Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-17
EVANGELIST IS JUST
BROTHER BILL
A HONEY, CHERRY ATMOSPHERIC
PERvADEs DIES MONIES
TABERNACLE.
[BY GORDON LATHROP.

Des MoineS, Nov. 16.--A sort of
honey. CHEEKY atmosphere pervaded
the big tabernacle the evening of the
sermon: II find no fault in Him"
sort of "big family" unconventionality
as if the eight thousand there had
just dropped in the paternal home to
chat while but stayed to hear their
brother Billy chide them for their sins
and plead with them to embrace the
cause to which his life is consecrated
Perhaps the rain drops pattering on
the thin board roofing helped tC pro-
duce the cozy, close-together feeling
AS the sound of rain beating upon the
roof of whatever shelter one may find
seems to spirit fancy away from the
streets and the manifold diversions of
out-of-doors and make ones thoughts
turn retrospective. so did the minds
of those in the tabernacle seem to be,
more than usually, in intimate, person
al sympathy with the man who held
their undivided attention.
The evangelist quickly sensed the
atmosphere and harmoniZed with it,
perhaps instinctively, through long ex-
perience In the art of stage manage
ment From almost his opening
words until his closing prayer, he
seemed to be just Brother Bill, to
whom the floor was given because he
had the most to say, rather than Will
liam Sunday, evangelist and militant
minister of the gospel
He chided his family first because
they were SO parsimonious. He de-
clared that he was sure there were
many in the crowd who had struggled
for days against the temptation to
drop nickel in the contribution plate.
This gave him an opportunity to dub
the meetings ''taber-nickel meetings"
and he didn't overlook the opening.
Then, after saying he could not. find
words to express his appreciation of
the way the Des Moines newspapers
were handling the reports OF the meet
ings, he did find words many of them
and all highly Complimentary. He in
CURED: Have you and you and
you," pointing here and there, "and
you and you phoned one or all of the
papers thanking them and have you
subscribed? Have you phone?" he
questioned lady sitting in the first
row. eyes? Then phone to the pa
pers. Right away"
Once those in the amen corner in
which the ministers sit must have
feared he would carry personalities
too far. He turned to that section &C
cusingly and said: Il can tell you
the names of a lot of your church
members who haven't darkened the
doors of the tabernacle for two weeks.
I can tell you their names" he repeat.
ed, but he didn't tell for which a fer.
vent if inward, 'amen" must have
possessed the bosoms of some of those
ministers to whose churches the abb
sent one contributed materially if not
spiritually.
He pictured the reception his words
of profession of faith, spoken twenty
nine years ago, must have been given
in heaven Said Jesus to the Father:
There's Bill down there. Shall we
hear him. and God answered: Sure
we will" Here the evangelist, carried
away by his recollections, emitted a
lusty 'Hallelujah' and declared that
he'd be shouting Methodist in five
minutes.
Apropos of nothing whatever but
just because he felt that way and he
knew his auditors liked him to feel
that way he interrupted himself to
point out proudly smiling, black mus
tached, middle aged man, who sat in
the first row: There's boy used to