TWO DAYS AT HAWICK
Thursday and Friday were spent in this busy centre of manufacturing industry in the soft goods line. The way for the American brethren had been well prepared by a previous fortnight’s earnest Gospel effort by Mr Merton Smith, whose labours were reported to have been very fruitful. He was aided in the singing of the gospel by Miss Stewart of Leith. Mr Smith himself is a very capable musician and varies his spoken testimony with an occasional song.
The meetings of Thursday were held in the Exchange, the architect of which, if he be yet alive, ought to be roundly censored for the wretched arrangements for ventilation. It was a real tribute to the fascinating virtue of the Gospel that the crowd sat patiently through long meetings breathing such vitiated air. There was an immense overflow in one of the parish churches on Thursday evening, conducted by Mr Merton Smith. In both meetings the workers had a very busy season of converse with individuals. In the Exchange after meeting the people seemed hard to move at first, but the reserve was ultimately broken down. Some were met with who had come very long distances to be present and it seemed as if they had not made the journey in vain.
The Exchange could not be had on Friday, as it had been taken for a ball in connection with the football club. The meetings were shifted to the Free and UP Churches and three were held during the afternoon and evening – one being for women and another for men only. Mr Walker, an Evangelist, follows up at Hawick with a week’s meeting and it may be that he and local pastors will have much of the joy of reaping which the shortness of the time did not permit with the American brethren.
From, "The Christian," March 31st, 1892.
I am not sure if this was held in the Exchange, which is marked, or the Corn Exchange, which is right opposite and now called 'The Heritage Hub'.