The Newtown bee., 1908-02-21

the Church to many unconventional but brave-hearted people, who have held the traditional belief that "Pis. eopalians were ohish!" Bishop John son, following the kindly habit of our beloved Bishop Hare. after a suitable pause following the closing hymn, moved forward and met those present with informal friendliness. Such man. ifestatiOns of good will bring out the ready chiyalry of the westerner, and the full-toned exclamation is, general ly: "Glad you came. Enjoyed the ser- vice ver-ry much Come again, soon",
 To such invitations the bishop usually replies that South Dakota is large state and missionary bishop has a wide territory to travel over to meet regular appointments at established points. He will, however, try to come [ them again and hold service, and he will try and send them a clergyman to hold service for them occasionally.
 So the latter days of the week passed and, after long drives up and down long, rolling hills, through winding draws, we arrived late on Saturday aft ernoon at our first new railroad town of Philip, with its sixty odd stores, hotels and boarding houses, its two newspapers, two banks, five lumber yards, its fifty odd homes, its three hundred odd inhabitants, with cement walks on the main street. and this promising, central metropolis on the new line only three months old!
 In and about Philip we found quite a colony of Church people, and know the bishop is to make determined effort to give this fourishing little town a service, perhaps once month.
 We held service here Sunday morning in pavilion, the only available place. After sweeping it out, we placed a good-sized dry goods box at one end of the floor, and, covering it with sheet, converted it into presentable altar; another sheet, draped back of it as dossal partly hiding an unsightly alley in the rear. The bishop, with some rough sticks and pins, fashioned a cross, which he effectively centered on the frontal. A fve-foot length of an unbarked log, set up on one side and nailed to the floor, with a starch-box lid nailed on top, made an admirable ana practical lectern-pulpit. An or gan, brought from nearby office, fil- led out the other side of our temporary chancel. Boards placed over boxes and crates, with a few chairs borrowed from an adjacent "eating house." completed the furnishings.
 Here, on Sunday morning, large congregation gathered and worshipped with the same sincerity as if in church. ly surroundings. Two babies were bap- tized and the. Holy Communion was eel ebratd by the bishop. We were forum ate here in securing the help of young Churchwoman, a homesteader, who, be- ing fine musician and knowing the chants, added greatly to the proper rendering of the service.
 The length of the services encroach- ing on our closely-timed schedule, we could but allow part of our dinner (having our team hitched up in the meanwhile) and, with the cordial good- bys of the two good Churchwomen who entertained us, urgently appealing for regular services, we packed our bags into the buggy and were soon steadily on our long, winding, afternoon drive of about thirty miles, to keep our en- gagement in Midland.
 We arrived in this town, which is al- so but three months old, at abou 6.30. After a hurried bite" we hast ened to the "bunk-house, where Even- ing Prayer was to be said. This ''bunk house" is long, low garret, over a general store, and the propri- etor, a very kind, devout Scandinavian Lutheran, went to great trouble to pile up his many cots and the bedding on one side, and arranged chairs and boards on boxes about the room for people to sit on during the service. He also insisted on relieving me in hanging some "comforters" over crossed ropes to give us place to vest.
 At Midland a good friend had antic- ipated our coming by gathering and re- hearsing choir, and so, with a congre- gation of hundred or more, we wor- shipped that night with helpful heart- mess. Bishop Johnson, as usual, preached a direct, strong, sensible ser- mon. full of spiritual food, and the people followed him with rapt atten- 5ivr. A charming elderly woman said to me, very earnestly, after the ser vice: Your bishop preached one of the most powerful sermons tonight I have ever heardp The wholesouled sing no of Westerners is well worth hear