Family life -- Juvenile fiction; Voyages and travels -- Juvenile fiction
Cecile, living though she had done in its very midst had never heard of
this great religious revival. To such as her, poor little ignorant lost
lamb, it preached, but hitherto no message had reached her. She
followed Mrs. Moseley, who seated herself on a bench in the front row
of a gallery which was close to the platform. The space into which she
and Cecile had to squeeze was very small, for the immense place was
already full to overflowing.
"We'll have three thousand to-night, see if we don't," said a
thin-faced girl, bending over to Mrs. Moseley.
"Oh, ma'am!" said another, who had a very worn, thin, but sweet face,
"I've found such peace since I saw you last. I never could guess how
good Jesus would be to me. Why, now as I'm converted, He never seems to
leave my side for a minute. Oh! I do ache awful with this cough and
pain in my chest, but I don't seem to mind it now, as Jesus is with me
all day and all night."
Another, nudging her, here said:
"Do you know as Black Bess ha' bin converted too?"
"Oh, praise the Lord!" said this girl, sinking back on her seat, being
here interrupted by a most violent fit of coughing.
The building filled and filled, until there was scarcely room to stand.
A man passing Mrs. Moseley said:
"'Tis a glorious gathering, all brought together by prayer and faith,
all by prayer and faith."
Mrs. Moseley took Cecile on her lap.
"They'll sing in a moment, darling, and 'twill be all about your Guide,
the blessed, blessed Jesus." And scarcely were the words out of her
mouth, when the whole vast building rang again to the words:
"Come, let us join our cheerful songs:
Hallelujah to the Lamb who died on Mount Calvary.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! Amen."
Line after line was sung exultantly, accompanied by a brass band.
Immediately afterward a man fell on his knees and prayed most earnestly
for a blessing on the meeting.
Then came another hymn:
"I love thee in life, I love thee in death;
If ever I love thee, my Jesus, 'tis now."
This hymn was also sung right through, and then, while a young sergeant
went to fetch the colors, the whole great body of people burst into
perfectly rapturous singing of the inspiriting words:
"The angels stand on the Hallelujah strand,
And sing their welcome home."
"Oh! Maurice would like that," whispered Cecile as she leant up against
Mrs. Moseley. She never forgot the chorus of that hymn, it was to come
back to her with a thrill of great comfort in a dark day by and by.
Mrs. Moseley held her hand firmly; she and her little charge were
looking at a strange sight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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