A Dartford man, who has been attending a camp meeting at that place,
inquires of the Brandon _Times_ why it is that camp meetings are always
held when the moon does not shine. The _Times_ man gives it up, and
refers the question to _The Sun_. We give it up.
It does not seem as though managers of camp meetings deliberately
consult the almanac in order to pick out a week for camp meeting in the
dark of the moon, though such meetings are always held when the moon
is of no account. If they do, then there is a reason for it. It is well
known that pickerel bite best in the dark of the moon, and it is barely
possible that sinners “catch on” better at that time.
There may be something in the atmosphere, in the dark of the moon, that
makes a camp meeting more enjoyable. Certainly brethren and sisterin'
can mingle as well if not better when there is no glaring moon to molest
and make them afraid, and they can relate their experience as well as
though it was too light.
The prayers of the righteous avail as much in the darkness of the closet
as they do in an exposition building, with an electric light, and as
long as sinners will do many things which they ought not to do, and undo
many, things that they never ought to have done, the dark of the moon is
probably the most healthy.
People don't want to be sunburnt in the night. It seems to us as
though the work of converting could be done as well in a full moon, but
statistics show that such is not the case, and we are willing to give
the camp meeting attendants the benefit of the doubt.
Again, it may be that the moon is to blame. No one would blame the moon,
if it was full, and looked down on an ordinary camp meeting, if it got
sick at the stomach, staggered behind a cloud, turned pale and refused
to come out until the camp meeting was pulled by the police.