Challenger, Professor (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Spiritualism -- Fiction
With quick, light steps he threaded his way among the chairs on the
platform and stood near the door. When Malone next looked round he was
gone.
“He is one of these Second-coming fanatics,” he whispered to Enid.
“There are a lot of them--Christadelphians, Russellites, Bible Students
and what-not. But he was impressive.”
“Very,” said Enid.
“We have, I am sure, been very interested in what our friend has told
us,” said the chairman. “Mr. Miromar is in hearty sympathy with our
movement even though he cannot be said actually to belong to it. I am
sure he is always welcome upon our platforms. As to his prophecy, it
seems to me the world has had enough trouble without our anticipating
any more. If it is as our friend says, we can’t do much to mend the
matter. We can only go about our daily jobs, do them as well as we can,
and await the event in full confidence of help from above. If it’s the
Day of Judgment to-morrow,” he added, smiling, “I mean to look after my
provision store at Hammersmith to-day. We shall now continue with the
service.”
There was a vigorous appeal for money and a great deal about the
building-fund from the young secretary. “It’s a shame to think that
there are more left in the street than in the building on a Sunday
night. We all give our services. No one takes a penny. Mrs. Debbs is
here for her bare expenses. But we want another thousand pounds before
we can start. There is one brother here who mortgaged his house to help
us. That’s the spirit that wins. Now let us see what you can do for us
to-night.”
A dozen soup-plates circulated, and a hymn was sung to the accompaniment
of much chinking of coin. Enid and Malone conversed in undertones.
“Professor Summerlee died, you know, at Naples last year.”
“Yes, I remember him well.”
“And ‘old C.’ was, of course, your father.”
“It was really remarkable.”
“Poor old Summerlee. He thought survival was an absurdity. And here he
is--or here he seems to be.”
The soup-plates returned--it was mostly brown soup, unhappily, and they
were deposited on the table where the eager eye of the secretary
appraised their value. Then the little shaggy man from Australia gave a
benediction in the same simple fashion as the opening prayer. It needed
no Apostolic succession or laying-on of hands to make one feel that his
words were from a human heart and might well go straight to a Divine
one. Then the audience rose and sang their final farewell hymn--a hymn
with a haunting tune and a sad, sweet refrain of “God keep you safely
till we meet once more.” Enid was surprised to feel the tears running
down her cheeks. These earnest, simple folk with their direct methods
had wrought upon her more than all the gorgeous service and rolling
music of the cathedral.
Mr. Bolsover, the stout president, was in the waiting-room and so was
Mrs. Debbs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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