St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-09-06

stay by The News until it is bank
rupt?" asked Edward Norman, with
strange smile.
"Mr. Norman, / don't understand
you. You are not the same man THU
week that | ever knew"
II don't know myself either, Clark
Something remarkable has caught mt
up and borne me on, but / was nevel
more convinced Of final success ant
power for the paper. You have not an
swered my question. Will you stay
with met"
Clark hesitated a moment and finally
said Eyes" Norman shook hands with
him and turned to hisdesk. Clark went
back into his room stirred by a number
of conflicting emotions. He had never
before known such an exciting and
mentally disturbing week, and he felt
now as if he were connected with an
enterprise that might at any moment
collapse and ruin him and all connected
with it.
Sunday morning dawned again on
Raymond. and Henry Maxwell's church
was again crowded. Before the service
began Edward Norman attracted gen.
eral attention. He sat quietly in his
usual place about three seats from the
pulpit. The Sunday morning issue Of
The News containing the statement of
it, discontinuance had been read by
nearly every man in the house. The an
nouncement had been expressed in such
remarkable language that every reader
was struck by it. No such series of dis
tinct sensations had ever disturbed the
usual business custom of Raymond.
The events connected with The News
were not all. People were eagerly talk
ing about the strange things done dur
ing the week by Alexander Powers at
the railroad shops and by Milton Wright
in his stores on the avenue. The service
progressed upon a distinct wav of ex-
citement in the pews. Henry Maxwell
faced it all with a calmness which in
Dictated a strength and purpose more
than usual. His prayers were very
helpful. His sermon was not so easy to
describe. How would a minister be apt
to preach to his people if he came before
them after an entire week of eager ask
ing; Glow would Jesus preach? What
would he probably say?' 1t is very
certain that Henry Maxwell did not
preach as he had done two Sundays be-
fore. Tuesday of the past week he had
stood by the grave of the dead stranger
and said the words, earth to earth,
ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and still
he was moved by the spirit of a deeper
impulse than he could measure as he
thought of his people and yearned for
the Christ message when he should be
in his pulpit again.
Now that Sunday had come and the
people were there to hear, what would
the Master tell them? He agoniZed over
his preparation for them, and yet he
knew he had not been able to fit his
message into his ideal of the Christ.
Nevertheless no one in the First church
could remember hearing such a sermon
before. There was in it rebuke for sin,
especially hypocrisy; there was definite
rebuke of the greed of wealth and the
selfishness of fashion, two things that
First church never heard rebuked this
way before, and there was a love of his
people that gathered new force as the
sermon went on. When it was finished,
there were those who were saying in
their hearts, 1.-THE Spirit moved that
sermon" And they were right.
Then Rachel Winslow rose to sing,
this time, after the sermon, by Henry
Maxwell s request. Rachel singing did
not provoke applause this time, What
deeper feeling carried peoples hearts
into a reverent silence and tenderness
of thought? Rachel was beautiful, but
the consciousness of her remarkable
loneliness had always marred her sing
ing with those who had the deepest
spiritual feeling. 1t had also marred
her rendering of certain kinds of music
with herself. Today this was all gone.
There was no lack of power in her
grand voice, but there was an actual
added element of humility and purity
which the audience strictly felt and
bowed to,
Before the service closed Henry Max
well asked those who had remained
the week before to stay again for a few
moments for consultation and any 9TH
ers who We're willing to make the
pledge taken at that time. When he
was at liberty, he went into the lecture
room. To his establishment, it was al
most filed. This time a large proper
ton of young people had come, but
among them were a few business men
and officers of the church.
AS before, Henry Maxwell asked
them to pray with him, and, as before,
a distinct answer came in the presence
of the Divine Spirit. There was no
doubt in the minds of any one present
that what they proposed to do was so
clearly in line with the Divine will
that a blessing rested on it in a very
special N
They remained some time to ask
questions and consult together, There
was a feeling of fellowship such as they
had never known in their church men,
bership. Edward Norman's action was
well understood by them all, and he
answered several questions,
"What will be the probable result of
your discontinuance of the Sunday pa
peri" asked Alexander Powers, who
sat next to him.