The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-04-24
For the Sunday SeEtinel.l
THE CHURCH AT GLENVILLE.
BY MRS. sALLIE A. RAMAGE.
CHAPTER TX.

[Concluded.l
For two years Hugh Arnold served the
people of Echo Gulch faithfully and jealous
ly, but at first they were in very truth not
very grateful for his efforts in their behalf
Rough miners who had thrown off the re-
straints of a better life, sharp schemers.
heartless spectators, keen, supershtious
gamblers, had all gathered here when the
tiny specks of gold were discovered in the
sands of the rivers and sparkling in the
quartz of the mountain side. And with
them, and following them, had come women
equally lost to honor. These were the great
majority. There were a few whose lives,
cOntrasted with these, seemed absolutely
pure, so great was the difference that divided
the two classes. Men who preserved some
Of the honesty of the past, and
who could not sink to the
depths of sin; men of refinement and edu-
cation, who had been attracted to the Gulch
hoping to retrieve broken fortunes-most OF
them in middle life, a few old and white
headed, and here and there a beardless boy.
literally adrift upon the tide, to be carried
safe to shore or to be swept out beyond the
harb0r bar to loss and destruction. There
were few wives, mothers and young girls
in the place, who had come cllnging 10 hus-
band and father, and who were as pure and
untainted as the mountain blossoms. They
seemed not to be polluted by the wicked
ness of the place, but to walk through the
Flames without even the smell of fire upon
their garments" A few homes had been
made where the family gathered as of old in
the dear homestead in New
England. Pictures, books, flowers.
made the rough cabins palaces to the
homesick men, who in the miners shanties,
enEied the few fortunate ones surrounded
by wife and children. There was no church.
no schoolhouse; nothing out saloons, gam
bling dens, and the low, rough huts of the
men. All the week long Mr. Arnold visited
the mines, talked to the men at every chance.
nursed the sick, wrote messages for the
dying and heard the last faint prayer from
lips unused to supplication. He hunted for
the cabins of solitary miners, planted in
every available place on the mountain side.
He was ever busy, and the life was molding
him anew. No longer swayed by trivial
things, he had been strengthened by his iso-
lation, and leaned only on the Arm mighty
to save" Alone with himself, he had probed
his own heart, and brought up every hidden
evil of his nature. Mentally and physically |
he had grown since he left Glenville. He
heard occasionally from the great busy |
world, now so far away it seemed A paper
with Margarets marriage had been sent to |
him, and then she dropped from his sight |
and his heart He had written to Mr.. Allen. |
and once to Ruth, but as no answer came he |
accepted the silence as significant and held |
his peace, not knowing that they had /
for these letters that never came.
He had left his few business affairs in the
hands of friend, aud the little income from
his property had doubled under skIllfnl |
and he forebore to touch il
that rainy days are in the
years of every life. The months had seemed
ong at first, when he had come a stranger to
he Gulch, but now 1t seemed like home.
md every face and voice was familiar. He
cared he had done little good but hay
ng sown the seed of truth he left
he rest to God, and abided in patience the
esult In the early days Of the third year
he first answer to his prayers came, and first
me man and then another forsook his
vickedness. For weeks before there had been
ess gambling, less intoxication, less profan-
ty, for they were ashamed for the preacher
o see them on Sunday disregarding the
indy ADVICE that all the week he had
ought opportunities to give. The effect of
be first conversion was wonderful. Out
nder magnificent pine in the evening ?
.ilight OF a summers Sunday Mr.. Arnold :
eld prayer meeting. and the singing, as 9
sual, bad attracted many of the men. He |
liked to them Familiarity and as brother. I
he mountains, the treasure they were seek /
V, their absence from home, were 6
lemes that touched them, for they ap- a
called directly to their hearts As he PRAYED d
ars came to their eyes, and now and then s
quick cough covered a sob. At last, weep .
* as If his heart would break one of the \
'ughest men IN the whole camp came to 4"
IN, and, giving him his hand, said in a "
lsky voice, "What must do to be sayedg' Ii
le torch had been applied, and, like wild h
e, the flame spread from heart to heart, Il
It'll all over the Gulch could be heard men cl
ID women pleading for mercy and forgive o.
IS. Il
For weeks Mr.. Arnold worked as few min "