Evening journal., 1915-02-20
school WORKERS
inspire BILLY SUNDAY
Instructors Are Among the
Many Trail HitterS at
the Tabernacle
WANAMAKER AN
HONORED GUEST

Teachers from ;he Philadelphia pub
lie schools occupied the place OF
honor in the seats of Billy Sundays
big tabernacle last night They came
early. and they came in crowds, and
they brought with them $40 for the
Emergency Aid Committee. But more
than for this purpose they came, Of
course, to hear the evangelist.
TO hear Billy Sunday last night was
to applaud. To applaud was TO en-
courage him, and TO encourage him
was TO hear a sermon assume the
"rattling" style, and to hear sermon
of the rattling style was TO send
everybody away satisfied. Not since
his arrival in Philadelphia and the
pitching of his tent along the brick
dumps of the Parkway has the former
hall-player been seen in finer fettle
or heard TO better advantage.
Nobody seemed TO care much last
night what the sermon was about.
Everybody was attentive, except at
one place, when John Wanamaker
arrived in the middle for a trombone
solo, and everybody started to ap-
plaud, and consequently killed one
of "Rody's" finest effects. Every
body was primed for the evangelist's
best, and everybody got II. The small
number of trail-hitters, 10S in all, of
whom not a score were school teach
ors. really was no index either Of
the audiences number or its en-
thusiasm. And yet it was plain that
the speaker, perhaps less than his
message, was what held for once. the
thousands of his congregation.
The school teachers sat sulidly masser
in the front middle seats, in the best
places in the tabernacle. If example
counts for anything the school children
/ of Philadelphia must be the best behave,
/ in the United States. for the evangelist
since his arrival here has not faced /
more quietly absorbed audience. Once
/ ia a while. in his irresistible moments,
furry of laughter swept across it like
"cat's-paw" across the surface of
smooth lake; it subsidized in a moment
! however, and left the multitude as com
posed as before.
Sunday knew and understood. b,
turns he was "A crippled old man, a "friz
zle-headcd little sissy" "a dude in whit
trousers. an engineer demonstrating
piece of mechanism, a child, a crank,
/ church member Tho next moment D.
was back in his own skin-the decided.
militant eXpounder of a decidedly mill
tant Gospel.
Everything about last nights servic
was in some way localized. Philadelphi
stuck out of everything Philadelphi
came in Tor good word every now an
then from the evangelist. even the Epi-
copalians sharing when he declared tina
I... l.
fearing people in all mis- travels than ii
high church and low church residents ,
The ancient demosne of William Pen
. Even special hymn was written, con
, posed and sung for the occasion, entitlC
"Christ for Philadelphia"
Trenton, perhaps, was not so fortl
nate; for a delegation from that cit
failed TO arrive for the evening servi,
until after the building had been file
to the danger point and the doors oI
dered closed
Good old ldfashioned red-hot. reviv'
Christianity was what the audience L,
ceived last night The school teacher
in particular caught a whack here an
there. But it was always administere
good-naturedly. and Bin and the teacl
ers parted excellent friends. lie praise
them in particular. for their generou,
ness in bringing in their collection, ad
miuistercd by Miss Louise II. Haesee
president OF the Teachers Association
for the Emergency Aid Committee
local relief work. Then ne plunged int
his sermon.
Disbelief in Divinity came in for al
early bump:
IF you don't believe in God you're
a fool and an idiot ! don't care If yol
do teach in the High School"
A Final Cause was insisted upon
"If an infidel wants to make a worl'
he's got to have a little star-dust 4
start with.
People complain that they cam
explain the creation. Why. you fool
you can't explain the coat on you
back"
Deduction must not be too narrow
ed down:
Gods not a mathematical proposi
tion. Anything you can write on
slate you can wipe off with a sponge.
Increased moral perception is tn
i resulted of enlarged spiritual growth
Il believe the man and woman wi
4 be more convicted of sin by them
4 selves, the nearer they approach h
q God-like life"
The afternoon sermon made up
4 energy of utterance what IL lacked
4 strength. Five thousand women froi
a the Bible classes organized by Mi'
b SAKE we're given the best seats in n