Middletown transcript., 1899-12-16

Cross have taken, all to leave and fol
low thee, and remember how my wife
died in tenement in New York city,
gasping for air and asking God to take
the little girl too. OF course don't ex-
pect you people can prevent every one
from dying Of starvation. lack Of proper
nourishment and tenement air. But
what does following Jesus meant ]
understand that Christian people own
a good many of the tenements. A mem
Der of a church was the owner of the
one where my wife died, and l have
wondered if following Jesus all the
way was true In his case. I heard some
people singing at church prayer meet
ing the other night.
"All for Jesus, all for Jesus,
All my BEINGS ransomed powers,
AL my thoughts and all my doings,
ALI my days and all my hours,
land I kept wondering, as l sat on
the steps outside, just what they meant
by II. It seems to me there's an awful
lot Of trouble in the world that some
how wouldn't exist if all the people
who sing such songs went and lived
them out. I suppose I don't under
stand But what would Jesus dof Is
that what you mean by following his
stepsf It seems to me sometimes as if
the people in.the city churches had good
clothes and nice houses to live in, and
money to spend for luxuries, and could
go away on summer vacations and all
that, while the people outside of the
churches, thousands of them, I mean,
die in tenements, and walk the streets
for jobs, and never have a piano or q
picture in the house, and grow up in
misery and drunkenness and sin. " The
man gave a queer lurch over in the di-
rection Of the communion table and laid
one grimy hand on it. His hat fell upon
the carpet at his feet. A stir went
through the congregation. DR.. West
half rose from his seat, but as yet the
silence was unbroken by any voice or
movement worth mentioning in the
audience. The man passed his other
hand across his eyes and then, without
any warning. fell heavily forward on
his face, full lengSn. up the aisle.
Henry Maxwell spoke. 1--WE will con-
slider the service dismissed - He was
down the pulpit stairs and kneeling by
the proetrate form before any one else.
The audience instantly rose, and the
aisle was crowded Dr.. West pro-
nounced the man alive. He had tainted
away.
"Some heart trouble" the doctor
also muttered as he helped to carry him
into the pastors study.
Henry Maxwell and group Of his
church members remained some time
in the study. The man lay on the couch
there and breathed heavily. When the
question of what to do with him came
up, the minister insisted upon taking
him to his house He lived near by and
had an extra room. Rachel Winslow
said: Mother has no company at pres
ent. / am sure we would be glad to
give him a place with us. She looked
strangely agitated No one noticed it
particularly. They were all excited over
the strange event, the strangest that
First church people could remember.
But the minister insisted on taking
charge CT the man, and when carriage
came the unconscious but living form
was carried to his house, and with the
entrance of that humanity into the
spare room new chapter in
Henry Maxwell's life began. and yet no
one, himself least of all, dreamed of the
change 1t was destined to |
make in all his after definition of Chris
tian discipleship.
The event created great sensation |
In the First church parish. People |
talked of nothing else for a week. It |
was the general impression that the |
man had wandered into the church In
condition of mental disturba caused |
BY his troubles and that all the time he
was talking he was in a strange de- |
irium of fever and really ignorant of |
ais surroundings That was the most
charitable construction to put upon his
action. 1t was the general agreement
llso that there was a singular absence
If anything bitter or complaining in
what the man had said He had through.
,ut spoken in mild apologetic tone.
almost as if he were one of the congre-
cation seeking for light ON a very diff
,ult subject.
The third day after his removal to
he ministers house there was marked
:hange in his condition The doctor
poke of it and offered no hope Satur
lay morning he still fingered. although
le had rapidly failed as the week drew
lear to its close. Sunday morning Just
'efore the clock struck he rallied and
sked If his child had come The min
ster had sent for her as soon as he had
'een able to secure her address from
ONE letters found in the mans pocket
ie had been conscious and able to talk
only few moments since
is attack. 1.-The child is coming. She
Vill be here. Henry Maxwell said as
q sat there. his face showing marks of
he strain Of the weeks vigil. for he
ad insisted on sitting up nearly every
light.
81 shall neveFsee her in this world.
be man whispered Then he rttcrcd
nth great difficulty the words "You
ave been good to me- Somehow | feel
8 If it was what Jesus would do.
fter a few moments he turned his
cad slightly. and before Henry Max
'ell could realize the fact the doctor
nd. HE is gone =
The Sunday morning that dawned on
ne city OF Raymond was exactly like
ne Sunday of the week before Henry =
[axwell entered his pulpit to face one
the largest congregations that had
YER crowded First church He was
aggard and looked as if he had Just
sen from a long illness. His wife was
home with the little girl who had
,me on the morning train an hour aft
: her father died. He lay in that spare
,om. his troubles over, and Henry
Laxwell could see the face as be opened
le Bible and arranged bis different
otices on the sideof the desk as he had ,
sen In the habit Of doing for ten years !
The service thstmorning contained !,
Nv element No one could remember
Glorious News
Comes from DR.. D. B. .CargiIe. ofWashita,
T. He writes: Four "bottles Of Electric
" = n