Riches in Glory

 There came recently to Los Angeles a "world-famous evangelist", known as "Gipsy" Smith. There was a shirt-waist strike at the time, and the girls were starving, and they sent a delegation¹ to this evangelist to ask for help. They told him how they were mistreated, exposed to insults, driven to sell their virtue² because their wage would not support life; and to their plea he made answer: "Get Jesus in your hearts, and these questions will take care of themselves!"

So we see the most important of the many services which the churches perform for the merchants—taking the revolutionary hope of Jesus, for a kingdom of heaven upon earth, and perverting³ it into a dream of a golden harp⁴ in an uncertain future. To appreciate the fullness of this betrayal, take the prayer which Jesus dictated—so simple, direct and practical: "Give us this day our daily bread", and put it beside the hymns⁵ which the slave-congregations are trained to sing. In my neighborhood is a one-roomed building with a plate glass front, upon which I observe a painter inscribing⁶ in red, white and blue letters the sign "Glory Mission". I approach him, and he drops his work and welcomes me with eager cordiality. Am I "living in grace"? I answer that I am. I have to shout the good tidings into his ear, as he is very deaf. He presents me with his card, which shows that he bears the title of "Reverend", also the sobriquet⁷ of "Mountain Missionary⁸". I ask him to permit me to examine the hymn-book which he uses in his work, and with touching⁹ eagerness he presses upon me a well-worn volume bearing the title "Waves of Glory". I seat myself and note down a few of the baits it sets out for hungry wage-slaves:

 O, there's a plenty, O, there's a plenty,

  There's a plenty in my Father's bank above!

 

 Riches in glory, riches in glory,

  Royal supply our wants exceed!

 

 Feasting, I'm feasting,

  I'm feasting with my Lord!

 

 Beautiful robes, beautiful robes,

  Beautiful robes we then shall wear!

 

 Jerusalem the golden,

  With milk and honey blest!

 

 Yes, I'll meet you in the city of the New Jerusalem,

  I'll be there, I'll be there!

 

 Blest Canaan land, bright Canaan land,

  I love to be in Canaan land!

 

 Oh, Beulah land, sweet Beulah land,

  As on the highest mount I stand,

  I look away across the sea,

  Where mansions¹⁰ are prepared for me!

 

 In the sweet bye and bye

  We shall meet on that beautiful shore—

I stopped there, being reminded of Joe Hill, poet of the I. W. W. who was hanged three or four years ago in Utah, and who used this tune¹¹ in his little red book of revolutionary chants:

 You will eat, bye and bye,

  In the glorious land above the sky;

  Work and pray, live on hay,

  You'll get pie in the sky when you die!

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

3 perverting   

v.滥用( pervert的现在分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落

参考例句：

• We must never tolerate any taking bribes and perverting justice. 我们决不能姑息贪赃枉法的行为！ 来自互联网
• District Councillor was jailed for three months for vote-planting and perverting the course of justice. 区议员因选举种票及妨碍司法公正被判监三个月。 来自互联网

4 harp   

n.竖琴；天琴座

参考例句：

• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
• He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

5 hymns   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At first, they played the hymns and marches familiar to them. 起初他们只吹奏自己熟悉的赞美诗和进行曲。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• I like singing hymns. 我喜欢唱圣歌。 来自辞典例句

6 inscribing   

v.写，刻( inscribe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Some galleries commemorate donors by inscribing their names on the walls. 一些美术馆把捐赠者的姓名镌刻在墙上以示纪念。 来自辞典例句
• They kept records by inscribing words on those materials. 他们在这些材料上刻字来记录信息。 来自互联网

7 sobriquet   

n.绰号

参考例句：

• In Paris he was rewarded with the sobriquet of an "ultra-liberal".在巴黎，他被冠以“超自由主义者”的绰号。
• Andrew Jackson was known by the sobriquet "Old Hickory." 安德鲁•杰克生以其绰号“老山胡桃”而知名。

8 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

9 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

10 mansions   

n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Fifth Avenue was boarded up where the rich had deserted their mansions. 第五大道上的富翁们已经出去避暑，空出的宅第都已锁好了门窗，钉上了木板。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Oh, the mansions, the lights, the perfume, the loaded boudoirs and tables! 啊，那些高楼大厦、华灯、香水、藏金收银的闺房还有摆满山珍海味的餐桌！ 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

11 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。