Men and women who had not been in church since they were children have found an atmosphere—­a spiritual atmosphere—­that has been a distinct help to them during the week.  There have been unique examples of this that cannot be recorded or catalogued.  If we were padding a year-book, bolstering a creed or attracting men merely to put our tag on them the meetings would have waned long ago, for the class of people who attend are quick to discover undercurrents or ulterior motives.

The spiritual atmosphere is created by a combination of forces.  The picture of the Ascension by La Farge has contributed not a little to it—­even to people to whom the circumstance was a myth.  The architecture and music contributed much.

We held the after-meeting in the church one night—­to accommodate hundreds of people who couldn’t get into the chapel.  The meeting was a failure.  The most radically minded men told me that they couldn’t talk in the church.

“Why?” I asked one man.

“——­ if I know, but it took the fight out of me!”

It took the fight out of all.  So we went back to the chapel.  One man whom I have known for years as a Socialist agitator who fought the intellectuals in his party and was a materialist of the most radical kind made this statement at the last meeting of the first year: 

“I appreciate the courage of Mr. Grant in opening this church to the people and opening its pulpit to a representative of the people.  I am grateful for the fine fellowship, the freedom of discussion, the music, the beautiful architecture and the inspiration that comes from such contact, but these are the smallest of what has come to me during the past winter.  I am the son of an orthodox Rabbi but I have been an atheist all my life.  I have been over-bitter and destructive in my addresses.  I have learned something here.  I did not expect nor did I want to, but I have.  I am now a believer in the immortality of the soul and I look forward to life instead of death.  This has influenced my work, my life.  Instead of a hundred words against human slavery to one for human freedom I speak a hundred for human freedom to one against human slavery.  That may seem small to you.  It’s big to me—­it’s a new psychology.”

A school teacher, a brilliant young Jewess, said:  “The inspiration of that service in the church lasts all week with my scholars.  I am worth twice as much as I was to the public schools.”

A letter from a trained nurse says:  “I am going away for the summer, but before I go I want you to know how much of a blessing your service has been to me, and to both physicians and nurses in this hospital, for we have all been at one time or another, and we have always talked over your topics with interest and profit.”