River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-05-06


got to pray. This IS cause to de-
mand human laborers, and l say 1t
reverently, if God can't get human
agents to do his work it will go un-
DONE"
He also chided inconsistent church
members with their failures to live the
right kind of lives before the world
1.-The bad sermons people preach with
their lives,' he proclaimed, "overrate
the influence Of good sermons from
the pulpit. You pray one day and
cheat somebody in a horse trade the
next day. 1 can tell more about your
religion by trading horses with you on
Thursday than by hearing you yell
Amen! in the prayer meeting on We'd
nesday night"
There were a number of the eager
listeners who nodded their heads at
this saying, and Billy noticed 1t at
once.
THAT'S right" he declared; you
know 1 am telling you the truth. !
have come to Bronson to speak the
truth, and I will speak it. You have
a gang here, l know, for there is a
gang in every town, but l am not
afraid Of them. l never back pedaled
for any gang yet, and l never WILL"
This emphatic statement was greet.
ed with applause, and George Cald-
we'll just happened to glance out into
the audience and saw Bud McCrea
sitting near 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 Amen! 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
% cents for the dinner when it 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 l 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 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 a card party on Friday
night, and then on Sunday morning
you go to church and occupy space
seventeen inches square"
The end Of the sermon was abrupt.
81 have q lot of things to say to you
people the next five or six weeks" he
declared. II will have some tobasco
sauce for some Of you and hot cayenne
pepper for others, but 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 it 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-
tons 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 q 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
RutIedge met George Caldwell for
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. l think if they knew the good
that Mr.. Sunday can do us they would
not be SO bitter against him."
Allan Rutledge shook his head sadly.
II am afraid their prejudice will keep
them from even listening to Mr.. Sun
- foo bod