The Washington times., 1917-02-15
Little Girl and Aged Man Are
First to Go Forward at
Gypsy Smiths Call.
FOUR CHILDREN FOLLOW
Preacher DepIores SeIf-Satis-
faction of Capital People,
and Warns of Danger.

Self-satisfaction, shown on the
faces OF the audience that heard
Gypsy Smith, jr., at the tabernacle,
Sixteenth and V streets, last night,
changed to interest and then to
panied surprise before the evangelist
closed his meeting.
Gypsy Smith, jr., told his hearers,
who represented every walk of life in
the nations Capital, how self-satisfied
they looked and apparently felt. But
too much self-satisfaction, the evan
gelist warned, is dangerous.
Little Girl Comes First.
Eleven Penitents hit the cinder
path as the evangelist, with tears in
his eyes, pleaded for the unsaved of
his audience to take a stand for
Christ. The first was little girl,
who advanced courageOusly to the
mourner's bench, and after wringing
Gypsy Smiths hand warmly, bowed
her head in prayer.
Following her came an aged man,
bent under the weight of years, with
his long white hair blending in
curious contrast to the wavy curls of
the little girl on the bench beside him.
Children Come Next.
Three small boys and a girl came
next. They didn't seem to mind the
fact that the crowd was looking at
them. They advanced without a
tremor to the front of the assembly.
and one boy, as he confidently placed
his hand in that of the evangelist,
said:
II have wanted to do this for a
long time"
Broken sobs could be heard from
members of the audience as the evan
gelist recited in prayer the seIf-saris-
faction of Washington people He
said hundreds OF them are idol wor-
shippers IN that they have time for de.
Votion to everything except religi N.
Hany Thank Evangelist.
The crowd thrt dTifted by the
rostrun To shake the hand OF Gypsy
Smith after the meeting was dis
missed presented an interesting spec
tacIe.
4 see him." said the small boy
Juggling at his IL p!hSr hand. e
Permit me to ,NIIess my tina nks
arl appreciation fSr your sermon :"
,emarI,d a church elder, as he went
by in the steady stream.
"Oh, Mr.. Smith, / just think your
sermons are SO nice" whispered a
girl in furs, who had sat with wide
spread eyes as the evangelist told his
hearers there Is something the mat
ter with Washington.
Discuss Points of Sermon.
Thank you, sir" was the comment
Of laborer, as he took his place in
the throng of those who had already
met" the evangelist.
I'm afraid won't get to see him."
came from a girl who had dragged
her father from the rear of the house.
Yes, you WILL" replied an usher.
He was as good as his word. and both
father and daughter met the evange-
list
When the audience is dismissed in
the tabernacle, grouR of from four
to dozen stand and discuss telling
points of the evangelists sermon.
Comment heard as the crowd pours
out is of admiration, surprise, re-
served coldness, and warm sympathy.
'Tf Christ should Come,
Gypsy Smith, Jr., chose as his sub
ject for last nights sermon. "If
Christ Should Come to Washington"
The sermon follows:
You wouldn't have to go far from
this tabernacle to find people who
would cruelty Jesus Christ.
The heaEs of the people OF Wash
ington are just like the inn at Beth
lehem, which had no room for Him.
For 1000 years the people of Is
rael had looked for the Messiah" the
evangelist said. land when the prom
Use came true, the promise that the
seed of woman should bruise the
serpent's head, there was no room for
Him. The world had been watching,
waiting. and praying for His com
ing.
'It was a condescension for Him
TO come down to this earth. He could
have been rocked I'm a golden cradle,
He could have been fed with a golden
spoon, but His cradle was a manger.
Came to Bless World.
Let us see what Christ came into
the world for. He came to bless the
world, to lift it up. TO seek and save
the lost, to bring a message of hope.
TO bring sight to the blind. to unstop
the ears OF the deaf to open prison
doors, TO reveal the Fathers love, to