The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-16
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

that my friends and even my family physician have warned me that I ought to slow up.
 laughingly said to them that wanted to quit by degrees, and not at once. I agreed to try and rest on Sundays, and so on last Sabbath day I only spoke at 1 four towns. The reason I didn't speak more vas because no other place invited me.
 I got Up before day at Selma and caught train for Columbiana, where | preached a Mothers Day sermon to a church backed to it's capacity. The
 Methodists united with the Baptists in the 1 service. The Methodist pastor, Rev. H. A. Notes.-The, who has wonderfully sweet voice, sang some songs which touched the hearts of all. There were some charming recitations by members of the Sunday school.
 l l took dinner with my old friend, R. J. Miles, in his most home-like home. It was a home dinner everything on the | ldUIG tttlHS IdiStu dl ilOHlS GACepI the rice. It was a vegetable dinner, just the | kind q city man longs for and cannot 1 get. It was not an entirely meatless meal for it was made appetizing by as | fine horne-raised and cured ham as ever ate. I set this down not only be- cause enjoyed the dinner. but to show l that our people are learning more and more to live at home.
 After dinner MT. Miles drove me over 1 to Wilsonville Baptist church. Pastor | Bentley was on hand and introduced me. It vas pretty and touching sight as the llttle boys and girls came up and pinned the stars on the silk flag in honor of the half dozen brave young men who had gone out of the Sunday school to serve Uncle Sam.
 At the conclusion of the service MT. and Mrs. J. F. Pope, senior and junior, ac companied me over to Harpersville, where I was scheduled to open the Red Cross drive. There were present many young people and quite a few of the older men duu WOulcIl. dLTlOIlC SOHSS WSIt SuU5 and I gave story of the origin and pur- poses and work being done by the great est humanitarian society the world has ever known.
 This may not interest you, but it does me. I was to have taken dinner with the Popes at Wilsonville, but change Sunday in he d1iIe op tbn h. ern prevented it. Mrs. Pope told me that she had prepared a lot of fried chicken for me. I told her did not know there was any 'sich thing any more She said ''Ill prove it by sending you a colple," and I have just opened a parcel it. Oh, l am making great sacrifices in going around speaking!
 I thought my days work was done, but no, Vincent had asked for me, and was hurried over there. (They have a queer hotel in this town. The proprietor says ! preachers money is no good.) I made patriotic address to large crowd at the Methodist church, being intro duced hy Pastor Mays, who is on fire with patriotism. He isn't afraid to let his people cheer patriotic utterances in his pulpit.
 This brings up the question of cheering in religious bodies. The Southern Bap- tist convention now meeting at Hot Springs has gone on record time and again against applause. It has been the subject of heated debate on the floor and of bitter articles in the denomina- | tional press. I have, however, heard ap- plause when the speakers were arguing for and against it.
 
 I went over to the Methodist general conference expecting it to be dignified and forbiddng kind of religious gath ering, where everything human and hu- morous was taboo, because I had been told it was a great ecclesiastical legis- | lative body made up of the church's most sober and thoughtful preachers and lay men. somehow got the idea it would be a solemn lot of delegates transactng business in a kind of sepuchral gloom.
 
 plaudingest eff there is any such word) l that I ever got in and the debates were shot through with humor. ! I am going into this question Of ap- plause for speaking in theatres, schools, in parks, on street corners and other places if called upon. I have been dc- cuStOmed to look for hand ola pDing when I got to roasting the Kaiser or praised President Wilson, and I confess that when [ have used the same phrases in churches and no one showed their appre- citation by giving me "a hand,' somehow felt that l wasn't getting my message, lover the top"
 It's q joke about my slowing up. I do not feel right unless I have made from two to six speeches day. I further ad- init that I like to talk, and never turn down an offer to get in good word for Uncle Sam. If people enjoyed hear ing me speak as much as I enjoy doing it, would be some little favorite. I am glad that I am booked clean through until Sunday week.
 It's a great joy to be able to say that after 0 year going up and down and across the state the people are De- ginning to wake up to the fact that we are at var and that every one must do 1 his best. I am hearing less and less com blaming The heart of the people beats