Bedroom Bibles

With a band of musical orphans and another of Salvation Army players to quicken their steps, 250 young Manhattanites marched on Fifth Avenue last Sunday carrying an average of 28 Bibles apiece. They were under the auspices of the New York Bible Society, and the 7,000 Bibles were presents to the management of 53 hotels in the metropolis, for distribution in bed-chambers. This consignment of Bibles brought the number distributed by the Society in hotels to 77,000.

The hostelries benefited last week included: the Marie Antoinette (100 copies), which lately received publicity in the miscegenative Rhinelander divorce case as the rendezvous of the principal parties; the Ansonia (400 copies), resort of "Babe" Ruth and of W. E. D. Stokes; the gigantic Pennsylvania (300), well equipped stopping-place of collegians and suit-and-cloak men; the shady little Gregorian (135 copies) ; the antique Park Avenue (200) ; the Stratford House (75), latest favorite of many a young stage person; the Shelton (1,200), luxurious abode of wealthier stage persons, writers, cinema folk; the obscure Touraine -- (40); the discreet Holley (100), and an assortment of less-well-known pensions like the Albert, Alpine, Judson, Senton, Lucerne, York.

Habitual travelers wondered how all these Manhattan houses had happened to be overlooked, in whole or in part, by the most active bedroom-Bible distributing association of all -- the Gideons. They could remember scarcely one of the many chambers or ship staterooms they had come to rest in throughout the land that did not contain, on bedside table or in bureau drawer, a plain English Bible bound in stout black cloth with the cover inscription: "This Bible is placed in this hotel by the Gideons," and pasted inside the front cover, these helpful references:

"If trade is poor, read Psalm 37;* "If discouraged or in trouble, read Psalm 126, John 14; "If you are out of sorts, read Hebrews 12."

The Gideons -- or Christian Commercial Travelers Association -- have been distributing bedroom Bibles since 1909. Hundreds of thousands of copies of Holy Writ have they placed where wayfarers might find them, and it is with great satisfaction that they are able to report that very, very few copies are stolen.

The Association grew out of the chance meeting, in a small Wisconsin town in 1899, of two commercial travelers who were forced to share a room in the crowded hotel. Just before they retired, John H. Nicholson took his Bible out of his valise and asked the pardon of S. E. Hill, who had got into bed, for a slight delay in turning out the light. He explained he wanted to read his evening's chapter of Scripture.

"Wait a moment," cried Mr. Hill. "I'm a Christian, too, and I wish you'd read the chapter out loud. It seems strange that, if we were Elks or Masons or Knights of Pythias, we should be wearing some emblem of our order, but as Christian traveling men we have no way of recognizing each other."

Hence the Gideons, who now number scores of thousands, of whom Mr. Nicholson was the accredited founder. Mr. Hill became editor of the Gideon Quarterly, Nonsectarian, their main object is that the members shall be preachers of righteousness as they go about their daily business. Their insignia is a dark blue enameled button showing a white pitcher with a flame issuing from its mouth, commemorative of the pitchers with lamps inside that Gideon had his picked band carry on the night they sneaked up on the encamped Midianites, blew their trumpets, smashed their pitchers (suddenly revealing their lights) and shouted:

"I am the sword of the Lord and of Gideon," a ruse that was entirely successful.

* Not to be confused with the celebrated Touraine of Buffalo, conducted by loquacious, ebullient John McF. Howie.

**Which says, in part: . . . Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. . . .