very simple
men. But our Message is from Thee, and with Thee all things are
possible. Father, have pity upon our weakness to-day. Open to us the
hearts of even the proudest and the greatest of our kinsmen. Do not let
them scorn us. And, O Father of all men, gentle and simple, breathe Thou
upon us that we may have a strength not of ourselves; a power worthy of
the Message we bring, which shall make its truth to shine so that none
may mistake it. For Christ's sake. Amen."

Arthur Reynolds resumed his seat, and a great Australian singer, a
_prima donna_ of world-wide repute, stepped forward very simply and sang
as a solo the hymn beginning:

Church of the Living God,
Pillar and ground of truth,
Keep the old paths the fathers trod
In thy illumined youth.

The prayer had softened all hearts by its simplicity, its humility. The
exquisitely rendered hymn attuned all minds to thoughts of ancient,
simple piety, and the traditions which guided and inspired our race in
the past. When it was ended, and not till then, George Stairs rose from
his knees, and stepped forward to where a little temporary extension
jutted out beyond the rest of the platform. He stood there with both
hands by his side, and a Bible held in one of them. His head inclined a
little forward. It was an attitude suggestive rather of submission to
that great assembly, or to some Power above it, than of exhortation.
Watching him as he stood there, I realized what a fine figure of a man
George was, how well and surely Canadian life had developed him. His
head was massive, his hair thick and very fair; his form lithe, tall,
full of muscular elasticity.

He stood so, silent, for a full minute, till I began to catch my breath
from nervousness. Then he opened the Bible, and:

"May I just read you a few verses from the Bible?" he said.

There was the same directness, the same simple, almost childlike appeal
that had touched the people in Reynolds's prayer. He read some verses
from the First Book of Samuel. I remember:

"'And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest,
to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me?
And did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by
fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at
mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honouredst
thy sons above me to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the
offeri