Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-08

lips SO they don't. need a fiossy report.
The few thousand that failed to come
to the tabernacle an hour earlier than
usual and who did not get inside but
who pressed against the doors and win
dows to hear word now and then and
the daring spirits who climbed on the
roof and stayed there despite the freez-
ing weather heard in five or ten min
utes more verbal variations than they
can digest for a week and those who
heard nothing at all of the sermon will
never know what they've missed any
how, so what's the use. William Sun.
day was heard on ADJUSTMENTS"
At this time, no reliable information
is at hand as to when "Amusements"
will recuperate and be heard from. 1t
may be that she (the gender is mat
ter of opinion) will come back shortly
for she's hardy fighter but she'll new
er be quite the same. Her devOtees
number eight hundred and twenty-five
less than before, for that number of
men and women answered Billy Sun
days call: Come on folks, come on,
come shake my hand and say you'll
live for Christ and that you will cut out
these enemies of his word"
Included in the evening grist of con-
verts was Bills own cousin, Jake By
ers, of Elkhart, to whom Sunday had
SAID several weeks ago that he would
get him." Mr.. Byers, it seems, while
appreciative of his cousin Bills inter.
ter, but tonight, all his defiance broke
4
from his seat behind the rostrum, with
the choir, he slowly began to make his
way through the throng to Join the trail
hitters in front. Sunday saw him COM
ing. Jake, Jake" he cried then turn
ed to his wife. Its Jake, ma. He's
coming" 1t seemed as if the two could
hardly wait for the penftent to come.
They repeatedly called him by name
to hurry. Sunday stood with hand out
stretched. He had jumped down from
the pulpit and had made for the press
box so that he could lessen the dis
lance between them. Jake finally
reached him.
Good boy, Jake. Good old scout.
I'm glad, jake" Sunday said and his
face fairly shimmered face
can simmer whether any one clse's
can or not--with joy. Jake took his
place with the crowd of converts.
Three hundred and twenty-five came
forward at the afternoon sermon and
five hundred at night. Sunday was rad
diant at the response to his appeal.
The sermon was on "Amusements"
as has been noted. 1t Is well known
fact that Sunday Is no friend of the
liquor business and Des Moines is
aware that he has dropped few words
on that aversion. He does not believe
in booze. far from 1t, but this is what
he thinks of certain types of amuse-
ments Gambling, dancing and the
theater are worse enemies of religion,
ten times over, than the saloon. Ten
persons lose religion because of these
things to one that does because of the
saloon"
Sunday explained himself several
times in the matter of the theater. I'm
not against the theater as an institu-
ton. I'm against the kind Of things
they put in it, There is one of his
greatest quarrels with church people.
The standard of the theater is low, by
virtue of the taste of church people.
without whose patronage the kind of
production that panders to ignoble in
stincts, could not exist.
Concerning card playing, he sees no
extenuating circumstances. He declar-
ed: "The person who plays cards at
home for stake is just as much a
gambler as the fellow who bucks
Jackpot in gambling hell at 3 o'clock
in the morning. And again: "Progres.
sive euchre and progressive bridge!
You are progressing toward hell while
you are playing them" pack Of cards
and bible have no place together in
any home, he believes. Choose the
cards or the bible when you 60 home.
You can't keep both"
He saved dancing for the last. "The
tango is the most shameful, damnable.
miserable thing that ever wriggled out
of hell" indicates his views on that
subject. Not even the time honored
square dance escaped for "they will cut
the corners of the square dance, too"
he said. "The dance is the cause of the
downfall and ruination of more girls
than any institution this side of hell"
he continued. Paying his respects to
the dancing set in society, he said: 'In
the slums they wear more clothes at
dances than they do at similar society
functions"
1t was gathered after Mr.. Sunday
HAD finished that theaters, card playing
and dancing are three things that he
cares nothing about.