The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-02-21
felt that my loved ones In heaven were
Joining In the chorus as / was doing.

=
Joining in the chorus as / was doing.
lam not saying this to be. sentiment
tai but ] am talking this way because
| feel that Ireally have had aifewshap-
py hours on earth during the past few
months kheR,1 attended those re.
yivals. Sis
Let meatell YOU a little incident at
one Of them down in the southern part
| ofthe State: was in a little country.
town and was told at supper at the no
tel--lt. was more Of a boarding house
that supper would beioyer early be-
cause Of big revival was going on at
the 'meetin' house I was invited to
go. and having nothing TO do l went.
That was the first time i had been to
church for many. many years, and
when they arose to sing "On Jordan's
Stormy Banks ! Stand, there sat be-
| side me an old farmer, fully six feet
|tall. with bent frame and hook.nose
and asthe song started Off he straight
lened up and closing his eyes3he sang
the most beautiful tenorgI ever heard.
i was actually inspiring to hear him
lsing and Just back Of us were a num-
Der OF healthy, strong young men with
their girls, all of whom had excellent
bass voices and the girls sang soprano
and contralto. But that old farmer, I
shall never forget, l. can now. hear
this voice III the distance singing those
old familiar tunes. ! have heard the,
greatest singers in this and: foreign;
countries during my thirty years. on,
the road and am somewhat Of n Judge
| of'good singing, but believe me, 4 new.
er listened to such singing as that old
farmer did; mingled with the inspir-
ing singing OF the congregation and
the heavy bass In the rear Of me
where sat the young men and girls. I
have often thought about that old
liook.nose-stoop shouldered gray.hcad-
ed farmer and that II he had gone into
concert singing or upon the stage
what a great name he would have
made for himself in the musical
world; but said Poet Gray. many a.
flower Is born to blush unseen and
wastes its fragrance on the desert air
II / quote correctly, but you get the
drift Of my thought. d
y was in that section Of the country
for about a week. concluded K Mr..
Hoyle.," and ] made It a point to get
back in time to attend the revival ey.
cry evening and also made 1t a point
to get near the old man with the beau
tiful tenor voice and hook-nose, that
lmight enjoy his singing but that was
not all, got interested In what the
preacher was talking about. He did
not use any high-sounding phrases,
nor was the English smooth, but, my
boy, there was logic; he was sincere
but rough, he was unschooled but sin
cere, he was poorly dressed but un.
der his colored shirt there was, l tru-
~ believe, beat a heart that was as
true and good rs God ever put in man.
He did not beg one to repent but he
told them what they might expect IL
they did not. When that old.fashion-
ed congregation got. down on their
Knees that preacher offered up prayer
to the Most Hight felt right in my
heart that there was some one who
cared for me in this world since. nv
mother was gone and that that preach.
err was praying for me personally. One
may talk about their. education and re.
flnement, that's all right in the draw.
ing room, but to touch the heart Of an
ole. commercial man like me there has
to be sincerity and you can't fool any
one about sincerity. You may for u
while but know that that preacher
was sincere and know when the con.
gresation arose and sang the tunes
that touch the heart that they, too,
were sincere. 5i5
There is one thing with all my bad.
ness, | have always had respect for
the house OF God and respect for one
who is Christian. ihave nothing to
do with hypoerlte. Let him and tho
devil settle that matter for the good
Lord knows that II satan is to have
charge of all such people he has got
his hands full for there are plenty Of
them.
Il wantto go back next year to that
same old revival and before turn in
my checked want to hear that old
stoop.shouldered hook.nose farmer
sing again. and ifiho ever gets to heay-
en- and retains that beautiful tenor
voice I nm quite certain he Is going to
10