Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
Oftentimes my life was in danger when visiting the saloons, which are
there called public houses--the keepers being called publicans. Often
the keepers of brothels and other places of sin drew revolvers on
me--threatening me with death if I did not leave, as they did not want
to lose their customers and their money--which they were sure to do if
souls were converted there, but the Lord always delivered me when
death stared me in the face. One day I went into a public house where
a woman kept a dive. She at once got very angry, demanded my business,
and ordered me to leave her place. She clutched me with a fiendish
grip, and pushed me out of the door, but purposely fastened one of my
arms in the door as she slammed it shut. I prayed God to release me
and with the help of the sister who was with me we got the door open
enough to release my arm. I am sorry to have reason to say that, as a
rule, I find the women who are in charge of brothels and saloons
harder to deal with than the men. A woman of judgment and tact when
fully saved can, in many cases, do more good than men from the fact
that she can go where very few men could go without being looked upon
with suspicion. What need, then, that we should be emptied of self and
filled with the Holy Spirit, all given up to the Lord in order that we
can work successfully for God and souls.
One Saturday night, while in Glasgow, I preached in a church. Great
crowds had turned out in the city spending their week's wages. There
was much drinking of both men and women. At the church was given a
"Penny Tea," consisting of a cup of tea and a biscuit, thus drawing
the crowds--and afterwards having some one preach to them.
A SONG STOPS A ROW.
When the services had closed, we were returning to our lodging and
were attracted by a great crowd of people engaged in a row and a
fight. I soon saw there was danger of bloodshed and stepping out in
the street I began to sing an old time hymn. This drew the attention
of many and they came running to hear. Then I talked to them of Jesus
and His love, and we went on our way and held another service on
another street. Then, coming to the quarters of a company of firemen,
I asked if I might hold a service with them some time. One of them
replied, "Yes, why not now?" It was then 10 o'clock and raining. I
stepped into the street and began singing. Across the way there was a
dance hall with dancing going on upon the three floors of the hall. As
I sang, the windows of the hall were lowered with a crash, perhaps to
keep out the rain--perhaps to keep out the sound of my voice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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