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The Commoner.
SEPTEMBER 29, 111
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An Old Book
"The Christian Hymn
Booh:" memories
and Tune
sweet its
pages bring
As I turn them, old and yellowed
by the flight of passing years.
Good old Zion songs my mother loved
to sit and softly sing
With a faith that never faltered
and that banished doubts and
fears.
Old and worn, its faded pages bring
back days of long ago
When - the faithful few would
gather in the mid-week hour of
prayer;
And their voices joined together in
a chorus soft and low
"When we hear the music ring
ing," and "There'll be no part
ing there."
Through the tear-haze that has
gathered I can see my father
turn
To the "evening lesson, brethren;"
hear him read in rev'rent tone
From the Book of Books before him
lessons that he loved to learn
As adown life's path he traveled,
knowing he walked not alone.
I can see their dear old faces all
alight with Christian joy
As arose the songs of Zion on the
mid-week evening's air;
Songs of hope that cheered them
onward, songs of faith without
alloy
"On the mountain's top appear
ing," "Jesus saves," "Sweet hour
" of prayer."
""He leadeth me I" I heard my mother
sing it with a faith divine
Ad she drew near to the valley
and the shadow of the vale.
"Blessed thought" she never fal
tered "I'm my Lord's, and he
is mine"
For she knew the arm that held
her was an arm that never
failed.
Singing low and singing softly, she
could see with lifted eyes
Through all clouds that gathered
'round her as the long years
passed away,
Mansions that her God had builded
in His house beyond tho skies
"In the Christian's home in glory"
where there shines eternal day.
Dear old book, your faded pages
bring back days of long ago;
Days of youth and days of playtime
when the skies were always fair.
Bring again the sound of voices
singing sweet and singing low
Songs of hope and faith to cheer
me on to that "Home over
there."
Sweet old songs; your echoes ringing
down the vista of the years
Cheer me ever on and upward as
my heart with rapture thrills;
And I know my brother waits me far
beyond the doubts and fears,
"When the mists have rolled in
splendor from the summit of
the hills."
Of course you remember what the
first song was always:
"Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour
of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care;
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes
known."
Had father adjusted his spectacles,
cleared his throat and pitched any
other tune it wouldn't havo seemed
like the regular mid-week prayer
meeting. Just had to sing that old
song to start things off right.
"Has any brother or sister a selec
tion?" A moment's pause, then Sister Ma
guiro would speak up and request
number 141. Remember it? I do,
for father almost Invariably pitched
it a couple of notes too high:
"Hark, ten thousand harps and
voices
Sound the note of praise above.
Jesus reigns and heaven rejoices;
Jesus reigns the God of love."
Having pitched It too high father
broke down on the "sound tho note,"
and mother would nudge me when I
giggled, having recalled the story of
the man who, under similar cir
cumstances, called out, "Start it at
five thousand, brother!"
nave learned. Remember tho regu
lar services noxt Lord's day, morn
ing and ovening. Prayer mooting ono
week from tonight, as usual. Let ua
now stand and Join in singing num
ber 408, 'Blest bo tho tio that
binds,' after which wo will bo dis
missed with a few brief wordB of
prayer by Brother Hill."
About half the time the organist
didn't show up for the prayer meet
ing, so father had to lead the sing
ing. And he could do it, too. He
knew all those old songs by heart,
and having started one ho would
throw his head back, close his eyes,
and sing with an earnestness and a
faith that really was Inspiring. Say,
you up-to-date people, when you go
to church now and hear a quartet
perched up in a loft singing with
highly cultivated voices an operatic
anthem honestly, do you get from
it tho thrill you used to get at the
mid-week prayer meeting where the
dozen or fifteen faithful souls there
gathered and sang with zeal some of
those old songs? Did you ever, feel
like rising right up and shouting.
"Glory Hallelujah!" after the sal
aried quartet had finished one of its
numbers? I guess not!
A Memory
"I will read for our evening's les
son a few verses from the sixth chap
ter of Second Corinthians, beginning
with the first verse: 'We then, as
workers together with him, beseech
you also that ye receive not the grace
of God in vain.' "
That was not the first words
spoken, of course. The scripture
reading did not occur nntil after a
couple of songs and short prayer.
"Has any one a word or a prayer
to offer?"
This, of course, after two or three
songs, a scripture reading and an
opening prayer. Always there was a
long pause, each one seeming loath
to start things going. Then father
would break the silence and say:
"Brother Willard, will you lead us
in prayer?"
After that there was no hesitancy.
Everyone present had a word of testi
mony or a prayer to offer. As a rule
the brothers spoke up bravely, but
the sisters almost invariably spoke in
trembling tones and sat down with
streaming eyes, asking a "share in
your prayers."
t i
Tho more backward members by
that I mean those who did not have
the courage to give a testimony or
offer a prayer would stand up and
read s few verses of scripture, and
as each one finished and sat down the
elderly members would say "amen."
And the meeting was not to be
brought to a close until each one
present had spoken, read, or offered
a short prayer. When that end had
been reached father would stand up
and say:
"Brethren, we ave been blessed
with the privilege of again meeting
in the house of the Lord. Let us
carry home with us the lessons we
Tho song sung and tho prayer
spoken, there was a season of hand
shaking, and voices that could scarce
ly bo heard In the solemnity of tho
meeting were ratling away loud
enough to bo heard a quarter of a
mllo down tho road.
You could always depend on meet
ing certain brothers and sisters at
prayer meeting. If ono of thom was
absent you knew sickness had be
fallen. The sisters present wero al
ways tho ones who cooked tho most
for tho church suppers, and who al
ways remained after everybody olso
had gono and washed tho scores of
dirty dishes and cleaned up the
church. Tho brothers woro always
tho ones most depended upon to keep
tho church finances straight. As a
plain matter of fact, it was always a
safe proposition that a census of the
mid-week prayer meeting was a
census of tho real workers in tho
church barring, of course, tho coun
try members who could not bo
present as a rule, because of distance
and press of farm work. I do not
pretend to speak as one having
authority, but I mako bold to say
that those little prayer meetings of
tho olden times wore responsible for
the "ginger" in religious works then.
Aside from the C. W. B. M. meetings
and tho regular Lord's day services
the prayer meeting was tho only dis
tinctly religious gathering. Nowa
days we've got something doing all
the time with tho young people's
meetings and Y. M. C. A.'s, and Y.
W. C. A.'s, and Christian Endoavor
ers, and this that and tho othor
a whole raft of things that really de
mand an expert bookkeeper to keep
track of for us. And I'm going to
rid my mind of something. I'm go
ing to assert, and stick to it, that the
whole "kit an' bllin' " of them ore
not in it with the old-timo mid-week
prayer meeting zeal-renewing, faith
insplrlng enthusiasm.
Honestly now, wouldn't you like
mighty well to step back forty years
or so and walk into that little village
church where gathered tho faithful
few for tho midweek prayer meeting?
PUBLICITY AND MORE
PUBLICITY
Wo now havo "publicity boforo
Uio oloctlon" all that wo asked for
on this subject in tho platform of
1008, and even moro. Dut oenti
ment has grown until wo arc In
position to ask for still moro. We
should now havo publicity as to ex
penditures of thoso organizations
that nominate presidents. Why not
find out who puts up tho monoy for
nominations? And why not find out
who recommends appointments?
Why should an appointing officer
act In tho dark? Why not cornpol
tho president to open tho record for
inspection so that tho public can
know tho powor behind tho throno?
Why should tho prcsidont appoint
judges for life, and othor officials for
a limited torm, without disclosing
tho Information upon which his ap
pointments aro basod. Let us havo
this publicity and it should bo bo
foro presidential nominations aro
mado and boforo appolntmonts aro
sent to tho senate.
Wo should also havo publicity as
to tho ownership of our big news
papers. Why should a paper's
ownership bo kopt in tho dark? Tho
value of an opinion depends on tho
character and disinterestedness of
tho ono expressing It. Lot us havo
publicity as to newspaper ownership.
Wo havo had onough of assassination
methods in subsidized journalism. A
littlo light would bo helpful to somo
before tho next presidential election.
A democratic congress ought to in
augurate tho reform.
And now that tho publicity cam
paign is started it should bo kept up
until all elections and nominations
are mado public affairs and secrecy
is driven from the administration of
tho governraont. Bryan's Com
moner.
And tho first step in this good
work should bo tho repeal of tho
cowardly and corrupting "secrot"
ballot. Winchester (Ky.) Democrat.
Correct
"I never missed a train in my
life," boasted Mr. Braggerly, as he
entered the dining room.
"So I perceive," snapped Miss
Buddington, as she felt for a pin.
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"IODDD3S SEX"
I am finishing up the last
proofs, and the printer tells
mo tho book will bo ready for
distribution not later than
Oct. 10. If thoso who havo
so kindly ordered in advance
will now como along with tho
dollars, 111 be under obliga
tions. Tho Littlo Woman Is
keeping track of all orders
and all money received and
holding om to the money, too.
It's going to be a fine book.
Pll freely admit that much,
just to save argument. If
you have not already ordered,
do so right now. Dollar a
copy, every copy autographed
and containing a picture of
The Architect, tho Little Wo
man and Kiddies Six.
Yours thankfully and hope
fully, WDLL M. MAUPIN.
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A GOOD WAITER
In base ball parlance, a good
waiter is as good as a good batter.
By this philosophy W. J. Bryan
comes In Ty Cobb's class. At Grand.
Island a little over a year ago many
of tho Nebraskan's friends bowed
their heads in pain and mortifica
tion while abuse and villiflcatiori was
being heaped upon him but he bore
tho stigma with a patience and forti
tude littlo less than celestial.
Truth will out however and a
scrap over the nomination of a rail
way commissioner has proven far
moro than Bryan over suggested and
no democrat would dare to attack
Bryan In a Nebraska convention
today. Wo reached Washington the
morning that Oscar Underwood was
tearing tho rafters out of tho capitol
for tho attack Bryan had made upon
him.
The greater portion of tho con
gressmen sided with Underwood and
wo suggested to ono or two fire
eaters from the southland that when
the extra session was over and tho
congressmen arrived home that they
would discover that radicalism was
everywhere in tho ascendant at this
time. The silence of those critics of
Mr. Bryan has become very pro
nounced within tho last week or two
and tho secret caucus which Bryan
condemned will bo abolished.
Crelghton (Neb.) Liberal.
SOUNDED THAT WAY
"I have mislaid my fountain pen,"
said tho father.
"I guess mother found it," said the
daughter.
"What makes you think so, daugh-'
ter?"
"Because I heard her say she'd
been doing nothing but washing her
hands all day." Metropolis Chronicle.
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