The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-09-23
CHAPTER xvIn-(continued.l

scious bigots TO assist him IN Durylns
the dead.
The sIlencing of the bell! violins.
flutes and 'cellors-without the brass
and cymbals--in the choiri Joyous,
inspiring anthemI Twenty minute
sermons and cheerful textsl Oratory
without thirdlies, and fourthlies, and
ninthliesi Golf on week days and a
genuine interest In the Sunday school
nine! Potted plants In the yesttbule
and fresh posies on the reading
stands Broiled lobster instead OF fried
chicken-when he could get 1t! Man
alivel
And congregations at both services
on the Sabbath that tried the capacity
OF the brildingl And, most wonder
full Of all: II the regular pewholders
were not In their seats by Ave min
utes past IL, the busy ushers were in
structed to conduct the standing over
flow that lined the walls to the cush-
toned pews Of the tardy!
A long way back In this narrative !
said that Mr.. Presbrey was good
man and that he would. bear watch
Ing. The proof is at hand. He has
become a book agent. A side issue, of
courEe. His preparatory school for
boys was not what you would call
self-sustaining. So, II you didn't have
boys to send him, you could do the
next best thing by subscribing for that
enlightening set OF books known as
THE Great Masters OF the Pulpit" IL
volumes, calf or cloth, with gilt edges
and copper plate portraits, at $3.50 or
"a, Just as your fancy for covers ran,
IS down and the balance In weekly
ingtallmcnts. Your name on the sub
gcription list was always solicited,
because its presence there was an as
set not to be despised In the effort to
introduce the books into all respect
ahla and infallaCttlal hAunaa If yVaR
particularly desired that you be among
those at the top Of the list. II your
name was there, everyone else In town
was sure to know that the books were
well worth possessing. No home
should be without 1.-THE Great Masters
Of the Pulpit" You felt rather sorry
for Mr.. Presbrey, 80 you subscribed
for the $3.50 set. He was so success
flll in the placing Of these books In
Corinth and nearby villages that, after
q months trial at the work, he felt en-
couraged to add Dickens and Thack-
cray and Shakespeare to his stock.
But not Balzac or Gautier. 1t was
troduce those French masters into the
homes Of the Corinthians. The Rev.
Mr.. King had not been there long
enough.
Mr.. BIagden led the way down the
aisle to the pew that once had be-
longed to his great grandfather. The
name in the corner of the seat had
never been changed. The word
"Blagden" was there, just as II had
been ordered by the far sighted and
thrifty ancestor, whose penuriousness
took In the probability that some flu
ture Blagden might aspire to different
initials; moreover. It was ridiculous to
expect that the first born male in each
generation would have to be named
NJ
to q church pew
1t is not the purpose or the desire
Of the writer to devote q chapter to
the description Of this spring morning
service In the First Congregational
church, Of Corinth. We will merely
q few stray words from the lips Of
the pastor, commend the music, and be
back on our way to the house on the
hill, vaguely satisfied with the new
Corinthian era.
We find the church filled to over
flowing. Not one Of the old pewhold-
ers 10 absent. Each and every one
got there on time without being called
by the bell, In fact, q g9odly num-
Der were there ahead of time There
was In each breast the ever-impending
dread that some brash outsider would
sneak In and confiscate his seat. And
it's q very awkward matter getting
one out OF your pew after he's once
got into 1t. You can't do II without
words, and the other fellow is quite
apt to have something to say about
II himself.
Very stiff and erect sat Mr.. Blagden,
looking neither to right nor left, but
straight at the fervid, impassioned,
convincing face Of the young minister
who had wrought 80 many changes.
No man dozed--never! The spell was
upon all those within the sound Of his
voice. In the old days one might have
been supported in the belief that Mr..
Presbrey's hearers regarded the pas
sive mood as the only true channel
through which to absorb sanctifica-
tton; hence, they slept. But young Mr.
King, soulful and forceful, had them
In his grip. They just couldn't sleep, He
was fighting satan In practical. TWEEN
deth century way; not allegorically.
His sermon on this eventful morning
had to do with Hell" He spoke of the
modern, up-to-date he'll, the sort that
we see every day OF our lives IL we
take the trouble to look about US. 1t
was somewhat OF a new idea to the
people of Corinth. They had come to
believe that hell was a long way off.
Mr.. King made II uncomfortably near
for those who listened.
Here are a few OF the surprising
thines that filtered into the ears OF the
corinthians ana gave Inem something
70 think about for days.
Christianity is a science. and we've
got to treat II as SUCH 1t isn't a theory,
L. : You can't conquer sin by
sneering at It Everything
else IN the world Is going ahead. the
Army and the Y. II. c. A know how
20 fight They know where to hit and
how to hit. You can't pat the
devil on the back all week and call him
old chap and then turn around and
surprise him by trying to thrash him on
the Sabbath. 1. :. We have one
day Of rest in the seven. He never
takes q day off. II you ex-
pect to defeat the Black Prince, you've
got to come out OF your shells and fight
in the open. You'll have the advantage
Of him there. 49,. The world Is
very large and very, clever. Fossils and
mossbacks have no more license for
thinking they can fight the world than
an octogenarian has for thinking he can
night a youth Of 20. That's why, my
friends, the church Is going around part
OF the time with a black eye and a
grudge. And II Is always whining when
II gets thrashed. -. IL only
fights the devil on Sunday, and then
gives him week to recuperate. And.
my friends. his Satanic Majesty doesn't