The last night Evangelist Monteith preached on The Judgment Day, and he pictured the doom of sinners until the stillness of death pervaded the room.  Great conviction rested upon the people.  At the altar call several went forward and found glorious peace at the foot of the cross.

The last good-bys were said with eyes brimming with tears.

“I shall see you again, God willing,” said the evangelist, and the meeting closed.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE BABEL OF TONGUES

It is not every town that can boast of such a religious commotion as Bethany had during the next three weeks.  Rumors of a strange people floated in from Piketon and Shenandoah, rumors of a strange doctrine, a new religion, a really strenuous religion that had left the old conventional churches high and dry in their formality.  The members of the band who were holding the meeting could speak in “tongues,” “unknown tongues” at that.  And the demonstrations were wonderful.  Then the news came that they were coming to Bethany.

They came.  There was a band of six—­two ministers, their wives, and two helpers.  They rented the empty store building owned by Mayor Hempstead and began.  The scenes enacted at the meeting were well-nigh indescribable.  Robert Davis attended one night, two weeks after the meeting had begun, and he said to Mary when he got home: 

“Mary, I never saw such demonstrations in all my life before.  Would you believe it if I should tell you that I stood in front of the front row of seats about ten feet from the platform and that I could not hear a word that those on the platform were singing?  It is a fact.  The altar extended between the seats and platform and the seekers and those talking to them were making such a noise that the singing could no longer be heard.

“Why did they make so much noise?” asked Mary.

“I do not know,” replied Robert, “they seemed very much in earnest.  Let me tell you something more.  I saw young women jiggle and jerk all over until their hair was all thrown down, and their clothing disarranged.  Two or three men were running about on the platform as if they were mad, others danced more gracefully.  One or two were bellowing.  There were noises that were indescribable, screeches, howls, yells, and several gibbering syllables that no one understood.  Some were shaking all over, some were lying prone and stiff, some were falling down into various attitudes.  Why, Mary, it was simply awful.  You would never dream of sane people doing such things.”

Next morning Kate Newby came over.  She came in dancing and talking in the “unknown tongue.”

“Oh, I have got it, I have got it,” she exclaimed.

“You have got what?” asked Robert.

“I have got the Holy Ghost, I have the ‘tongues,’ hallelujah!” shouted Kate.

“What has it done for you?” asked Mary.