The 'Open Air'
'Wot I wants to know is this 'ere,' said the Semi-Drunk, suddenly advancing into the middle of the ring and speaking in a loud voice: 'Where did Cain get 'is wife from?'
'Don't answer 'im, Brother 'Unter,' said Mr Didlum, one of the disciples. This was rather an unnecessary piece of advice, because Misery was not in a position to do so.
An individual in a long black garment—the 'minister'—now whispered something to Miss Didlum, who was seated at the organ, whereupon she began to play, and the 'believers' began to sing: 'Oh that will be, Glory for me,' as loud as they could so as to drown the voices of the disturbers of the meeting.
After this hymn the 'minister' invited a shabbily dressed 'brother'—a working man member of the P.S.A.—to say 'a few words,' and the latter accordingly stepped into the centre of the ring and held forth as follows:
'My dear frens, I thank Gord to-night that I can stand 'ere to-night, hout in the hopen hair and tell hall you dear people to-night of hall wot's been done for me. Ho my dear frens hi ham so glad to-night as I can stand 'ere to-night and say as hall my sins is hunder the blood to-night and wot 'E's done for me 'E can do for you to-night, if you'll honly do as I done and just acknowledge yourself a lost sinner'
'Yes! that's the honly way!' shouted Nimrod.
'Amen,' cried all the other believers.
'If you'll honly come to 'im to-night hin the same way as I done you'll see that wot 'E's done for me 'E can do for you. Ho, my dear frens, don't go on puttin of it orf from day to day like a door turnin' on its 'inges, don't go putting of it orf to some more convenient time because you may never 'ave another chance. 'Im that bein' orfen reproved 'ardeneth 'is neck shall be suddently cut orf and that without remedy! Ho come to 'im to-night for 'is name's sake and to 'im we'll give hall the glory. Amen.'
'Amen,' said the believers, fervently, and then the man who was dressed in the long garment entreated all those who were not yet true believers—and doers—of the Word to join earnestly and meaningly in the singing of the closing hymn, which he was about to read out to them.
The Semi-Drunk obligingly conducted as before, and the crowd faded away with the last notes of the music.
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