The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-08
GETTING The GIFT OF TONGUES
STNLESS ONES CONE THROUGH
NOISILY AT TOTTENVILLE
And Those who 1--we Near Protest Because
Ir,s strange Performance Of n strange
sect kerps 'Em wax Nghts-cf-
ncacy of Prayer I'm Matter or Groceries.

ncacy Of Prayer I'm Matter or Groceries.
When Sister Cartwright OF the Sinless
Oncs If Tottenville came through In Chinese
Yesterday morning IL was pretty close to
? o'clock, and a. that part Of T~ottenville
within earshot OF the temple and the deep
voice Of Alleluia Garrison took a final
smack at the mosquitoes, turned over and
went to sleep thankfully.
For half a mile around Amboy road and
Center street, where the Sinless Ones rolled
on the hardwood floor Of the temple and
prayed that the gift Of tongues might
descend on Sister Cartwright, sleep for
the sinful was out of the question Sister
Cartwright gasped and groaned, shrieked
and screamed. caught at the hand Of ALLIE
lula Garrison and crawied the floor on her
hands and knees because the power was
gripping her like an iron band around
my forehead, she cried, and the coming
through was harder even than Sister
Leavitt's, who suffered four hours before
she spoke in Hungarian and peace came
10 her.
The gaslight burning dimly over the
head Of the leader Of the Sinless Ones,
Alleluia Garrison threw the convulsed face
of Sister Cort wright into relief and revealed
the eyeS Vi hJcAuud tuTuou up SO LDat OILY
the whites showed clearly. The wavering
Jet cast dark shadows where the forty
five Sinless Ones were twisting and with
ing and shouting prayers that the power
might rest lightly on Sister Cartwright.
Half a dozen young girls k~peeling in a row,
all dressed in plain white. with black hair
ribbons. were at the back of the room,
hut the older members Of the flock were
nrona an the ANnr m fav rollin1 quar- aal
over as their voices rose wailingly.
The voice OF Alleluia. the leader. a rum
bling bass which fairly shook the small
temple. broke firmly at times above the
confusion and din made by his distressed
followers
Il who am pure and utterly without sin
fray for you. Sister Cartwright. Wrestle
with the W and All your brain with it's
unutterable spirit. Fight hard. sister!
Struggle for your soul with the devils OF
darkness and speak to us with the gift Of
tongues"
Please God. yes! With the gift OF
tongues. Oh sister," they shouted from
the floor. with whatever tongue the
Lord gives you chant your salvation!'
Sister Cortwright's lips moved. she sobbed,
tears flowed from her eyes and she rocked
bdNhN atN ait WIN Oh VIZ AhoOt ab lac
feet Of Alleluia. but the words wouldn't
come. Sister Irene Role rose to her knees.
her face lead white in the yellowish light,
and began TO talk. speaking so fast that
the words we're drilled into each other. The
sinless Ones twisted on the bare floor.
shouting, -She speaks in the Greek tonguel
She prays for Sister Cartwright in Creek!
Glory Glory! Glory!" And. -Glory!' roared
A~lleluia. heavily.
Sister Matte Leavitt's voice vent up to
a scream and sounds poured from her lips.
noisily and unintelligible. a gibberish OF
words.
Sister Leavitt has the gift OF tongues!"
cried the Sinless Ones. 1T is Hungarian
she speaks. Oh. Sister Cartwright come
through"
Suddenly Sister Cartwright leaped to her
feet. her eyes blazing. her arm waving
around her head. and started to shrek.
THE gift of tongues has come to me-.
The power has let me go!" she cried Il
will pray for you all in Chinese"
For the next five minutes Sister Cort-
Wright's high pitched voice ran straight
on and every string Of meaningless. words
and queer jumbles of parts Of speech was
~punctuated by the ecstatic cries Of h
Sinless Ones. Sister Cartwright had come
through. had saved her sou from the
power and was one Of the elect.
What with the heat and the mosquitoes
and the stay up all nights who bang pianos
and frolic on the front porches, III staid
and sober population OF Tottenville finds
il hard enough to snooze quietly without
Icing moved to wrath and profanity by
the Sinless Ones and their gift Of tongues.
The congregation holds Ave or six night
sessions a week. not to speak Of Sundays.
and at least one sister or brother has to
come through with much shrek ing and
tribulation at every meeting. THE Holy
Rollers" they call the Sinless Ones in Tot
tenville. after the grotesque sect which
practised their rites with bowling and
dancing ana o~utlandish warnings.
The Sinless Ones have e at il in the
little temple at Amboy road and Centre
street for four years, hut only within the
last few weeks has the rest OF Tottenville
part of the congregation Of st. PauPs
Methodist Episcopal Church, but they
broke loose because some OF st. PauTs
congregation liked to play bridge or euchre
or come over to Manhattan occasionally
for the theatre. The final break came
when Pastor Brown Of 1t. Paul's applauded
one night at a church sociable. when q
pretty girl in a low neck gown recited
@The Madman's Curse The dissenters
made up their minds that they were free
from sin themselves and that they didn't
want TO take a chance with their souls by
mixing with persons who took religion
happily. So they went on by themselves
and built a little church at Amboy road
and Centre street. calling it Wells Memorial
Church.
AT'eluia Garrison. who had been a mis-
siopary in India. became shepherd OF the
flock. A few weeks ago the sinless Ones
announced that the gift OF tongues had
come TO them and that by praying hard
enough and subduing the flesh any member
Of the congregation woul he able 10 COM
mand a new language. Since that time the
Sinless Ones have kept Tottenville awake
late while sisters and brethren were coming
through or getting the gift OF tongues.
Sister Role said that Greek had come 10
her. Sister Leavitt insisted she had got
Hungarian by prayer. Others in the flock
declared that French OF German or Spanish
had come to them all at once as they prayed
and struggled on the floor. No two persons
laid claim to the same language and no
body's claim was disputed.
Nobody in Tottenville objects 70 the Sim