Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-05-25

night, and was dressing for the thea
tire, he found that they were re-assert-
ing themselves. He felt that only by
answering them could he be rid of
them.
But the answer that was the only
honest response he could give was one
he was ashamed of. He was using his
money to crafty only his own selfish
desires. His spare time was all spent
in those ways that he fancied would
yield him the most personal enjoy
ment. 1t was in vain that he con-
trasted his own manner of life with
that of scores of other men, who were
riotous in their habits and extrava-
giant in their expenditures. His was
| nature that would brook no self
palliation when once it was aroused
to action or to question. He rose or
fell in his own estimation by COMPARE
SON with fixed standard of right and
wrong, and not in contrast with the
doings of others.
He made no further evening engage
ments ahead, and on his first vacant
night went again to that East Side
mission. This time he did not sit at
the back. He had gone with a pur-
pose, and when those who wished to
lead better life were asked to stand
up. he was the first one on his feet.
When the meeting was over he re-
| manned and had chat with Mr.. Hat
| ton, the leader. He was very frank.
He told of the struggle that had been
going on in his mind, and of the de-
| termination at which he had arrived.
Could they put him in the way of do
ing the practical work it was in his
heart to do?
Poor, everworked Jasper Hatton felt
that the labor of years was repaid in
this one night. He did not disgust
Lansing with sycophantic expressions
of praise over his determination; he
simply extended the right hand of
good fellowship 10 him, and together
they mapped out line of work for
the recruit. And Lansing wasted no
time in beginning. With him promise
and performance were Synonymous
| terms, and as he immersed himself in
the work he became completely alb
sorbed by it-ext ept during the hours
devoted to his business, which he was
care full never to neglect.
AS he saw more and more of the
wretchedness of humanity, he grew to
feel that it was almost criminal to
spend for vain show or trifl ng 1uxu-
rics the money that could bring SUR
| cease from suffering to so many of his
brother men. When the time came
for the renewal of the lease of his
apartment, he gave it up, and moved
into more modest rooms near his field
of philanthropic 1abors. While this
new passion did not change his ma ture
outwardly, and his friends in the bust
ness world found him the same sensi-
BILE, genial fellow as of yore, inwardly
he ceased to be interested in anything
except the betterment of his fellow
men. He counted no sacrifice too
great in order that this might be
brought about. He put away from
him all social entanglements that
would interfere with it. If he had
lived in another age he might have
been a monk. AS it was, this is what
some of his acquaintance called him
among themselves. They would not
have dared say it to his face.
In this way year passed by. So
taken up was Lansing with his new
work that he did not even leave town
during the summer. Instead, he spent
his spare time going about among
those whom the heat caused to suffer
more tnan did the cold, aud many hun
dreds of dollars he devoted to sending
them to places of rural refreshment.
It was February again, almost the
anniversary of the night on which the
hearing of that hymn had changed
the whole current of his life. Illness
and marriage had decreased the corps
of teachers in the mission Sunday
school of which Lansing had been
made superintendent. An appeal had
been sent to the pastor of the home
church to secure recruits for the SER
vice from among the members of his
congregation. There were two re-
sponses-two ladies-one of them Miss
Nina Merrington.
| Lansing knew VINO she was as soon
as he heard her name, and he was in
deed surprised to see her. Mr.. Mer-
rington was one of the wealthiest
men in Dr. Otway's congregation; his
daughter was known to be an indie
fatigab1e follower of society's fads.
Her name was in the papers as being
present at all the functions where it
was de reele for the Four Hundred to
| appear.
She herself explained her reasons
| for coming, when he went forward to
welcome her.
All, how nice Of you to know my
name, Mr.. Lansing, she said, with a
smile, of which, even in that first
moment, he could not but note the
charm. It is so embarrassing to speak
it ones self. OF course, knew you,
from seeing you in our pulpit when
you came over to make that Christ