Part 2 (2/2)

”Sing the last verse, boy,” commanded the evangelist, ”sing.”

As if impelled by another will than his own, the boy slowly, with his eyes still fastened on the man's face, threw back his head and began to sing. His voice rose, full, strong, in a quaint imitation in method of articulation and in voice production of the evangelist himself. At the third line of the verse the evangelist joined in great ma.s.sive tones, beating time vigorously in a rallentando.

”Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

The effect was a great emotional climax, the spiritual atmosphere was charged with fervour. The people sat rigid, fixed in their places, incapable of motion, until released by the invitation of the leader, ”Let us pray.” The boy seemed to wake as from a sleep, glanced at his mother, then at the faces of the people in the room, sat down, and quickly covered his face with his hands and so remained during the prayer.

The dramatic effect of the singing was gradually dispelled in the prayer and in a Scripture reading which followed. By the time the leader was about to begin his address, the people had almost relapsed into their normal mental and spiritual condition of benevolent neutrality. A second time a text was announced, when abruptly the door opened and up the aisle, with portentous impressiveness as of a stately ocean liner coming to berth, a man advanced whose presence seemed to fill the room and give it the feeling of being unpleasantly crowded. A buzz went through the seats. ”The Rector! The Rector!” The evangelist gazed upon the approaching form and stood as if incapable of proceeding until this impressive personage should come to rest. Deliberately the Rector advanced to the side bench upon which Larry and his mother were seated, and slowly swinging into position calmly viewed the man upon the platform, the woman at the organ, the audience filling the room and then definitely came to anchor upon the bench.

The preacher waited until this manoeuvre had been successfully accomplished, coughed nervously, made as if to move in the direction of the important personage on the side bench, hesitated, and finally with an air of embarra.s.sment once more announced his text. At once the Rector was upon his feet.

”Will you pardon me, sir,” he began with elaborate politeness. ”Do I understand you're a clergyman?”

”Oh, no, sir,” replied the evangelist, ”just a plain preacher.”

”You are not in any Holy Orders then?”

”Oh, no, sir.”

”Are you an ordained or accredited minister of any of the--ah--dissenting bodies?”

”Not exactly, sir.”

”Then, sir,” demanded the Rector, ”may I ask by what authority you presume to exercise the functions of the holy ministry and in my parish?”

”Well--really--sir, I do not know why I--”

”Then, sir, let me tell you this will not be permitted,” said the Rector sternly. ”There are regularly ordained and accredited ministers of the Church and of all religious bodies represented in this neighbourhood, and your ministrations are not required.”

”But surely, sir,” said the evangelist hurriedly as if anxious to get in a word, ”I may be permitted in this free country to preach the Gospel.”

”Sir, there are regularly ordained and approved ministers of the Gospel who are quite capable of performing this duty. I won't have it, sir. I must protect these people from unlicensed, unregulated--ah--persons, of whose character and antecedents we have no knowledge. Pray, sir,” cried the Rector, taking a step toward the man on the platform, ”whom do you represent?”

The evangelist drew himself up quietly and said, ”My Lord and Master, sir. May I ask whom do you represent?”

It was a deadly thrust. For the first time during the encounter the Rector palpably gave ground.

”Eh? Ah--sir--I--ah--ahem--my standing in this community is perfectly a.s.sured as an ordained clergyman of the Church of England in Canada.

Have you any organisation or church, any organised Christian body to which you adhere and to which you are responsible?”

”Yes.”

”What is that body?”

”The Church of Christ--the body of believers.”

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