THE TORRRY-ALEXANDER MISSION.

Evening Star, Issue 11695, 29 September 1902, Page 1

THE TORRRY-ALEXANDER MISSION.

“eetangs at the Gam. son HaD were nirjsi In a,e atseace at Ur iorrey, Mr Alexander conducted. the sc’vices, bdng assisted by-the Rev. W. A, fcunciair and others. It was intimated that iz ■ was probable Mr Alexander would via,, the • colony again next - year, and that be would .bring - one of the best American. evangelists with - him. At the close of tjhe services -Mr Alexander, oa. behaJ of the choir, was presented-with , a travelling case and silver inkstand mounted on greenstone. Mr, Alexander said ifi he returned he would like to stay four weeks instead of one. The Dunedin, -people, he said would always be "green in his memory. the services on Sunday .afternoon were also largely- attended, as were the services in the evening. At the afternoon service Dr lorrey turned toe tables upon a Questioner who asked whether the gentleman who recently gave £I,OOO for foreign mis-' sums would show a more Ghritian spirit by donating the sum to relieve some of the distress known to exist in this town. Dr ■ iorrey, in reply to this written question, man had a right to' do what he l;ked with his own, and it would be a great deal better if seine of the people* who were - telling other folks how to use their money would go and use seme of their own in re- • hevmg distress. There were a lot of people whp were very charitable with other peoples money. As a rule, the men who com- ~ p.ained about money going to foreign inis- , sions do not give much to anything them- 4 selves. He believed in giving’ money for " toe poor at home, but he also believed in , giving it for the poor abroad, just as well as at home.

At trie conclusion of the evening service Dr Torrey said he was much di appointed with the response to his appeal for converts, and at no similar meeting that he uad held in. New Zealand or Australia had . the results been, so small. .' • Complaint Is made that owing to the late hour to which the ' services; extended on Saturday evening some of the choir girls, who live in the suburbs did not reach their homes until after midnight. lesieruay morning Ur Tovrey addressed a_ gathering of students and teachers in Anox Church Sunday jfecbdcl. The centre -wrli.Qjj^pfithe hall. but there was - room, had .it b?0&-wanted, for. a large number at the sides. The statement that-the : b’all was packed is an. inaccurate and unnecessary statement, as the success of the meeting was not dependent ; upon numbers. The rev. gentleman ave a clear, lo deal, and simple .address cn the Christian life, varied wi;h anecdotes taken from his own personal experiences. THE SEND-OPE'AT THE STATION. -. .This- morning the evangelists left for the South by the 9.5 train, and were accorded such a send-off as is seldom, seen now that the days of- “contingents” are over. Half an hour before the time announced for the train’s departure a crowd began" to, collect at the railway station. Old and young, rich and poor, grave and gav came hurrying from all directions, till platform and overbridge were alike crowded.. . Prominent amongst the throng were numerous members of Mr Alexander’s, choir, who gradually drew together opposite the carriage that was to be occupied by the objects of all the , stir., It was a beautiful spring mommg, and most people looked thankful and happy—an unusual thing at “ farewellings ” of a public (or private) character. As le have said, the members of the choir drew together, and soon someone started singing the hymn from the “red book,” ‘Loyalty to Christ.’ It was taken up with a will on all sides till the refrain ‘On to victory !’ rolled out in a great volume of sound above the clatter of vehicles and the fitful grvnting of the adjacent locomotive. ’ An-, other hymn followed, and then the crowd caught the first glimpse of the evangelists emerging from the booking office under the pilotage of the Rev. W. A. Sinclair. A muimur of excited recognition spread round as they shouldered their way through the press towards the carriage. Dr Torrey was soon lost to view, but we presume. Le reached the platform. Not so Mr Alexander. He,, with characteristic practicalness and carelessness of conventionalities, took a short cut by way of the carriage window, and a sound of mingled applause and par-tially-suppressed mirth went up as his nether aspect disappeared from. view.. He reappeared again on the carriage platform a moment or two later smiling that contagious smile of his, and straightway mounted ou the rail, his head and shoulders protruding above the'carriage tops. “ Sa-ay,” he drawled, “ye’re hurting a big man here,” and the crowd laughed." “ Sa-ay, where’s Dr Torrey’s baggage? Somebody hand it up there, will ye? Somebody go and look for Dr Torrey’s baggage.’ ’ “ Do wn th’other end, sir,” said a voice, as the ' crowd laughed again. “ A-a-men,” came the drawling tones again, and with characteristic appropriateness this master of untrained choirs led off into the hymn ‘lt’s just like Him.’ When the last notes had died away the irrepressible' one said: “Sa-ay, does this train go at nine o’clock? There’s just two mere minutes to look at me,” and we noticed not a single blush on the wall j>f feminine visages that gassed up at hm 1 will pray for you, and I love you all, was the next remark from the sad then the strains of ‘The old-time refigion went up, the refrain being sang It makes Z.hJS Atonte." B. followed, and was repeated at Mr Alexanders request, handkerchiefs aE dbectS “Sa-ay, have you got" your handkerchiefs, or is it_washmg day?V •he drawled out, mid a laugh was his answer. It was now nearing the time of departure, and the solemn strains of. ‘God be with you till we meet again’ went forth in farewell. lfh-3 whistle blew, the train Jerked forwards, and amid cheering, and. more waving of handkerchiefs seemed to grow gradually smaller as it sped down the line. The crcwd'broke up scattered, and so ended the visit of the evangelists to Dunedin.