A REVIVALIST COMEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3747, 5 February 1907, Page 4

A REVIVALIST COMEDY.

A m/rcliant named Bartlett, one of the leading men in the town of Eawton, has been placed in an awkward predicament by the revivalist campaign being conducted with great success in Oklahoma. Though he is a religious man, and a prominent member of the Episcopal Church, he does not sympathise with the emotional revivalist methods, which, he declares, do more harm thnn good. Consequently, he declined to attend the meetings or support the meetings financially or otherwise. His wife, however, is one of the most enthusiastic of the mission’s supporters, and not only insisted, against his wishes, in attending the meetings, but was unrelaxing in her efforts Lr his conversion. Persuasion failing, she publicly asked for the prayers of the mission to assist her in her task of bringing him to the penitents’ form, These were offered at every service until the regeneration of William. Bartlett became the chiet interest in the mission. Mr Bartlett was not only prayed for and preached at, but after the meetings the entire congregation marched in procession to his place of business, conducting open-air services for his special benefit, the central figure at which was his weeping wile. Mr Bartlett was still obstinate, and his wife publicly pledged herself totally to abstain from food of every kind until her husband was converted. She had fasted fifteen dajus in pursuance ot her promise, and seemingly she was not much the worse. But her husband was more obstinate than ever. The revivalists gathered round his shop, and urged him to save his wife’s life by attending a meeting. They declare her death will be at his hands. He, after consulting a lawyer, announced that he would allow her a fortnight more fasting, after which, if she still survived, he would divorce her on the ground of desertion, Mis Bartlett, clad in white, occupies the centre of the platform at all services, and is such an advertisement to the mission that thousands are turned away daily.