Jasper Carter finally broke away from his brooding, went down to the cafe, ate a little, then went where he knew all along he would go—to the YMCA building—as if drawn by a power he could not or dared not resist.

The minute he stepped out on the street, he knew what to expect. The stream of pedestrians was all one way, up past the White House to the Association building. When he reached the end of the narrow street on which the Association faced, he found it blocked as far as he could see. He knew from experiences in New York how it would be, and he waited in the crowd for he hardly knew what.

Three hours passed, and all traffic in front of the Association was completely blocked. But at noon, struggling groups of men began to come out of the building and force their way, as best they could, through the mass outside.

Carter was near enough to catch the look on these men’s faces and hear their comments. He was struck with the exultant, triumphant, satisfied look the ministers bore. On nearly all faces were also marks of tears.

Carter’s old newspaper instincts seized him, and he questioned one of the ministers who was trying to force his way out to Pennsylvania Avenue. “What was the net result of the meeting with Jesus?”

“Net result? Who can report a meeting like that? I wish the entire city could have heard him.”

“What impression did he make?”

“Impression? It was tremendous. His subject was the Federation of Christian Forces, its possibility and its program. It left a feeling with all of us of spiritual power. I never felt so proud of being a minister and a church member as I do at this minute. It is safe to say that is the one great feeling on the part of every minister who heard him. I am simply hungry to get back to my work. I feel like ten men. Christianity is the greatest living impulse in history. We can revolutionize Washington with it.” The minister spoke with such power that the crowd near and around him was profoundly impressed.

Carter asked one more question. “Where is he now? What are his plans for the rest of the day?”

There was a curious silence before the minister answered. “At the close of his address, he seemed exhausted. He seems a person of tremendous physical vitality, and we have all heard of the marvelous stretch of hours he can work. But he asked the friends to allow him a few moments’ rest before he came out to speak to the multitude here.