starved for somewhere to go and something to do. And the older people,
while they enjoy the spiritual enlivenment of the revival, also come under
the power of social enjoyment and give themselves over to a season of
communion together.

The little village at the edge of which Harry Coles lived was the center
socially of the farming region round about, and the little church of the
village the center of the village life. Joseph Bennet, pastor of the
congregation, was a spiritual-minded man who had the interests of the
people at heart. His life had been clean and sincere, and every one had
confidence in him, so when he planned to begin a revival early in the
winter, the entire community was ready to lend him assistance with their
interest and presence. From the first this meeting gave promise of more
than ordinary success. It was not a big meeting because of the work of some
talented and eloquent evangelist, but was the joint effort of pastor and
people striving under God's hand to be a blessing to their community. The
preaching was simple but plain and earnest and carried conviction to the
hearts of the hearers.

Pastor Bennet was a wise man in many ways, and to enlist the interest and
cooperation of the younger folk he formed a choir wholly of young people
and gave them a place in the front of the building. This gave them a
feeling of responsibility and overcame to a great extent the possibility of
inattention or irreverence on their part. He thought it gave him a better
chance of winning them for Christ, and that was his special aim in the
meetings, the winning of souls for Christ.

Austin was interested in the meeting from the first, and was a regular
attendant. And when he was invited to join the choir, he accepted, though
he confessed himself a poor singer. Pastor Bennet was interested in this