Page images
PDF
EPUB

nity offered I sang the familiar hymn, "There is a fountain filled with blood." The congregation joined heartily and a brighter aspect seemed to be given to the meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting Mr. McMillan said to me: "Let me introduce you to Mr. Moody." We joined the little procession of persons who were going up to shake hands with him, and thus I met for the first time the man with whom, in the providence of God, I was to be associated for the remainder of his life, or nearly thirty years.

Moody's first words to me, after my introduction, were, "Where are you from? Are you married? What is your business?" Upon telling him that I lived in Pennsylvania, was married, had two children, and was in the government employ, he said abruptly, "You will have to give that up."

I stood amazed, at a loss to understand why the man told me that I would have to give up what I considered a good position. "What for?" I exclaimed.

"To come to Chicago and help me in my work," was the answer.

When I told him that I could not leave my business, he retorted, "You must; I have been looking for you for the last eight years."

I answered that I would think the matter over; but as yet I had no thought of giving up my position. Mr. Moody then asked me if I would go with him and pray over the matter, and to this I consentedout of politeness. After the prayer we parted, and I returned to my room, much impressed by Mr. Moody's prayer, but still undecided.

The next day I received a card from Mr. Moody asking if I would meet him on a certain street corner that evening at six o'clock. At that hour I was at the place named, with a few of my friends. In a few minutes Moody came along.

Without stopping to speak, he passed on into a store near by, and asked permission to use a large store-box. The permission was granted; he rolled the box into the street, and calling me aside, asked me to get up on the box and sing something.

"Am I a soldier of the cross?" soon gathered a considerable crowd. After the song, Mr. Moody climbed up on the box and began to talk. The workingmen were just going home from the mills and the factories, and in a short time a very large crowd had gathered. The people stood spellbound as the words fell from Moody's lips with wonderful force and rapidity. When he had spoken for some twenty-five minutes he announced that the meeting would be continued at the Opera House, and invited the people to accompany us there. He asked me to lead the way, and with my friends sing some familiar hymn. This we did, singing as we marched down the street, Shall we gather at the river." The men with the dinner-pails followed closely on our heels instead of going home, so completely were they carried away by the sermon from the store-box.

66

The Opera House was packed to the doors, and Moody first saw that all the workingmen were seated before he ascended to the platform to speak. His second address was as captivating as the one delivered on the street corner, and it was not until the delegates

[ocr errors]

had arrived for the evening session of the convention that Mr. Moody closed the meeting, saying, “Now we must close, as the brethren of the convention wish to come in to discuss the question, 'How to reach the masses.' Here was a man who could successfully reach the masses while others were talking about it. When Mr. Moody again brought up the question of our going into the work together, I was still undecided. After a delay of over six months, and much urging on Mr. Moody's part, I consented to spend a week with him; and before that week was over I had sent my resignation to Mr. Hugh McCullough, at that time Secretary of the Treasury, and the position which I had held was, at my request, given to a "bucktail" soldier who had escaped from Libby Prison.

We thus commenced work together in Chicago in the early part of 1871, visiting poor and needy ones of Mr. Moody's little flock, singing and praying with the sick, speaking and singing at the daily noon prayer-meetings, and other work, until Mr. Moody's church was destroyed in the Chicago fire.

Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, we were holding a meeting in Farwell Hall, which was crowded to the doors. At the close of his address Mr. Moody asked me to sing a solo, and standing by the great organ at the rear of the platform I began the old, familiar hymn, " To-day the Saviour calls." By the time I had reached the third verse,

"To-day the Saviour calls:

For refuge fly;

The storm of justice falls,

And death is nigh,”

Story

ession of the convention eting, saying, "Now we the convention wish to on, 'How to reach the who could successfully were talking about it. rought up the question ether, I was still undesix months, and much consented to spend a week was over I had h McCullough, at that and the position which t, given to a "buckom Libby Prison. ogether in Chicago in poor and needy ones Eng and praying with at the daily noon , until Mr. Moody's cago fire.

1871, we were holdnich was crowded to address Mr. Moody anding by the great I began the old, facalls." By the time

[graphic]

calls:

falls,

D.L. Movay

[graphic][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »