The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-13
The Sleeper Redeemed

The Sleeper Redeemed
| As he spoke, an elderly gray -heade6
man was sitting on the steps within II
| feet of him fast asleep. The mans COM
panion nudged him and he awoke to
hear the latter part of the gipsy's words
His face flushed and his attention was
| rivited on the speaker afterward. AS the
speaker swung into his sermon and be-
| gan to mould the tremendous audience to
| bis will the man became more and more
| enthralled until when the plea Of the
| evangelist for converts was made he
came forward and disappeared within the
| portals of the inquiry room.
| Such cases are frequent at the meetings
and this instance Is typical. There Is nc
| sleeping when the gypsy is speaking. His
eloquence is too fiery. his earnestness toe
| great, his message too vivid. And ne
! holds his hearers with master hand
| Last night he played ON the people in
/ front of him as a violinist on his instru-
ment. From laughter to tears he moved
them at his will and brought the services
| 10 close in burst Of emotion that left
all in the house with wet eyes and palpi-
| tating heart.
Some Dramatic Incidents
The services last night teemed with
| dramatic incidents. At the close of his
sermon the preacher stood on the steps
/
TO the inquiry room. over and over he
made his appeal, seeming never to tire
| Slow at first, but ever increasing, they
| thronged forward until the two inquiry
rooms We're packed. Hundreds went in
| and among them another Magdalenc
| found her Lord.
Seated in front of the speaker there
was an elderly man who seemed to be a
trifle deaf. In vain he strove to hear
| the preachers words, cupping his hand
| behind his ear and leaning forward with
| eyes, ears and mouth OPEN Finally de-
! spairing, he was about to leave when an
| usher who had observed his plight found
| him seat directly under Mr. Smith, and
| he listened in peace. He seemed much
| downcast at improbability of old men be-
] ing converted, but as the sermon pro-
ceeded, the trouble faded from his face
and when the plea for converts was made
| he hurried to the inquiry room, only stop
| ping to weep in the evangelists arms as
| he passed.
Father Is Blessed
| In the throng which passed by Mr.
| Smith as he stood on the steps was a
small boy not over years of age He
was hardly as high as the evangelist 5
knee. He reached out to take the preach
er's hand, but Mr.. Smith did not see him
and the child could not reach up fan
enough. He stood patiently until the
evangelist perceived him and with 8
| laugh drew him close A man rose in tho
| rear of the audience and asked to b;
| prayed for. In his arms he held baby
! and the evangelist blessed him as hs
stood. Seated on the front row was Z
gray headed man who followed tn,
| speakers worlds closely. At the clos,
| of the sermon he flung himself face
| downward in the saw dust and was taker
| to the inquiry room by personal worker
| "A mother with two sons sat in the cen
| ter section. After 10 minutes talk she
persuaded both of them to come forward
So it was throughout the audience OF
/ thousands. all under the spell of Gypsy
Smiths eloquence.
Afternoon Services
| Gypsy Smith spoke yesterday after
4 hoon at O'clock before an audience
made up entirely of men. 1t was the
largest that has yet attended the re-
vival meetings and 1t was. said to be the
/ largest number of men ever gathered
| together in Birmingham for one pur-
pose. The number present was esti-
mated as between 5000 and 9000
| The great auditorium was crowded be-
| fore 2:30 O'Clock and by o'clock every
available seat was taken. The aisles were
| filed and along the sides of the building
We're hundreds standing. The only women
present We're in the. choir.
! The song service lasted for perhaps II
| or 80 minutes, and the Rev. s. Il. Slaton
pastor of the Norwood Methodist church
| led in prayer. Mr.. Smith then arose and
said that +. M. Jackson would make j
few remarks. Mr. Jackson told of the
| cost of the tabernacle and that the en-
tire expenses OF the campaign would not
| exceed $G500. The tabernacle alone ~hc
| said would cost s3e00.. He closed his re-
marks with an appeal for good Offering
s, Not For Money
The evangelist took the stand immedi-
ately after Mr.. Jackson, and said that nc
| there was in it,
| IF | wanted to become rich he said
| Il would not try to become so by preach
| ing. | would go on the lecture platform
| One of the leading lecture bureaus II
| America short time ago offered ,nS
| $40, 600 for a series of lectures covering &
period of three months. / told them tina
| they did not have enough money to buy
me. 1t can never be said of me that
will have the wealthy mans trouble II
/ getting into heaven"
| Before beginning his sermon tn,
| evangelist read a request he had just re
| ceived from a saloon man. The not
| to the great gypsy asked for his prayers
and said that the writer had to sci
|
The evangelist stopped reading here ant
said: mo, you don't, my brother" III
told him that if he could close the doors
| of his place of business a dozen othe
doors would be opened for him.
1--WE are not against you, brother sal
! the speaker, 1--WE are against the dirt.
| business
And the audience applauded heartily.
| The evangelist took his text from tn,
first chapter of Isaiah. 55th verse. II
told his audience that it would pay then
to be a Christian. He said: Some of yol
will say. That's all very well for you
1t pays you to be Christian Well, tr,
it yourself The field is open to you"
He made strong plea to men to become
Christians for the sake of their families
| His voice assumed that wonderfully plead
ing note which 50 draws men to him an,
men--strong men--silently wept under tn,
lash of his tongue. There was no weep
ing aloud, but there were few dry eye
| in the audience and all over the vas
expanse of the tabernacle men could b'
seen swallowing hard, as though some
thing was in their threats causing then
pain. a.N+
| And when he softly and reverentl,
asked his audience to bow the head il
prayer and plead with all who >wanted Il
be prayed for to rise. men could be seer
standing in every section of the grea
building. Old men. and young, many with
tears streaming down their faces cam,
forward when the evangelist asked thos'
who wanted to become Christians to com,
\, forvard to the inquiry room. The,
pressed about the steps leading to thu
platform as the evangelist stood ther,
to shake hands with them.
| The aisles were filled with men an si1rs