Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-10-06

one OF the converts, so at the next
meeting he said; There are GER
tain men in this village who are
ridiculing these meetings and saying
that when the ice goes out of the
bay, this religion will go out with it.
But that is not so. This is the work
of the Lord, and it will go on" The
minister said Amen"
Immediately young man got up
and gave strange testimony. l
don't think he intended to say any
thing funny or inconsistent, but he
got ratified and said: Suppose this
religion does go out of the bay with
the ice, it was good while we had 1t,
and if it goes, we shall not miss 1t.
The minister looked surprised and
did not say amen, but couple OF
small boys piped up amen, Amen.
| A few evenings later young man
sat in a pew with his eyes closed,
as if asleep, and he made noise as
if snoring The sexton came along,
grabbed him by the shoulder and
shaking him, said, wake up!! You
are snoring in your Sleep" The
fellow opened his eyes and stared at
him and then sang out: "Snored
in my sleep? Well, We darned fool,
when should Teller snore but in his
sleep?" No one said amen, but
there was a roar of laughter all over
the house, and the minister seemed
to enjoy the fuss as much as others
did.
l have sometimes asked myself
whether these meetings were any
help to those who attended, or to
the community or the church. After
full consideration, am convinced
that they did much good. Someone
might say that the thrills seemed
like "ridiculing religion" But it
should be remembered that there
were only four or five of them in as
many weeks, and also that neither
minister nor converts made fun for
the crowd Intentionally, but that it
simply happened.
OF course, many of the converts
became backsliders, forgot all about
their religion and attended church
the church and lived consistently
with their profession.
1 remember two young men who
were converted there who made a
good record. They Joined the church,
kept the faith and lived consistent
Christian lives. l know this, for l
went to sea with them, and believe
they were better men than they
would have been had they not at
tended these meetings. A very large
percentage of sea captains of those
days were hard men.
A Doctor Dixon sometimes comes
to Somesville. When young man,
he went to sea, and has written a
book of his experience at sea. After
reading that book, I said, what a
true picture of those swearing,
drinking, fighting, bible-reading and
praying sea captains. For they did
all of these things. They drank all
the grog they could get, and If there
was fog or calm, or head wind, they
swore like pirates, but in time Of
great danger they read the Bible and
prayed.
This brings to my mind the con-
Germ that mothers felt. for their boys
in those days They knew that go
ing to sea was the only way that
their boys could earn a dollar, and
they kney the kind of men they
would sometimes sail with. 1t is
not strange that they prayed and
labored to have their boys believe IN
hope of heaven and to shun the road
that leads to hell. l am glad that
the boys now have better chance
easier work and much more pay.
But l am not sure that there are not
as many, perhaps more, temptations
to lead the boys astray. 1t seems
to me that there is just as mucn
reason for mothers to feel concerned
about their boys as there was TOT
the mothers whose boys went to sea.