Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-10-06
sURRY "REMINISCENCES.
Revival Meetings of the Old Days,
With Some Side Lights.

With Some Side Lights.
(By Dr. r. l.. Grindle.)
When l was a boy, the Methodist
church at Surry, about once in three
years, would hold series of revival
meetings. l remember one winter
that these meetings continued sew
eral weeks, three or four evenings
week, and the large meeting house
was packed full of people nearly
everv evening. The prayers and
testimonies were about the same as
would be given in meetings OF tnls
kind anywhere, but the singing was
better, for everyone sang. They all
had good voices, and at the village
and North Bend, singing schools
were taught every winter and the
people learned to read music.
o, it really thrills me as l remem-
Der the way those people rolleu ou'
the melody on some old hymn' SUCH
as ,,ove
"Joyfully, joyfully, onward l move
Ronnd for the land of bright splrlts
above.
Angelic choristers sing as cohe :,
Joyfully, joyfully, haste to thy nome
Now. Just imagine the volume OF
this song where two or three nun
dred voices were letting themselves
ont to the utmost of their aDlilty.
One night they sang so Loudly ana
hoisterously that some one SAID tnaI
the house shook, the doors slammed
tho windows ratified, and one TEL
low said. that more than two nun
dred shingles blew right off the roof.
II ;s not certain that two hundred
shingles started, or that even one
blew off. and l repeat the remark
onlv to show that people talked
fooIishness then as they do now.
certainly the singing at those meet
;nes was wonderfully grand ana
good. and think was the great al
traction to the meetings.
Rut it was not the only attractloh'
For more than three-fourth OF those
who attended went from curiosity,
hon;ng to see or hear something
., nusing Occasionally they got
what they wanted. Will give 10"
examples. .:vos
A young man gave testimony as
follows: II am starting TO i've 'ne
Christian life, and am not going 10
he a backslider, but going to keep
right on, for l have heard say that a
faint heart never won fair LADY.
And the minister said "Amen." This
greatly amused the crowd, and the
next evening they were there IN iuli
force. hoping to get more thrills, out
II was several neutrality-suspicious.
more than a week-before they got
another.
The next one was a middle-aged
man. He was short-legged and 1at.
Every one knew that he was dishon-
est. a regular old cheat, and always
had his mouth full of tobacco. He
sat in a back seat, and on this eve
ming l sat where l could see his face
without turning. l saw that ne
acted uneasy, as if hesitating about
getting up. But at length he rose
and stood an instant, and then let
fly a whole mouthful of tobacco
Juice. Then he said: Il believe TINS
religion is a good thing, and l want
to be Christian. l want you goou
people to pray that the Lord will for
give my sins" But he didn't SIT
down. Probably it occurred to him
that what he said was "a give away
and that he must fix 1t. SO ne
added: 20, 1 never did anything
very wicked, but committed some
few small SINS There was a broad
grin all over the house, but the MIN
lister said "Amen," and he sat down,
and in less than ten minutes was
fast asleep.
Wherever men met the next day
they were talking and Laughing
about those "few small SINS" The
next evening the crowd, larger than
ever, came to hear what he would
say next. But he didn't say any
thing. That was his first and last
testimony.
Occasionally, in the stores and on
the streets, the meetings and con-
verts were severely criticized. One
man said, ut is all very we'll for
these men to attend these meetings
and talk and pray in the winter, for
their vessels are fast in the ice, but
when spring comes and they are
again at sea, they will be swearing,
drinking and fighting again as ever.
Yes, l know them, and when the Ice
goes out of the bay, all this religion
will go out with it,
This remark came to the ears OF