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

difficult to answer the question on ac-
count Of my money. Jesus never owned
any property, and there is nothing in
his example to guide me in the use of
mine. | am studying and praying. l
think | see clearly a part of what he
would do, but not all. What would
Jesus do with a million dollars ? is my
question really. | confess that l am not
yet able to answer it to my satisfac-
ton"
~ could tell you what to do with a
part of it," said Rachel, turning her
face toward Virginia.
THAT does not trouble me, replied
Virginia, with a slight smile. "What I
am trying to discover is a principle Of
Jesus that will enable me to come the
nearest possible to his action as it ought
to influence the entire course of my
life, so far as my wealth and its use are
concerned
"That will take time" said Henry
Maxwell slowly. All the rest in the
room were thinking hard Of the anne
thing. Milton Wright told something
of his experience. He was gradually
working out a plan for his business re-
lations with his employees, and it was
opening up a new world to him and
them. A few of the younger men told
of special attempts to answer the ques-
ton.
There was almost general consent
over the fact that the application Of
the Jesus spirit and practice to every
day life was the serious thing. 1t re-
quired a knowledge of him and an in
sight into his motives that most Of them
did not yet possess.
When they finally adjourned after a
silent prayer that marked with grow
ing power the Divine presence, they
went away discussing earnestly their
difficulties and seeking light from n
another.
Rachel Winslow and Virginia Page
went out together. Edward Norman
and Milton Wright became so interest
ed in their mutual conference that they
walked on past Norman's home and
came back together. Jasper Chase and
the president of the Endeavor society
stood talking earnestly in one corner of
the room. Alexander Powers and Henry
Maxwell remained even after all the
others had gone,
Il want you to come down to the
shops tomorrow and see my plan and
talk to the men. Somehow | feel as if
you could get nearer to them than any
II else just now"
II don't know about that, but l will
come, replied Henry Maxwell, a lit
tie sadly. How was he fitted to stand
before 200 or 800 workingmen and give
them a message2 Yet in the movement
of his weakness, as he asked the ques-
ton, he rebuked himself for it. What
would Jesus do? That was an end to
the discussion.
He went down the next day. and
found Alexander Powers in his office.
1t lacked a few minutes of 10, and the
superintendent said, 'Come up stairs,
and I'll show you what I've been try
ing to do"
They went through the machine
shops, climbed a long flight of stairs
and entered a very large empty room.
1t had once been used by the company
for a storeroom.
''Since making that promise a week
ago have had a good many things to
think Of" said the superintendent,
land among them is this: Our com
pany gives me the use of this room, and
/ am going to fit it up with tables and
a coffee plant in the corner there where
those steam pipes are. My plan is to
provide a good place where the men
can come up and eat their noon lunch
and give them, two or three times a
week, the privilege of a 10 minutes
talk on some subject that will be a real
help to them in their lives"
Maxwell looked surprised and asked
if the men would come for any such
purpose.
Eyes, they'll come. After all, I know
the men pretty well. They are among
the most intelligent workingmen in the
country today, but they are, as a whole,
entirely removed from all church infu-
ence. | asked, What would Jesus dor
and, among other things, it seemed to
me he would begin to act in some way
to add to the lives of these men more
nh yciao1 on1 Cpiritr1n1 oAp,fArt IL 10 n
very little thing, this room ard what it
represents, but | acted on the first i'm
pulse to do the first thing that appealed
to my good sense, and | want to work
out this idea. want you to speak to
the men when they come up at noon. l
have asked them to come up and see
the place and I'll tell them something
about it.
Henry Maxwell was ashamed to say
how uneasy he felt at being asked to
speak n few words to a company Of
workingmen. How could he speak with
out notes or to such a crowd? He was
honestly in a condition of genuine
fright over the prospect. He actually
felt afraid of facing these men. He
shrank from the ordeal of confronting
such a crowd, so different from the
Sunday audiences he was familiar with.
There were half a dozen long rude
tables and benches in the great room,
and when the noon whistle sounded the
men poured up stairs from the machine
shop below and, seating themselves at
the tables, began to eat their lunch.
There vera nerhans 300 of tbem Thav