him, then with the solemn
earnestness which is the strength of the
aged he urged unwavering perseverance in
the noble cause of freedom, and finally lift
ing UP q hand, with a trembling finger
pointing upward, he delivered the exhorta-
ton: May the Supreme Ruler of all hu-
man events. at whose disposal are not only
the hearts but the intelects Of men--ElLy
He. in His abundant mercy, guide yoar
counsels and give His blessings upon your
labors."
~
Those were simple. commonplace words.
but never did a sentence produce profound-r
effects There was momcntary pause, as
the feeble figure sank into the chair; ths
audience bound up In emotion. Then
there leapel from the tongue of every man
and every woman present a art-lftiug
Amen, Amen"-from some, inde ed, to
whom the word seemed strange and. until
then. expressionless. That scene of ind,-
sCribahe emotion was seized upon by the
artist Hayden, who was IN search of a sub
iect for his brush and he thus describes il:
II have seen the most affecting Tragedies,
initiative and real, but | never did w!tu -
IN life or in drama so deep, so touching. 50
pathetic an effect produced on any great as:
sembly as by the few unaffected. uusopH.s-
ucated. natural and honest words of ills
aged and agitated person. The WON
wept. the men shook off their tears, unable
to prevent their flowing. For myself / Was
affected and aston!shed that it VAS
,,nirn l .iL.Llt