The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-09-30
you married? want you to come
Chicago with me, for I need yor

Inc result was that early the follow
ing year Sankey moved with his fam
lily to Chicago and took charge of the
meetings in Tarwell's hall.
The most thrilling incident in his ca
reer as an evangelist was thus told b,
Mr.. Sankey himself:
Zone day in London Mr.. Moody anC
myself appeared before an audience
composed entirely Of men and womer
who were avowedly ~scoffers at reli
gion. Having succeeded in getting
them together by barring out church
goers, the problem arose how we should
prevent them from going away more
confirmed than ever in the course Of
life and thought which they had
chosen.
ave must interest them with the
singing said Moody. we must have
a hymn which will appeal to every
heart Of them all. What I want you
to sing is my Mothers Prayer."'
II began the song-it is scarcely /.
hymn-amid the noise of shutting feet
and whispered comment, but before
n verse Of it had been sung q silence
fell over that audience so perfect that
I could almost hear the beating of my
w heart. Then that feeling came tc
me that always comes to a singer al
n time or perhaps many times in his
career-the feeling that the people be
fore mi were mine and that the sons
was reaching them for good.
"Nhile I listen to the music
Stealing on in gentle strain
I am carried back to childhood
I am now a boy again.
IT'S the hour Of my retiring
At the dusky eventide.
Near my trundle bed I'm kneeling
AS of yore, by mothers side.
"There are seven verses Of it. I sanc
them with an enthusiasm such as ]
had never before felt. The audience
seemed to rise to me, and when the
last note had died away Moody imme.
d1ately followed with one of the most
touching addresses he ever preached
In his life. He carried the audience
like a whirlwind, and when he ceased
800 of those rude, i%rreverent unbc.
levers rose up from their seats beside
their boon companions and their &C.
completes in iniQuity and asked 70,
our prayers and the prayers Of all
Gods people.
"Many of them came regularly t,
our meetings after that, and many OF
them Joined churches. We cannot tell
how many were truly converted"
Mr.. Sankcy had a keen sense of hui.
NOR and was not above telling a story
at his own expense. One day in Gene
va, Switzerland, he entered a music
box shop and asked to see some music
boxes. The salesman graciously show.
ed him a number, but none were what
he wanted. Have you none that play
sacred music?" he asked.
"Why," answered the salesman, 1--WE
have some that play a kind of halfway
sacred music"
"What:' answered Mr.. Sankey.
"Oh, these Moody and Sankcy
hymns. l can't imagine what the PEG.
pie see in them, but we sell thousands
Of the boxes that play them. Here's
one"
He pointed to a handsomely finished
music box, which, OF being wound up,
began to play 1.-THE Gates Ajar For
Me" and then branched off into other
familiar gospel hymns.
I'VE have enormous orders for these
boxes" continued the salesman, "from
every part of Europe" and then added
alphabetically, Its a matter of bust.
ness, you know, with u.s."
Mr.. Sanliey smiled and said nothing.
but a moment later a lady came hurry
ing up to him and, holding out her
hand, exclaimed, "VVhy, Mr.. Sankey, is
this your
1t was Miss Maria Havergal, a sis.
ter Of Frances Il. Havergal, the Eng
lish hymn writer. The polite Swiss
salesman looked anything but at peace
with himself.
Mr.. Sankey never circled over the
audience with %pretentious sweeps of
his eyes, as many singers do who pose
for effect. Usually he singled out
some man in a distant part Of the
building. often in the extreme gallery.
and sang at him, for him, knowing
that If he could reach and touch that
single listener he would reach and
touch all the others.
Just before he sank into unconscious
ness as he was dying, it is said, he
was heard family singing a verse of
his favorite hymn, not one of his own.
but one composed by Fanny Crosby,
the blind hymn writer of Brooklyn.
Some day the silver chord will break
And no more. as now, will sing,
But, oh. the joy when I awake
Within the palace Of the King!
MI. Sankey never sang a hymn in
the same way twice nor even the sec
ond verse Of a tune as he sang the
first. He always accompanied himself
on a little organ, which he carried
with him wherever he went.
Tho Marble wh>.k Small.