Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-09-16

| ed with applause, and george Cald
well just happened to glance out into
the audience and saw Bud McCrea
sitting near a side door not far from
the front. The dark scowl on Nc
Crea's face as he heard the evangelist
bid defiance to the gang was plainly
| visible.
The speaker walked up and down
| the platform as he continued:
II knew a man down in Illinois who
used to yell 'Amenv at the prayer
meetings and paid his washerwoman
so cents for doing the washing. One
day he invited her to dinner, and then
the miserable old scalawag locked her
25 cents for the dinner when 1t came
to pay for the washing. A little later
during a revival meeting the old skin
! flint scoundrel had the nerve to go up
| to the woman and ask her to be a
! Christian.
"'You go to the devil! was the re-
ply she gave him, and I don't wonder
at It."
Reginald Nelson listened with grow
ing interest to the kind Of gospel
which Mr.. Sunday had come to pro-
claim In Bronson, and\as he heard this
story he said to himself, IF he keeps
on in that way Billy will get me into
| the ranks before he is through"
Listen to me, men and women!
cried the evangelist as he drew his SER
mon to a close. you cannot serve God
and mammon. A lot Of you church
members try to prove God liar right
there. You go to the theater on Tues
day night, to the prayer meeting on
| Wednesday night, to dance Thursday
night and to card party on Friday
night, and then on Sunday morning
| you go to church and occupy a space
seventeen inches square"
The end of the sermon was abrupt
IL have lot of things to say to you
people the next five or six weeks" he
/ declared. 81 will have some tobasco
sauce for some of you and hot cayenne
pepper for others, but l have good fod-
der as well, and by the help Of God
wen save some souls in Bronson"
He pulled out his watch and ex-
claimed: "Why. it's twenty minutes
after 8! That's enough for tonight.
Good night!'
He walked from the stand over to
! the chair where his overcoat was and
began to put 1t on. The people still
! sat motionless. He looked out over
/ the audience, saying: what are you
waiting for, the benediction? There
will be no benediction tonight. The
| meetings over"
He bundled himself into his overcoat
and made for side door.
The great throng stirred themselves
and arose slowly. With few excep-
/ lions all were somewhat surprised at
/ the kind of sermon the evangelist had
given, but the impression he made on
the vast majority of his hearers was
good.
"Billy's all right" said one old man
to neighbor as they walked along the
sawdust aisle.
"You bet he is was the prompt re-
spouse. This greeting and answer
could be heard all over the crowd.
| At the close of the meeting Allan
Rutledge met George Caldwell for a
moment.
what did you think Of Mr.. Sun
day." asked the minister.
HE is just the leader we needed in
Bronson" responded the young man
earnestly. II am sorry neither Mr.
! Graham nor Roland Gregory was out
tonight think If they knew the good
that Mr.. Sunday can do us they would
not be so bitter against him."
1 Allan RutledgeShook his head sadly.
II am afraid their prejudice will keep
them from even listening to Mr.. Sun
day. 1t Is too bad"
Allan Rutledge also spoke to Reginald
Nelson as the city reporter of the
Courier was gathering up his notes.
did you get good report of the
meeting tonight?" asked DR.. Rutledge.