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For Christ and the Church (dramatic reading)-Charles Monroe Sheldon · In His Steps

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Prologue of for Christ and the Church by Charles M. Sheldon.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Reverend Mark Spencer read by David Olsen.
• 0:18
  Speaker 3: The Devil read by Adrian Strowitt.
• 0:23
  Speaker 4: Miss Brooks read by Estupin Simonidies. Andrew's Mother read by
• 0:29
  Speaker 4: Teresa Buman.
• 0:30
  Speaker 5: Andrew Stewart played by Jonas Houston.
• 0:35
  Speaker 6: Missus Carter read by Claudia Barrett.
• 0:39
  Speaker 7: Bruce Carter read by Lurie Wilson.
• 0:42
  Speaker 8: Judge Morton read by Donion Vaula.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Missus Morton read by dother Hu Nuralis.
• 0:48
  Speaker 9: Mister Locke read by Bill.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Moseley, narrated by Rachel Prolog. The minister had just come
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: home from his prayer meeting, and he was very much discouraged.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: He had gone at once up to his study and
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: was sitting down at his desk, looking hopelessly at his
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Sunday morning sermon, which was half written.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: I can never finish it. I have not the heart
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: to go on with it.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: Said the minister, speaking out loud, a habit he had
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: acquired while in college and seminary, of course, not said
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: a voice so near by that the minister was very startled.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: But the minute he heard the voice, he knew it
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: was the devil's. No one would ever mistake such a voice.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: And the minister, as he wheeled about in his chair
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: and saw his visitor sitting on the edge of the
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: table where the religious papers were kept, recognized his old enemy,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: and his heart sank lower than ever as he noted
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: the triumphant sneer on the devil's face. Of course not,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: he repeated.
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  Speaker 3: Especially when you know that more than half your entire
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: church membership ah liars.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: What cried the minister, indignantly.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: Your church is full of.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Liars, repeated the devil, calmly.
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Let us see you have a membership of three hundred,
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: three hundred and fifteen, corrected the minister, three hundred and fifteen.
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: One hundred of them are men, seventy five of them businessmen.
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: All of them, when they joined the church solemnly vowed
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: to support the church services and to love the church
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  Speaker 3: more than the world.
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  Speaker 2: Isn't that so it is?
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  Speaker 1: Replied the minister anxiously. Now then continued the devil triumphantly.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: How many of these men ever go to the church
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: prayer meeting?
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: How many?
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: Faltered the minister, Yes, how many? The minister made a
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: rapid calculation as his memory called up the appearance of
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: his church chapel room on prayer meeting nights.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: About twelve, what, cried.
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: The devil in credulously.
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: Are you sure?
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: Maybe it is a little larger number than usual.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: The minister stammered, Well.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Never mind, call it twelve of your seventy five businessmen
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: attend the prayer meeting regularly. The rest never come, or
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: at least very seldom. How many of the women go
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: to the prayer meeting?
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: About forty or fifty, said.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: The minister, brightening up.
• 3:27
  Speaker 10: A little, forty or fifty out of two hundred, say,
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  Speaker 10: possible sixty five attend prayer meetings out of a total
• 3:36
  Speaker 10: membership of three hundred and fifteen.
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: And yet all of them vowed solemnly to support the
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: church in all its services. Minister, I said, your church
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: is full of liars, isn't it so?
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: A good many of the members are so situated that
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: they can't get out in the evening.
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  Speaker 1: Groaned the minister.
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: Did you ever of any of them to stay away regularly?
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: From an entertainment or party if they were invited out on.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Prayer meeting night, the devil questioned remorselessly. The minister was silent.
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: Did you ever know of any of your business men
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: refusing to attend a political convention or a business convention
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: because they hadn't time to go?
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: Still, the minister was silent. He had grown very pale
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: and sad.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: I made a canvas a while ago of your church,
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: and I found them. More than half your member's preacher
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  Speaker 3: spent an average of two nights a week all year
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  Speaker 3: round in going to parties, receptions, or entertainments. When prayer
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: night came, they said they were too tired or something
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: to go. But if they could go to an entertainment,
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: don't you think they could go to prayer meeting if
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: they wanted to.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: The minister made a gesture towards the devil, almost as
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: if he appealed to him to leave the study. But
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: the devil put his foot farther across his knee, as
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: if he intended to be more comfortable. In doing so,
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  Speaker 1: He knocked the minister's favorite religious weakly upon the floor.
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  Speaker 3: Did you ever have half your church membership out to prayer?
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  Speaker 3: Meeting at one.
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  Speaker 1: Time, asked the devil. Ironically. The minister smiled faintly. It
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  Speaker 1: was too absurd an idea to entertain for a moment.
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  Speaker 3: How large an Endeavors society do you have.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: Asked the visitor, with a smile.
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  Speaker 2: How about a hundred members in all eighty five active members.
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  Speaker 1: The minister looked apprehensively at the devil as he wondered
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: what the question meant.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: Let's see, your young people. Haven't pledge you all something
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: that they take when they join, don't they?
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  Speaker 2: Yes? What have you got against that?
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: Demanded the minister, half rising from his seat and speaking
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: as fiercely as a minister ever has the right to speak.
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  Speaker 3: Nothing, Oh, nothing.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: Chuckled the devil.
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: But isn't there something in the pledge about the Endeavor
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: members going to the church prayer meeting? Isn't the motto
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: of the Endeavor Society for Christ and the church? And
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: doesn't the pledge say, I promise that I will make
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  Speaker 3: it the rule of my life to support my own
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  Speaker 3: church in every way, especially by attending all her Sunday
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  Speaker 3: at midweek services.
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  Speaker 1: The devil paused, and the minister added.
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  Speaker 2: You have not finished the sentence in the pledge unless
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  Speaker 2: prevented by some reason, which I can conscientiously give to
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  Speaker 2: my Savior.
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  Speaker 3: Exactly I forgot that, Parsons. But now, preacher, how many
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: of your young people attend the church prayer meeting regularly?
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  Speaker 1: I don't know just how many, replied the minister doggedly.
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  Speaker 3: Oh yes, you do. Don't join the noble army of
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: liars in your church. You know about how many of
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: the young people attend?
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: Forty or fifty, maybe, said the minister, But his voice
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: sounded rather faint.
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  Speaker 3: Isn't that a high average?
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  Speaker 1: Maybe it is, replied the minister slowly.
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  Speaker 3: Isn't it true that not more than twenty five or
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: thirty of your eighty five endeavorers regularly attend the church
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  Speaker 3: prayer meeting? Don't try to get out of it, preacher.
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  Speaker 3: I've been to a good many of your meetings and
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: enjoyed them. They are so dull and stupid, and it
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  Speaker 3: does me so much good to look around and see
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: the empty seats and know that most of your people
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: are somewhere else. But about your young people, aren't they
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: liars too? How much does that motto amount to? How
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: much is their plague? Which good for.
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  Speaker 2: Some of them? Have good reasons for not attending.
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  Speaker 1: The minister roused up a little reasons.
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  Speaker 11: They could conscientiously give to their savior, asked the devil sarcastically,
• 8:13
  Speaker 11: as he hitched himself farther over the edge of the table,
• 8:15
  Speaker 11: knocking another religious paper on the floor.
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  Speaker 1: The minister was silent. He was growing faint at heart
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: when he reviewed the situation.
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  Speaker 3: Now there was an average of one entertainment a week last.
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  Speaker 1: Year, Continue, the devil contemptuously.
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  Speaker 3: Which I noticed more than thirty of your Christian endeavors
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  Speaker 3: attended even when it rained and stormed. I never saw
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: one of those thirty endeavors at your church prayer meeting.
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  Speaker 3: Do you think, preacher, that going to these parties was
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: a good reason to be given to the savior? Don't
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: you think your young people could keep this pledge if
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: they wanted to? Don't you think they really are liars?
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  Speaker 1: The minister groaned and laid his head on his desk.
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: He even put his hands over his ears so as
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: to keep up the sound of his visitor's voice. But
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: the voice penetrated his very heart. As the devil went on, Preacher.
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  Speaker 3: Your influence is far less than mine. I can get
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  Speaker 3: three fourths of your church members to break their vowels
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  Speaker 3: and attend the pleasures of the world instead of your
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: church prayer meeting. I can persuade nearly one half of
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  Speaker 3: your endeavors that they do not need to attend the
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: church prayer meeting, even if they did promise in their
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: pledge to do so. Don't you think the church is
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: a failure? Don't you think the motto of the Endeavor
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  Speaker 3: Society for Christ and the Church is a mockery. Don't
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  Speaker 3: you think your whole church is full of liars? Don't
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  Speaker 3: you think you had better resign and let me run
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  Speaker 3: the whole thing, seeing I am nearly all of it.
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  Speaker 3: Now that you think organized Christianity is a failure after all?
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  Speaker 1: The minister put his head down lower yet, and in
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  Speaker 1: doing so he slid out of his chair upon his knees.
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  Speaker 1: His head was resting on his open bible, and his
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: hands were clasped in the attitude of prayer. The devil
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: moved uneasily, and after a long continued silence on the
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  Speaker 1: part of the minister, he rose from his seat on
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  Speaker 1: the table, sweeping off nearly all the rest of the papers,
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  Speaker 1: and went over close by the preacher and tried to
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: pull the Bible out from under his head, But the
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: minister moved his hands until they clung to the book,
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  Speaker 1: and he still remained firmly on his knees. Then the
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: devil looked around hesitatingly, and finally went away. The minister
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: continued to kneel in the same position. When the sun
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  Speaker 1: rose next morning, he was still kneeling there. End of
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: the prolog, Chapter one of For Christ and the Church
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: by Charles M. Sheldon. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domean. For more information
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Chapter one,
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: Oh dear, said miss Brooks, the soprano.
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  Speaker 4: I'm so tired this morning that I had half a
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  Speaker 4: mind not to come to church at all.
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  Speaker 9: You don't look.
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  Speaker 1: Tired, remarked the tenor, as he distributed copies of the
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: anthem to the chorus. Miss Gertrude Brooks did not answer
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: the tenor. Her face had a little more color in
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: it as she took the music and hummed over her part.
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  Speaker 1: The tenor's slight remark conveyed more than the spoken words.
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  Speaker 1: He said very plainly that the face of the soprano
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  Speaker 1: was so beautiful to him that it never looked tired.
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  Speaker 1: He did not say all this out loud, but miss
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  Speaker 1: Brooks understood what he meant. The chorus consisted of a
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: dozen young people, together with a quartette of somewhat older
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  Speaker 1: young people. It was a few moments before the time
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  Speaker 1: for the morning service, and the members of the chorus
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  Speaker 1: were gathered in the little room at the side of
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: the organ, where they met before going out upon the
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: pulpit platform to take their places for the service. The
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: tenor finished distributing the music and came and sat down
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  Speaker 1: beside the soprano. The members of the chorus were chatting
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  Speaker 1: together in a subdued manner so as not to be
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  Speaker 1: heard by the congregation, which was now rapidly filling the church.
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  Speaker 9: This is a beautiful anthem we sing this morning.
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  Speaker 1: Said the tenor, somewhat shyly. Yes, answered the soprano, turning
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  Speaker 1: over the leaves of the music and humming softly her part.
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  Speaker 4: I was glad when they said unto me, let us
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  Speaker 4: go into the house of the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: Then she looked up and said.
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  Speaker 4: I am afraid my boy is not quite equal to
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: that A this.
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  Speaker 9: Morning how was the party last night? I had to
• 12:56
  Speaker 9: go out of town on business for the farm yesterday
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  Speaker 9: and in your back until after midnight. In fact, I
• 13:02
  Speaker 9: came in this morning on number seven.
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  Speaker 4: It was splendid. So sorry you missed it, mister Locke.
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  Speaker 4: It was one of the best private entertainments of the season.
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  Speaker 9: I don't care about that.
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  Speaker 1: I didn't miss that, replied the tenor, And again the
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  Speaker 1: soprano colored and looked down at the music.
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: We had charades and shadow pantomimes, and then the new
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: game called success, not just like cards. You know, Bell
• 13:28
  Speaker 4: Lewis won the first prize.
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  Speaker 9: I know who won the second.
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  Speaker 1: Said the tenor, pointing at a silver pin which the
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: soprano was wearing. Yes, replied miss Brookes, laughing softly.
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  Speaker 4: It's very pretty, don't you think very.
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  Speaker 1: Said the tenor expressively. But just then the organist began
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: his prelude, And that was always the signal at the
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: Morgan Street Church for the choir to come out upon
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: the platform. The service at the Morgan Street Church always
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: began promptly, and a feature of it was the singing
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: of an anthem by the choir immediately after the prelude
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: on the organ. When the choir came out and took
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: its place. The minister had not yet come out of
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: his little room on the other side of the organ.
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: When the prelude was about half finished, he opened the
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: door and walked slowly to his chair. When he sat down,
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: he did what the choir had never seen him do before.
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: He leaned over and put his face between his hands.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Everyone in the choir noticed this unusual movement on the
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: minister's part. There was a moment of hesitation on the
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: part of the choir as the minister remained in the
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: same position. After the organist had ceased playing, the soprano
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: looked up the organist as he shifted the prelude music
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: over on the rack and put the morning anthem in
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: its place. The organist turned about a little in his seat,
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: and his eyes followed the soprano's glance as it went
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: back to the minister. He looked surprised and even perplexed.
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: But the next moment he turned and began playing. The
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: choir arose, and the soprano's voice after the first few
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: notes of the organ went how clear and distinct.
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  Speaker 4: I was glad when they said, unto me, let us
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: go into the house.
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  Speaker 1: Of the Lord. The tenor took it up.
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  Speaker 9: My feat shall stand within thy gates old Jerusalem. I
• 15:12
  Speaker 9: was glad when they said, unto me, let us go
• 15:14
  Speaker 9: into the house of the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: Then the chorus rose, and the refrain and the anthems
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: swept over the church in a strong, sweet harmony, closing
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: with the solo again and an amen from quartet and
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: chorus together. Still, the minister remained seated, with his head
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: bowed and his face between his hands. The pulpit hid
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: him from the congregation in the main body of the house,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: but the people sitting in the pew's farthest down on
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: the side could see him, and there was evident wonderment
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: at the sight, for not even the members of the
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: Morgan Street Church, who were most familiar with the minister's
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: pulpit habits, could remember seeing him do such a thing.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Before the choir sat down, and the organist continued playing softly.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: When he ceased, there was an awkward silence, for the
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: minister did not move. Every member of the choir was
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: now looking intently at him. Was he well? The soprano
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: was becoming very nervous. The tenor rose from his place,
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: which was nearest the pulpit, and was about to step
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: down and see if anything was wrong, when the minister
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: suddenly rose and began the usual form of service. The
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: Reverend Mark Spencer had been pastor of the Morgan Street
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: Church for ten years. He was forty five years old
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: and a man of more than average ability both as
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: preacher and pastor. His people liked him and trusted him.
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  Speaker 1: The church had steadily grown from a membership of two
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: hundred to three hundred fifteen. He was faithful in his duties,
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: had a good fund of common sense, intact, and had
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: won the respect and confidence of the people in his
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: parish and the town. As he rose this Sunday morning,
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: after that pause, following me at them, the most careless
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: members of the Morgan Street Church noticed his face and
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: were struck with its unusual pallor and sadness. Something had
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: certainly happened to the minister, and the people wondered what
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: it could be. They were soon to know from the
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: minister himself. When he reached the sermon in the order
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: of the service. The minister turned about, partly facing the choir.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: I have chosen my texts for this morning.
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  Speaker 1: He said, with a significant look.
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: The same words as those in the anthem. I was
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: glad when they said, unto me, let us go into
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: the House of the Lord.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: The choir looked in astonishment at him. There had never
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: been a movement on the part of the Reverend Mark
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: Spencer so abrupt and informal as this since he had
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: been pastor of the church.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: I want to tell the choir and the congregation.
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: He continued, with a slow and almost painful emphasis.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: Why I chose these words for my text this morning.
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: I have had a personal interview with the devil this
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: past week, and he suggested the text to me.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: If the people of Morgan Street Church had ever entertained
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: a suspicion of the Reverend Mark Spencer's sanity, they might
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: have been prepared for the shock which his blunt statement caused,
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: as they had always considered him to be exceptionally well balanced.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: They were astonished beyond measure at his words this morning,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: But as he went on, the sensation deepened. They began
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: to understand at last what he meant.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: How true do you think it is that we are
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: glad when we hear the invitation let us go into
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: the House of the Lord. You have heard me invite
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: you a great many times to come to the prayer meeting.
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: How glad are you when you hear it? Is it
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: true as the devil said to me, that some of
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: my church members and endeavorers are liars?
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: Here the minister related in a graphic way his conversation
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: with his visitor the evening after the prayer meeting. All
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: over the church people stared intently at the pale, strained
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: face in the pulpit, not believing their senses. Was this
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: a sermon they were listening to? Was the minister in
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: his right mind? Gertrude Brooks in the choir, listened to
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: the minister's account of his interview with increasing color in
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: her face. When he quoted the devil's remarks about the
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: large number of endeavorers who went to entertainments but were
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: never seen in the church prayer meeting, she lowered her head.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: When he went on to relate what the devil said
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: about that part of the pledge relating to the church
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: week day service, the soprano's fair face grew more and
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: more troubled, and her head sunk lower still. But when
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: he went on to give almost exactly the sneer of
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: the devil at the motto.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: For Christ and the Church.
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: The soprano no longer looked up even at intervals, but
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: kept her eyes fastened on the music in her lap,
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: while her fingers nervously moved together, as if she had
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: been stricken with some sudden and uncontrollable emotion. But if
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: the soprano was deeply stirred by the minister's remarkable sermon,
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: the Morgan Street Congregation was certainly profoundly excited. There had
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: never been a time in its history when the church
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: had been so surprised, so shocked, unexpectedly smitten with sensation
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: at a preaching service. The businessmen, who had usually sat
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: complacently listening to mister Spencer's well turned sentences, grew red
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: in the face as he related what the devil said
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: about the liars and the church. The president of the
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: Endeavor Society, who was a bookkeeper in a bank, held
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: his breath as the minister told about the attitude of
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: the devil. As he sat on the minister's table and
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: carelessly kicked his religious papers off upon the floor while
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: he said, I.
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: Am persuaded that more than one third of your endeavors
• 20:52
  Speaker 3: think that they do not need to attend the church
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: prayer meeting, even if they did promise in their pledge
• 20:59
  Speaker 3: to do so. Do you think the motto of the
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: Endeavor Society for Crost and the Church is a mockery.
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: I was glad when they said, unto me, let us
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: go into the House of the Lord.
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: Continued the minister. And it was not in a tone
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: of irony or sarcasm that he spoke, but with an
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: expression of great sadness that he went on.
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: Is it true that the joy of our Christian life
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: has its source in the service of God's House? Or
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: is it true that the pleasures of the world give
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: us more gladness? Are we truly glad when someone says,
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: let us go into the House of the Lord on
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: prayer meeting night? Or are we glad only when someone says,
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: let us go to this party or reception or entertainment.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: Do you think the devil was right about it when
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: he said that a good many of our church members
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: are liars? Do you think it is true that the
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: Endeavor model for Christ and the Church is a mockery
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: because some of the members of the society are breaking
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: the pledge in which they promised to sustain the midweek
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: service of the church. I was glad when they said,
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord.
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: If that was the feeling on the part of the church,
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: don't you think we would have more than twelve out
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: of seventy five businessmen present at the prayer meeting if
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: it was true? Don't you think that more than thirty
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: or forty out of eighty five members of the Church
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: Endeavor Society would be present.
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: Is only a brief extract from the minister's sermon. It
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: was one of the longest sermons that the Morgan Street
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: Church had ever heard. It is also a fact that
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: never before had a sermon roused so much tension. No
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: one went to sleep, no one was tired or restless.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: No one in the choir attempted to eat peppermints, or,
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: as had sometimes been known, attempted to carry on a
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: subdued whispering conversation. The eyes and minds of the whole
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: congregation were almost painfully fastened upon Reverend Mark Spencer's face,
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: and the effect of the sermon deepened with every word
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: he said. When the minister closed the service with the
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: usual hymn, prayer and benediction, the people were surprised to
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: see him walk back to his little room by the
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: side of the organ instead of coming down the pulpit
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: platform steps to greet the people. In the somewhat intense,
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: awkward silence which followed the shutting of the minister's study door,
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: the Morgan Street Church realized that a crisis had come
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: for their pastor. As the silence began to be broken
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: by the moving of the congregation, the soprano rose, and,
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: without replying to a remark made by the tenor, she
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: walked slowly out of the church. When she reached her home,
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: she went at once to her own room. End of
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: chapter one, chapter two of For Christ and the Church
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: by Charles M. Sheldon. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domean. For more information
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Chapter two,
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: Miss Gertrude Brooks sat down in her room and thoughtfully
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: reviewed that part of the minister's sermon, which had specially
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: touched her, for it was true that she was deeply
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: moved with the minister's account of what the devil had
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: said about the Endeavor Society members going to entertainments instead
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: of to the prayer meeting. She was sitting in front
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: of the looking glass, and after a moment, although she
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: had not been looking at her own face because she
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: was so true absorbed in her thought of the sermon,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: she rose and went up near the glass and stood
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: there for a few seconds. It was the truth, she
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: said out loud softly. She then slowly took the little
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: silver pin that the tenor had noticed out of the
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: lapple of her coat, and after hesitating a moment, she
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: stuck it into a crack between the glass and its frame.
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: As she did so, she noticed another pin on the
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: other side of the frame, thrust so far down that
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: only the head of it was visible with a deepening color.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: The soprano pulled the pin out from its place, where
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: it had evidently been for a long time, and after
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: another moment of hesitation, she stuck it to her dress.
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: I haven't worn my endeavor pin for nearly a year,
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: she said to herself in the looking glass. Her face
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: was still very thoughtful when an hour later her mother
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: called her to come down to dinner. Miss Gertrude Brooks
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: stopped in front of the mirror again before she opened
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: her door and wiped away traces of tears. She was,
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: if truth be told, profoundly surprised at her own emotion.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: It was a long time since she had actually been
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: so touched by a sermon. She wondered a little if
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: it meant the beginning of new things to her, she
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: would have been even more surprised, perhaps if she could
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: have seen the effect of the minister's sermon on other
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: members of the congregation.
• 26:19
  Speaker 7: That's an ugly word for our preacher to use.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: Said mister Bruce Carter, president of the Morgan County Bank,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: as he walked home from service that morning.
• 26:28
  Speaker 6: What word, asked his wife.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: A very plainly dressed woman with a kindly look habitual
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: to a very plain face.
• 26:35
  Speaker 7: Liars. Mister Spencer the same as said that most of
• 26:40
  Speaker 7: the business men in the church were liars. I say
• 26:44
  Speaker 7: it's an ugly word, and I, for one, don't care
• 26:47
  Speaker 7: to stand that sort of preaching.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: His wife was silent. She was thinking of the number
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: of times she had been to the prayer meeting without
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: her husband, when he had been busy entertaining friends or
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: attending to the business of the bank downtown.
• 27:00
  Speaker 7: Well don't you think so, Mary.
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: Asked President Carter irritably.
• 27:05
  Speaker 6: Mister Spencer did not call the members liars. He said
• 27:09
  Speaker 6: that was what they they will called him.
• 27:11
  Speaker 7: Oh well, that's what he meant. I tell you, marry
• 27:16
  Speaker 7: the prayer meeting. We businessmen can't take time to It's
• 27:21
  Speaker 7: sheer waste of time to go. It isn't required. Mister
• 27:25
  Speaker 7: Spencer does not understand how business men are situated and
• 27:30
  Speaker 7: all that.
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Before Missus Carter could reply, Judge Morton, who was just
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: behind them with his wife.
• 27:35
  Speaker 8: Called out, I say, Carter, that was a great sermon.
• 27:38
  Speaker 8: Wasn't it hit you pretty hard? Didn't it?
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: Then? Judge Morton laughed rather boisterously hit.
• 27:44
  Speaker 7: Some other people, I guess.
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: Replied Carter, somewhat stiffly. He was too much stirred up
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: by the morning's service to take Judge Morton's remark kindly.
• 27:54
  Speaker 8: I'm willing to con myself in with all the others.
• 27:57
  Speaker 8: A new departure from mister Spencer, though, didn't you think
• 28:00
  Speaker 8: he never issued such a general indictment of church members before.
• 28:05
  Speaker 8: How do you think they will take it?
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Mister Carter did not reply, but Missus Carter timidly said, I.
• 28:10
  Speaker 6: Hope the members will do what mister Spencer's so much
• 28:14
  Speaker 6: desires and attend the prayer meeting.
• 28:17
  Speaker 12: That's what I say too, added Missus Morton, indignantly. The
• 28:21
  Speaker 12: idea of business men saying they can't go to the
• 28:22
  Speaker 12: church prayer meeting, why they go to everything else if
• 28:25
  Speaker 12: it happens to come on that night. I tell you,
• 28:27
  Speaker 12: Missus Carter, it's true as mister Spencer says that business
• 28:31
  Speaker 12: men don't want to go into the House of the Lord.
• 28:33
  Speaker 12: If they did, they would find a way to go,
• 28:34
  Speaker 12: just as they go to their lodges and politics.
• 28:37
  Speaker 8: Missus Morton is firing a broadside.
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: At me, said Judge Morton, good naturedly.
• 28:42
  Speaker 12: You know well enough, John, that every word mister Spencer
• 28:45
  Speaker 12: said is.
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: True, continued Missus Morton warmly.
• 28:48
  Speaker 12: It's a shame that the men in this church don't
• 28:49
  Speaker 12: support their pastor in the church prayer meeting. The first
• 28:52
  Speaker 12: thing they know they'll lose one of the best ministers
• 28:53
  Speaker 12: a church ever had. It's enough to discourage a saint,
• 28:56
  Speaker 12: makeing winister willing to go out of the ministry, even
• 28:59
  Speaker 12: into such a profession as the law.
• 29:01
  Speaker 8: We're getting our second sermon pretty early in the.
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: Day, remarked Judge Morton.
• 29:06
  Speaker 8: It's all true, though, he.
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: Added, with the first serious word he had spoken.
• 29:10
  Speaker 8: I was sorry to see mister Spencer so wrought up.
• 29:13
  Speaker 8: He showed it by going back into his room.
• 29:16
  Speaker 12: Why don't you men do the one thing then that
• 29:18
  Speaker 12: will encourage him, attend the prayer meeting and make it
• 29:19
  Speaker 12: interesting and helpful. You could do it if he wanted to.
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: I'm afraid that's it, said Judge Morton quietly.
• 29:26
  Speaker 8: We don't want to go to the trouble.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: And at that point mister and missus Carter left them,
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: going down another street. Scores of men and women in
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: the Morgan Street church had similar conversations as they walked
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: home from service that day. A good many men, like
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: Bruce Carter, were angry the sermon had been too personal
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: for them. A good many others acknowledged the truth of
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: the minister's position, as Judge Morton did, but the result
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: of the sermon was not a determination to do anything
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: more than they had been doing. If a businessman in
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: a church has not been in the habit of attending
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: a prayer meeting for years, when he considers it a
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: bore and a stupid, dull place without any entertainment for him,
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: it takes something more than a sermon, even so unusual
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: a sermon as that one, to change his habits and
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: bring him into a cheerful, loyal attendance on a service
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: he has neglected so long. But there was at least
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: one other person besides the soprano in the church that morning,
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: who took the sermon deeply to heart, and that was
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: the president of the Christian Endeavor Society. Andrew Stuart had
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: been president of the society only one month. He was
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: a conscientious, hard working young man, a book keeper in
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: the Morgan County Bank, and he supported an invalid mother
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: and two sisters on a comparatively small salary. He had
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: reluctantly accepted the position of president of the Endeavor Society,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: but had served faithfully so far and was not afraid
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: of any amount of hard work. He went home from
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: that remarkable account of the interview between his pastor and
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: the devil more disturbed than he had ever been in
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: all his Christian experience. Throughout the whole of the afternoon,
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: he felt the uneasiness of his mind growing. He asked
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: himself how much influence he had over the members of
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: the society. Could he in any way make the members
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: of the society see the duty they had been neglecting.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: His face burned even as the sopranos had at the
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: thought of his own pledge broken repeatedly without any excuse
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: he could conscientiously give to his Savior. He had not
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: attended a church prayer meeting for a year. To be sure,
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: he had not been one of those who spent much
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: time in going to entertainments. His native Scotch prudence and
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: a great love of quiet reading kept him at home
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: almost every single evening. He read aloud a great deal
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: to his mother. But even that was not an excuse
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: to be conscientiously given to the Master, For his mother
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: would be glad to have him attend the prayer meeting.
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: In fact, if she had thought of how the pledge
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: was being broken by the members of the society of
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: which her son was president, she would probably have been
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: as much disturbed by it as the minister himself. As
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: the day came to its close and the hour of
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: the endeavor meeting drew near, Andrew Stewart grew more and
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: more convinced that he had a duty to perform towards
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: the society. As its president. He was naturally a timid,
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: retiring young man with a great shrinking from public notice.
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: The thought that he ought to do something to rouse
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: the society to a sense of its sacred promise to
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: the church made him tremble. But when it was time
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: for him to go to the service, he put on
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: his hat and started to go out of the house,
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: determined to do something, no matter how much it might cost.
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: Good Bye, mother, he said, and as his custom had
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: been since his childhood, he kissed the pale face reclining
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: on the pillow of the easy chair. He had been
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: reading aloud as usual that Sunday afternoon, and his mother
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: had been sitting up in her chair for an hour.
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: There is somewhat troubling you, Laddie, spoke the mother, using
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: the old term she had given him when a boy. Yes,
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: mother replied andrew, hesitating. It lacked fifteen minutes of the
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: time for the service, and he could walk to the
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: church in five minutes. So he took a seat again
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: by the mother and briefly told her what the conflict
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: in his mind was. He had already given her a
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: brief account of the morning sermon, but they had not
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: discussed it. Owing to missus Stewart's great weakness. Do your duty, Lattie,
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: said the invalid, passing her thin hand across his cheek.
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: I will, mother, replied Andrew simply, and he kissed his
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: mother again. When he had gone out, his mother shut
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: her eyes and her lips moved in a silent prayer
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: that his son might have courage given him to witness
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: for the truth. There was an unusually large attendance at
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: the Morgan Street Church Endeavor Society that evening. Gertrude Brooks,
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: the soprano, was one of the older members who had
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: been elected by the society as musical director. She had
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: been very faithful to her duties and enjoyed the work
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: to night. Her face still bore the marks of the
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: impression made upon her by the morning service. She was
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: a girl of a very sunny, happy temperament, fond of
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: social life, and a favorite of all the entertainments given
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: by the young people to night. She showed an unusual
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: seriousness that did not escape notice. Andrew Stewart especially looked
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: attentively at her several times during the course of the meeting.
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: It was the custom at the Morgan Street Church Society
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: for the president to make announcements of any meetings or
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: business just before the last song and offering. When Andrew
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: Stewart rose this evening, he looked thoughtfully around over the
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: room and said.
• 34:27
  Speaker 5: Slowly, the President would like to meet the offices of
• 34:30
  Speaker 5: the Society and all the chairmen of committees in the
• 34:33
  Speaker 5: West parlor of the church. Immediately after the close of the.
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: Meeting, when the benediction had been pronounced, Gertrude Brooks came
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: to Andrew Stewart. Am I an officer of the Society,
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: she asked, with a slight laugh. There had been some
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: discussion at a previous business meeting regarding the office of
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: musical director, and the soprano alluded to that.
• 34:55
  Speaker 5: Yes, certainly, I think.
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: So, replied Andrew, with some surprise, for Miss Brooks had
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: not shown any particular interest in the Society except for
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: her own leadership as director.
• 35:06
  Speaker 4: I would like to come to the meeting you called
• 35:09
  Speaker 4: because I believe I know what you are going to
• 35:10
  Speaker 4: bring up, and I want to help, she.
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: Said, looking directly at Andrew again. He was quite surprised.
• 35:18
  Speaker 5: I want to talk of the matter of our pledge
• 35:20
  Speaker 5: to sustain the Middle week player service of the church, he.
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: Said, gravely.
• 35:26
  Speaker 4: I knew that was it. We ought to do something,
• 35:29
  Speaker 4: don't you think, yes.
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: Said Andrew simply. The other officers and members of the
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: committees were going into the west parlor.
• 35:37
  Speaker 4: I believe our society can keep that pledge, don't.
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: You, miss Brooks asked, as she walked along by the
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: side of Andrew.
• 35:44
  Speaker 5: I do most certainly, he.
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: Said, as they entered the room together. Outside the church,
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: the tenor, who was not a member of the society
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: but frequently attended, had just come into the vestibule. He
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: had often late gone home with the soprano from the
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: Endeavor meeting. The soprano did not sing in the second
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: preaching service, she had always given as an excuse her
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: duties as director of the music in the Endeavor Society.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: The tenor did not sing at the evening service either.
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: He did not give any excuse, but people were beginning
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: to say it was because the soprano did not sing.
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: People are very often right about such things. The tenor
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: waited some time, and finally he went into the society
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: room and inquired of some of the young people chatting
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: there if miss Brooks had been at the meeting. They
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: told him where she was. It lacked twenty minutes of
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: time for the beginning of the second service. In the
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: church room, the tenor took a seat where he could
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: command a view of the west parlor door and waited.
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: He waited until the service began in the church, but
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: the door of the parlor leading into the Endeavor room
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: did not open. At last, as the first hymn was
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: being sung, he went over and quietly opened the door
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: and looked in. The room was empt but the door
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: leading into the church auditorium was open. He went through
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: the parlor and looked into the church. What was his
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: surprise to see the soprano with a dozen other members
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: of the society seated well down in the front of
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: the church.
• 37:13
  Speaker 9: Wonder what that means.
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: He muttered. The church was far from full. The tenor
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: slipped into a back seat, but he did not stay
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: through the service. As he went home, he was conscious
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: of a feeling of uneasiness which had taken possession of
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: him from that moment when at the close of the
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: morning service he had addressed a remark to the soprano
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: and she had walked down the choir steps without giving
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: him an answer. End of Chapter two, Chapter three of
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: for Christ and the Church by Charles M. Sheldon. This
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: public domein For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Chapter three. It was the Monday after
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: the Sunday on which the Reverend Mark Spencer had preached
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: his remarkable sermon about his interview with the Devil, and
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: the soprano was practicing a new piece of music in
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: the parlor at home. She was so busy with it
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: that she did not hear the bell ring, and did
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: not hear the servant when a caller was announced. The
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: second time she spoke, the soprano turned and saw the
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: tenor standing in the doorway. Smiling. She rose to meet him,
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: and her face changed color a little. First, the tenor
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: was a frequent visitor at the house lately, Miss Brooks
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: had understood for some time why they talked about several matters.
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: The tenor was uneasy and did not appear to advantage. Finally,
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: he mentioned the new music that the soprano had been practicing.
• 38:46
  Speaker 4: It is a piece I found in a recent number
• 38:48
  Speaker 4: of the Family Magazine.
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: Said the soprano, with a noticeable embarrassment so noticeable that
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: the tenor wondered at it, seeing the occasion had not
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: called for it. As if to hide some confusion of thought,
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: the soprano went to the instrument, sat down by it,
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: and began to sing. The words were a prayer, and
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: the music was of a devotional nature. When she finished,
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: the tenor praised her voice. He had often of late
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: said such things, but this time there was a look
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: of something like displeasure on the soprano's face. The tenor
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: did not see it because her face was hidden from
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: him as she sat by the piano.
• 39:24
  Speaker 9: Oh, by the way, he.
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: Continued, after a moment during which she had turned again
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: and faced.
• 39:29
  Speaker 9: Him, The Berlin Grand Orchestra is to be in town
• 39:33
  Speaker 9: Thursday night. Will you give me the pleasure of your
• 39:37
  Speaker 9: company to it? I have secured two splendid seats.
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: Miss Gertrude Brooks's face lighted up with enjoyment. Yes, indeed,
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: the Berlin Orchestra. Why we have talked of that for years,
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: that I never supposed we could get them to come.
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: It will be a treat to hear them.
• 39:57
  Speaker 9: You can thank me for that, perhaps.
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: Said the tenor a little proudly.
• 40:02
  Speaker 9: I happened to know the director. I met him once
• 40:05
  Speaker 9: in Berlin. The Men's Music Club authorized me to make arrangements,
• 40:10
  Speaker 9: if possible, to secure the orchestra for one night when
• 40:15
  Speaker 9: they came out on their Western trip.
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: How nice, exclaimed the soprano as she looked gratefully at
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: the tenor. Miss Gertrude Brooks was passionately fond of orchestra music,
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: but suddenly her look changed. What night did you see?
• 40:31
  Speaker 9: The concert was Thursday?
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: The soprano nervously twisted some tassels that hung down from
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: the piano cover.
• 40:38
  Speaker 4: I'm afraid, I but I don't.
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: Think I can go that night, she finally said, in
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: a low voice. Why, asked the tenor, in amazement, Because
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: because I have another engagement that.
• 40:52
  Speaker 9: Night, another engagement.
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: The tenor was evidently not only very much surprised, but
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: also angry. He did not have an of self control
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: to hide his feelings. Yes, repeated the sopranos slowly, I.
• 41:06
  Speaker 4: Have another engagement. I have promised to attend the church prayer.
• 41:10
  Speaker 9: Meeting that night, the church prayer meeting. But you don't
• 41:14
  Speaker 9: mean I must keep.
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: My promise, said the soprano gravely.
• 41:18
  Speaker 9: You don't mean that you will miss hearing the orchestra.
• 41:23
  Speaker 4: I shall have to unless I break my promise. I promised,
• 41:26
  Speaker 4: mister Stewart.
• 41:27
  Speaker 9: Oh, if you promised, mister Stewart, of course.
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: Began the tenor angrily, and he went on without heeding
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: the warning. Look in the soprano's eyes.
• 41:35
  Speaker 9: If you promised, mister Stewart, of course, your promise to
• 41:38
  Speaker 9: me is of no account, I.
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: Promised mister Stewart, as president of the Endeavor Society, continued
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: the soprano, finishing her sentence as if she had not
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: been interrupted, that with.
• 41:49
  Speaker 4: All the other officers of the Society and chairman of committees,
• 41:52
  Speaker 4: I would attend the church prayer meeting hereafter in accordance
• 41:56
  Speaker 4: with my Endeavor pledge. My promise to go to the
• 41:59
  Speaker 4: concert with you was made before I thought of the
• 42:02
  Speaker 4: evening and the other promise.
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: She looked steadily at the tenor, and he changed color
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: and for a moment was silent. Then he began to
• 42:09
  Speaker 1: plead with.
• 42:09
  Speaker 9: Her, just this wants miss Brooks, Miss Gertrude, think of
• 42:15
  Speaker 9: the opportunity. We won't have such a chance again.
• 42:20
  Speaker 4: A promise is.
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: A promise, replied the soprano.
• 42:23
  Speaker 9: It hasn't been all this time.
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: Said the tenor, with more truth than courtesy.
• 42:27
  Speaker 9: You've been breaking your endeavor pledge all along, haven't you?
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: Yes, I have replied the soprano, her eyes flashing and
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: then dimming with tears, for the tenor's words hurt her deeply.
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: But is that a good reason for breaking it again?
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: Pardon me, he said, for the first time, speaking humbly.
• 42:46
  Speaker 9: I did not mean to offend you, but I feel
• 42:50
  Speaker 9: very much disappointed. I've been anticipating this concert, especially because
• 42:58
  Speaker 9: I because you might go with me.
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: I am very sorry. The soprano spoke, with downcast eyes
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: and a flush on her face. The tenor rose and
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: took a step near her.
• 43:11
  Speaker 9: You are sure your mind is all made up? You
• 43:14
  Speaker 9: could not change and make an exception of one night.
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: No, she answered slowly, and he knew from her manner
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: that the answer was final. His anger came back again.
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: This time he showed it by a sullen silence, which
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: lasted several moments.
• 43:31
  Speaker 9: You have been converted very suddenly, he.
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: Said at last. It was almost a sneer the way
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: he said it. The soprano looked up at him quietly.
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: Have you any right to speak to me like that?
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: Mister Locke, she asked. He bit his lip nervously and
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: did not seem to know what to say. At last,
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: he took a step towards the hall.
• 43:50
  Speaker 9: I think I will be going. I wish you.
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: Good evening, he said, and his lack of self control
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: was painfully evident. Miss excuse me, mister Locke, for seeming
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: to be discourteous in refusing your invitation. I would enjoy
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: the concert very much, but I feel as if my
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: endeavor pledge came first. The tenor muttered something indistinctly that
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: she did not understand, as he put on his hat
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: and opened the door. Good night, he said abruptly, and
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: went out. The soprano went back into the parlor and
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: stood for a moment in the center of the room.
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: She put her face in her hands and knew that
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: her cheeks were hot and her lips trembling from the
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: event of the evening. It was a crisis for her
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: in two ways. She had begun of late to feel
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: towards the tenor, as she had never felt towards any
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: other young man of her acquaintance. Her heart had not yet,
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: it is true, been very deeply moved. But she said
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: to herself it might in a short time. And now
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: the revelation of anger and ungentlemanly feeling on the part
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: of the tenor opened her thought, as if to something
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: very serious that she had suddenly escaped. She drew a
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: long breath, as in thankfulness. But she put her face
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: in her hands again, and when she drew them away
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: there were tears on her cheeks. She might have learned
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: to love him. Was that all gone now, she said
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: to herself. Something had taken place which made such a
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: possibility out of the question. Now the other crisis had
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: to do with her pledge made to the society. She
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: went over to the piano again and sat down, looking
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: earnestly at the music. She had promised to sing at
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: the church prayer meeting, and that was the selection she
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: had chosen. It was because of that fact that she
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: had showed the unusual embarrassment noticed by the tenor. She
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: had never sung anything in the church prayer meeting. The
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: church choir never thought of such a thing. The church
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: choir was only for large audiences on Sunday mornings. It
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: had never dreamed of such a thing as going to
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: the church prayer meeting to make that service. Interesting and helpful,
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: And yet why not? The soprano asked the question as
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: she sat there, looking at the music and thinking over
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: the whole matter more quietly, now that the strain of
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: her recent experience was lessening, Why shouldn't she give her
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: challenge for the prayer meeting? She was a member of
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: the church in the Endeavor Society. All the other choir
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: members were also members of the church. Why should they
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: not go in a body every Thursday night and help
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: make that midweek service a power, a delight to the minister,
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: and a blessing to the church. She grew more thoughtful
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: of the subject every moment. It was true that the
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: other matter with which the tenor had to do did
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: not cause her the trouble that at first it seemed
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: to her it might. In fact, she was surprised at
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: herself to feel a glow of enthusiasm new to her
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: growing up in her heart at the thought of the
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: possibility for the church if only the members of it
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: and the members of the society kept the solemn covenant
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: they had made her Christ and the Church. She repeated softly,
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: she had kept her promise to keep the pled in
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: the face of an unusual temptation to enjoin entertainment. The
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: victory she had gained made her stronger and really happier
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: than she had been for a long time. For Christ,
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: End of the Church, she repeated in her heart as
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: she sang over her selection softly. When she finally rose
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: and went up to her room, there was a look
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: of peace on her face, which belongs to all those
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: who have overcome the world and been true to their
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: plighted word to God. End of chapter three, Chapter four
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: of For Christ and the Church by Charles M. Sheldon.
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Chapter four. It was just a
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: week after his famous interview with the Devil that the
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: minister came up into his study again at the close
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: of his prayer meeting. It was very late, and every
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: one in the parsonage was asleep, but that was not
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: the only reason why the minister mounted the stairs with
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: a light tread. His heart was light, and that makes
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: light footsteps. He shut the door and went up to
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: his study desk and sat down. As he did so,
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: he heard a noise and looking around after he had
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: lighted his study lamp, he saw his visitor of the
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: week before, seated as before on the edge of his
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: table where the religious papers were kept.
• 48:24
  Speaker 3: Just home from prayer meeting.
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: Again, said the devil. Cheerfully.
• 48:29
  Speaker 2: Yes, just home from the prayer meeting.
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: Replied the minister, and his tone was fully as cheerful
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: as his visitors. The devil stared in surprise at the
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: minister and shifted his seat uneasily.
• 48:40
  Speaker 2: We had a beautiful meeting.
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: Continued the minister, without even looking around. He had turned
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: back to his desk after his first glance at the table,
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: and had begun to open a Bible and mark certain
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: passages for his Sunday reading.
• 48:53
  Speaker 3: I have been out of town for a week since
• 48:56
  Speaker 3: I was.
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: Here last, said the devil, slowly, visiting.
• 49:00
  Speaker 3: A church up in Wrangleville, where there has been an
• 49:03
  Speaker 3: interesting scandal, and so I have not kept track of
• 49:08
  Speaker 3: all the details of your parish. But I don't suppose,
• 49:14
  Speaker 3: from the way your prayer meetings have been going lately,
• 49:17
  Speaker 3: that you can have such a thing as a beautiful meeting.
• 49:21
  Speaker 2: You don't know everything, do you, asked.
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: The minister, turning over the leaves of his Bible and
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: still sitting calmly with his back to his visitor. It
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: had suddenly come with great power to the minister's heart.
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: But the devil, after all, was not omnipresent any more
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: than he was omnipotent. I know a good deal, replied
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: the devil in a surly tone. He did not like
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: the minister's indifference. It was clear that something had happened
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: in the Morgan Street Church while the scandal at Wrangellville
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: was going on.
• 49:53
  Speaker 2: Perhaps you would like to know what sort of meaning
• 49:56
  Speaker 2: we had to night, seeing you were absent, said.
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: The minister, suddenly, turning around and facing the figure on
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: the table. I shall be glad to hear it, sneered
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: the devil.
• 50:08
  Speaker 2: Oh no, I don't think you.
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: Will, replied the minister, smiling.
• 50:13
  Speaker 2: But in the first place, more than half my entire
• 50:17
  Speaker 2: church membership was present.
• 50:20
  Speaker 3: First time it ever happened, isn't it?
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: Yes? But not the last? From present indications.
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: Was Judge Morton there, asked the devil. Suddenly, No, replied
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: the minister gravely.
• 50:34
  Speaker 3: Or Bruce Carter, president of the bank.
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: No, again, replied the minister, with added sadness.
• 50:42
  Speaker 3: I believe they are two of your leading members.
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: Aren't they said the devil maliciously. No, replied the minister, boldly.
• 50:52
  Speaker 2: They are not leading members, if by that you mean
• 50:55
  Speaker 2: men whose influence will leave the church away from Christ.
• 51:00
  Speaker 2: For I believe a movement has begun which even Judge
• 51:04
  Speaker 2: Morton and Bruce Carter cannot long ignore. A movement today,
• 51:11
  Speaker 2: a movement by the Endeavorous Society. Seventy five of the
• 51:15
  Speaker 2: eighty five active members were present at the meeting to night.
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: Don't say ejaculated the devil. He was evidently very much surprised.
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: He looked uneasily at the minister, as the minister looked
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: fearlessly at him. It seemed as if the figure on
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: the table shrank and withered and grew insignificant.
• 51:36
  Speaker 3: Was the president of the society there?
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: The devil gathered up a little courage and spoke with
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: a confidence he did not feel.
• 51:43
  Speaker 2: Yes, Andrew was there and made a splendid talk.
• 51:48
  Speaker 3: Made a splendid talk. Did he misspoked the soprano? There?
• 51:53
  Speaker 3: There was an orchestra entertainment to night, wasn't there?
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: Asked the devil in a triumphant tone, feeling quite sure
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: this time of his facts. Yes, replied the minister, smiling.
• 52:05
  Speaker 2: There was an orchestra in town to night, a very
• 52:08
  Speaker 2: unusual entertainment, but the soprano did not go to it.
• 52:13
  Speaker 2: She was at the prayer meeting and sang a beautiful
• 52:17
  Speaker 2: solo during the service.
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: Ah, exclaimed the devil in a faint voice.
• 52:23
  Speaker 2: The church choir was also present and sang an anthem
• 52:27
  Speaker 2: and helped in the congregational singing.
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: The devil was silent. He was too much overwhelmed by
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: this series of astonishing events to say a word.
• 52:36
  Speaker 2: More than that. Every officer of the society and every
• 52:41
  Speaker 2: chairman of committee was present and took part in the meeting.
• 52:46
  Speaker 2: More than a dozen of the business men were present
• 52:49
  Speaker 2: also and made remarks. I mean men who have not
• 52:53
  Speaker 2: been out to the prayer meeting for years. Oh, we
• 52:58
  Speaker 2: had a beautiful meeting, As I have said.
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: It won't last, growled the devil hoarsely. Oh, I think
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: it will, replied the minister cordially.
• 53:09
  Speaker 2: The members of the Endeavor Society all came up at
• 53:13
  Speaker 2: the close of the meeting and in the most earnest manner,
• 53:17
  Speaker 2: spoke of their determination to keep their pledge and be
• 53:21
  Speaker 2: true to their motto for Christ and the Church. I
• 53:26
  Speaker 2: don't think we shall turn the management of affairs over
• 53:30
  Speaker 2: to you for some time.
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: Yet there was silence in the room. The minister cheerfully
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: turned up the wick of his student lap and looked
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: at his visitor fearlessly. His heart was still singing the
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: anthem of that glorious prayer, meaning.
• 53:45
  Speaker 3: I suppose the tenna was out in the vestibule to
• 53:48
  Speaker 3: take the soprano home at last.
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: The devil sneered, as if there was still a lingering
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: hope in his mind that the soprano might be influenced
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: in some other way.
• 53:58
  Speaker 2: Why I didn't see him.
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: The minister spoke with a smile.
• 54:02
  Speaker 2: It seems to me that Andrew Stewart was very near
• 54:06
  Speaker 2: the door when miss Brooks went out, and unless I
• 54:09
  Speaker 2: am very much mistaken, they went away together again.
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: There was a silence in the study, and the minister
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: began to turn around to his desk.
• 54:18
  Speaker 3: It won't lost.
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: Said the devil in a low voice. What won't last,
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: asked the minister, Sharply.
• 54:27
  Speaker 3: Your beautiful prayer meeting you young folks will grow tired
• 54:32
  Speaker 3: of it after a while, when the present little embotion
• 54:35
  Speaker 3: has died out.
• 54:36
  Speaker 2: And what business have you here?
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: In my study, suddenly asked the minister, rising to his.
• 54:42
  Speaker 2: Feet, what right have you to be sitting on my table?
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: The devil hastily got down off the table, and the
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: minister took a step towards him. The devil retreated towards
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: the door, but the minister did not go any farther.
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: He smiled, as if satisfied with his visitor's lack of courage,
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: and going back to his desk, began to read aloud
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: the passage he had chosen for his scripture, reading on
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: the coming.
• 55:05
  Speaker 2: Sunday, Rejoice in the Lord always and again, I say, rejoice.
• 55:12
  Speaker 2: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, that
• 55:16
  Speaker 2: it not waver, for he is faithful that promised. And
• 55:22
  Speaker 2: let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
• 55:26
  Speaker 2: good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
• 55:32
  Speaker 2: the custom of some is, but exhorting one another. And
• 55:38
  Speaker 2: the God of Peace shall bruce Satan under your feet.
• 55:42
  Speaker 2: Shortly get thee behind me, Satan, for thou mindest not
• 55:47
  Speaker 2: the things that be of God, but those things that
• 55:51
  Speaker 2: be of men.
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: Minister thought it was very quiet as he finished his reading.
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: He had not heard any one go out, but turned
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: to look, he could see no sign of his visitor.
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: He had gone away, leaving the minister in great peace
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: and joy. As he turned down his lamp and lowered
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: his head in a moment of thankful prayer, the words
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: in the gospel filled his mind with heavenly refreshment. As
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: they were spoken of our beloved Lord.
• 56:17
  Speaker 2: Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and
• 56:22
  Speaker 2: ministered unto him.
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: That same evening, the soprano went up to her room,
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: singing lightly.
• 56:28
  Speaker 4: I was glad when they said unto me, let us
• 56:31
  Speaker 4: go into the house of the Lord. I was glad
• 56:34
  Speaker 4: when they sit unto me.
• 56:36
  Speaker 1: She bowed her head in thanksgiving, and knew that the
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: crisis of her temptation was past, and the pledge of
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: her Christian life would henceforth be kept for the Master.
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: When the president of the society came in that evening,
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: the mother was still awake. He went into her room
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: to kiss her good night and told her a little
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: about the meeting. The Lord bless me, laddie, She said, simply.
• 56:58
  Speaker 5: He has blessed me, Mother. I feed a new strength
• 57:01
  Speaker 5: and joy. The Church means more than ever to a
• 57:04
  Speaker 5: good many of us. Please God, we shall be true
• 57:07
  Speaker 5: to our motto.
• 57:08
  Speaker 1: And as he went out, after kissing the dear face,
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: he whispered to himself, for Christ and his Church.
• 57:15
  Speaker 3: Amen.
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: End of Chapter four. End of For Christ and the
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: Church by Charles M. Sheldon