NOVEMBER 1, 1916 



some sort of amen. In fact, I do 

 not remember that I have ever, with few 

 exceptions, heard anything from any minis- 

 ter that I was not ready to indorse and fol- 

 low the speaker; but on this occasion I "met 

 my match." After the good pastor had 

 said he was not only ready to go to jail 

 but to go to death he added something like 

 this: 



" Yes, friends, I am ready to go to jail, 

 and stay there, and rot, rather than com- 

 jDroraise with the powers of darkness." 



I did not dare say amen to that last sen- 

 tence. It frightened me. I have for years 

 past felt that I was ready to die as a mar- 

 tyr, if need be; but I am afraid I was a 

 good deal like poor Peter, who was ready 

 to fight and ready to be killed, if need be; 

 and he struck out with his sword in order 

 to give the Master to understand that he 

 was not afraid; but when the command 

 came to put up his sword and do nothing 

 his coux'age failed; and when just a girl 

 suggested that he was one of that fanatical 

 crowd his courage all oozed out, and he 

 suddenly turned a cowardly coat and en- 

 listed in the service of the Devil. It is very 

 hard for me to sit still and wait for any- 

 thing or for anybody. I want to be doing 

 something; and when the suggestion came 

 that I might be called upon to "lie still 

 and rot," perhaps as many a devoted soul 

 in ages past has been required to do, I 

 backed down like Peter. 



Again, in the sermon later the minister 

 said something like this : 



" You may be aware, friends, that there 

 has been a good deal of talk of having 

 moving-picture shows in our great cities 

 looked after. A committee has been ap- 

 pointed in the city of New York, and they 

 report that 80 per cent of the films in com- 

 mon use were demoralizing. Their ten- 

 dency is to lead our boys and gii'ls down 

 to shame and crime instead of lifting them 

 up or building them up." 



Let me pause a moment right here. In a 

 recent daily, mention is made of a boy who 

 set a building on fire; and the only rea- 

 son given for doing so was that he saw 

 the same thing done in a picture show ; and 

 the show gave the whole thing in a way 

 that would make the boy think it is a great 

 thing to make a stir in the neighborhood by 

 such an act. Let us now get back to the 

 sermon. 



The speaker said that, rather than be en- 

 gaged, directly or indirectly, in anything 

 that would lead our boys and girls down 

 to crime and ruin he would be willing to be 

 nailed up in his coffin ; and then I was 

 ready again to say "amen." I would rath- 

 er die than to live having the guilt rest 



on my conscience that I had been instru- 

 mental in the spiritual death of any boy 

 or girl. But the speaker in his next sen- 

 tence took me right off my feet as before. 

 The sentence was this : 



" I had rather be nailed up in my coffin, 

 and be buried alive." 



Let us now go back to Peter once more. 

 When the Master said to his little crowd of 

 followers that every one of them would 

 desert him in time of trial, Peter boldly de- 

 clared, " Tho I should die with thee, yet 

 will I not deny thee." Poor Peter! Little 

 did he know the power of Satan, And 

 somewhat in like manner little did I know 

 or realize what a coward I am, after all. 

 I had been thinking I could consent to 

 death — that is, a speedy death, or such a 

 death as we ordinarily witness — for the 

 dear Master's sake; but, oh dear me! I did 

 not contemplate "being nailed up, and bur- 

 ied alive." 



Just one more illustration in closing, 

 about our transformed young relative. In 

 a shop where he works (electrical worJ<s, 

 of course) there is a young man who had 

 been following Ingersoll and Tom Paine, 

 and taking some periodical that ridicules 

 the Bible, Christian religion, etc. Homer 

 invited this young man to come to their 

 Bible class. The reply -was something like 

 this: 



"Bible class? Do you mean you want 

 me to go to ' Sunday-scJwol '? Not much." 

 But Homer was not to be put out, and so 

 he invited him again, only to meet with sar- 

 casm and ridicule; but after he followed 

 it up Sunday after Sunday this friend of 

 his finally consented to go once. Homer 

 told him if he would go just once and listen 

 to Mr. Rourke, and then did not feel inclin- 

 ed, he need not go any more; and then 

 Homer added, " Now, uncle, what do you 

 suppose happened? Why, the time he went 

 first was away along last spring; and he 

 has been there every Sunday since." 



Oh, yes! there is still one more thing I 

 must tell. Before the class opened, the 

 pastor said, " Who is absent today whom 

 we have a right to expect to be hei-e?" 



A bright young man stood up and men- 

 tioned a name. 



" Can any one tell why our friend is 

 away this morning?" 



Somebody answered, " He is out of 

 town," and so on with several names. 

 Finally somebody was mentioned, but no 

 person could give any reason for his ab- 

 sence. Then came the question, " Who will 

 volunteer to hunt up our friend and ask 

 why he is not with us today?" 



Some one replied very promptly, "He 

 and I are quite well acquainted, and I will 



