The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-25
Great sunday CROWDS At
MECHANICSbURC MEETINGS
Evangelist Miller Holds Family
Night" Talked on the Liquor Cues
tion Yesterday Afternoon and De-
livered Sermon on He'll

Mechanicsburg, Jan, 25.-Saturday
evening was "tamily Night" at the
tabernacle. The central section of seats
was reserved for families sitting to-
gether. The "booster chorus again
occupied the platform, and the first
half hour was devoted TO songs by
them. Following this, the opening
prayer was made by the Rev. A. p.
Stover, Of Carlisle. Mr.. Miller then
asked the families of various numbers
of children to rise. The largest number
of children was six, four families, the
Merediths, the Snellbakers, the Me
Lanes and the Handshews, each having
that number of children present. Mr..
Miller announced that all of the Mere
dith children have been converted since
the tabernacle meetings started. To
each member of each of those families,
Mr.. Miller gave a song book, little
manual of Christian living, and an
autograph photograph of himself. Just
preceding the sermon Miss Cree sang
so What King'
Mr.. Miller preached on Home. He
said that the occupation of homemaker
is the most honorable occupation in the
wide world, and told the mothers who
talk of not having time to raise three
children to "think of Susanna Wesley,
who raised nineteen and they were all
good ones. He commented on the sad
fact that "the very worst company
some boys of the town are in is when
they walk down street with their own
fathers He urged parents to remem-
Der that children will reproduce their
vices, as we'll as their virtues. "If you
think it S smart to rail at Jesus Christ,
and sneer at your wife's religion, you
can expect your boy to be a sceptic.
The way to stop having infdels. law
breakers, thugs, is to quit raising
them.' The father who evades the
game law, and lodges the tax collector,
is training up his boy to believe that
all the law he is to obey is what he
can t evade, and need not be surprised
if his boy some day occupies Grim
malls cell. The mother who tells n
pleasant lie to her caller in the pres
ence of her innocent little daughter,
needs not be surprised if that daughter,
few years later, tells her she was
spending the evening with a girl friend
when in fact she was at public dance
hal with disreputable young man.
The. greatest need to-day is for more
Christianity, more old-faShioned relig-
ion, in the home. Only seven per cent
of the Christian homes of America have
the family altar. There are lots of
women, and in this town, too, who know
all about bridge whist, and don t know
beans about the Bible. There are faith
ers and mothers at society functions,
at Clubs, not knowing where their chill
dren are. Many so-called homes are
just places to sleep. You may live in a
palatial residence, but if you must lie
down on your luxurious bed to night
and listen to the tottering footsteps of
a drunken son, or the giddy laugh of
daughter who has lost the brightest
jewel of her womanhood, that s not a
home-that s hell. -
As he told of the honor paid by the
whole nation to the ashes of the man
who wrote "Home, Sweet Home,'' the
children s chorus sang the refrain soft
ly. He closed with an appeal to his
hearers to become Christians, if for no
other reason than to meet in heaven
the loved ones who have gone on be-
fore, and prayer "God help you to get
ready for the great home reunion. ;"
Sixteen persons responded to the invita-
tion. Including the children s meeting,
the entire number of decisions reported
for the day was thirty eight. Three
married couples were among those who
came forward at the evening meeting.
Yesterday morning the Sunday
schools Of the cooperating churches
gathered in the tabernacle for a Sunday
school rally. At this meeting thirty
eight scholars decided for Christ, and
the heart of many teacher rejoiced as
the boy or girl for whom many prayers
have been offered accepted the Savior.
Yesterday afternoon two great mass
were held. In the tabernacle
Evangelist Miller spoke to eighteen
hundred men on "Booze. The men s
chorus from Dillsburg, tnirty-two
voices. sang several numbers, as did
also the male quartet of st. Paul M.
Il. church. Professor Hohgatt played a
trombone SOLO. George C. Dietz was pi-
anist. A choir of two hundred men led
in the singing. Mr.. Miller was out
spoken i'll his Genunciation of the liq-
uor business. As he wanned UP to his
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