Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-12-21

he cannot be my disciple ''' And whosoeyer
forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple.
When Rachel Winslow and Virginia
Page separated after the meeting at the
continue their conversation the next
day Virginia asked Rachel to come
and lunch with her at noon, and Rachel
accordingly rang the bell at the Page
mansion about half past II. Virginia
herself met her, and the two were soon
talking earnestly.
THE fact is. Rachel was saying
after they had been talking few min
utes, Il cannot reconcile it with my
Judgment Of what he would do L can
not tell another person what to do, but
| feel that | ought not to accept this
offer.
"What will you do, then?'' asked
Virginia. with great interest.
81 don know yet but | have decid-
ed to refuse this offer
Rachel picked up a letter that had
been lying in her lap and ran over its
contents again 1t was a letter from
the manager of u COME opera Offering
her place with aAlarge travelling com
pany for the season. The salary was Il
very large figure. and the prospect held
cut by the manager was fiatt6rin3. He
had heard R;.rls"l sing that Sunday
morning when the stranger had inter
rUptsd tie service. lie had been much
IMPRESSED 81 70 vas IEG1y in that
voice. ana & oa~ht to bc used in comic
opera. so said tha Letter. aId the man
agsr wanted q reply a. son "a possible.
THIS 10 vilt.e. in sa. - No to
this OIL wh,u / have IL her one,
Rachel won't Oh thoaghtlaiiy. That's
harlor to dcciG. hut I've made up my
mind To tell the truth, Virginia, I'm
completely convinced in the first case
that Jesus would never use any talent
like good voice just to make money.
But, now. take this concert offer. Here
is a reputable company 10 travel with
an imporsonatcr and viulinist and
male quartet, all people OF good repu-
tation. I'm asked to go as one OF the
company and sing leading soprano. The
salary 0 mentioned it, didn ~ is to
be guaranteed 5000 month for tho
season. But I don't feel satisfied that
Jesus would go. What do you think p
"You mustn't ask me to decide for
you replied Virginia, with a SD
smile 81 believe Mr. Maxwell was
right when he said we must each one
of us decide according to the Judgment
we felt for ourselves to be Christlike.
1 am having harder time than you
are, dear, to decide what he would do. "
care you2' Rachel asked. She rose
and walked over to the window and
looked out. Virginia came and stood
by her The street was crowded with
life, and the two young women looked
at it silently for Il moment. Suddenly
Virginia broke out as Rachel had never
heard her before.
"Rachel, what does all this contrast
in conditions mean to you as you ask
this question of what Jesus would dof
1t maddens me to think that the society
in which ] have been brought up, the
same to which we are both said to be
long, is satisfied, year after year. to &C
ON dressing and eating and having 6
good time. giving and receiving enter
tainments spending its money ON
houses and luxuries and occasionally,
to ease it's conscience donating, with
out any personal sacrifice, a little
money TO charity. l have been edu
Gated, as you have, in onelof the most
expensive schools of America, launched
into society as an heiress supposed to
be in very enyiable position. I'm per
fectly well, | can travel or stay at
home, can do as please, / can crafty
almost any want or desire, and yet
when | honestly try to imagine Jesus
living the life I have lived and am ex-
pected to live and doing for the rest of
my life what thousands of other rich
people do l am under condemnation for
being one of the most wicked, selfish,
useless creatures in the world | have
not looked out of this window for weeks
without feeling of horror toward my
self as l see the humanity that pours by
this house -
Virginia turned away and walked up
and down the room. Rachel watched
her and could not repress the rising tide
of her own growing de6nition of disci-
pleship OF what Christian use was her
own talent of song2 Was the best she
could do to Rell her talent for so much
month, go on a concert company's s
tour, dress beautifully, enjoy the ex-
citement Of public applause and gain
reputation as a great singer2 Was that
what Jesus would do?
She was not morbid. She was in
sound health, was conscious of great
powers as u singer and knew that if she
went out into public life she could
make a great deal of money and become
well known. 1t is doubtful if she over
estimated her ability to accomplish all
she thought herself capable of. And
Virginia-what she had just said smote
Rachel with great force because of the
similar position in which the two
friends found themselves
Lunch was announced, and they
went out and We're joined by Virginia's
grandmother, Nine. Page, a handsome,
stately woman of 65, and Virginia's
spent most of his time at one of the
clubs and had no particular ambition
for anything but a growing admiration
for Rachel Winslow, and whenever she
dined or lunched at the Page mansion,
if he knew of it, he always planned to
be at home.
These three made up the Page fam
lily. Virginia. s father had been bank
er and grain speculator. Her mother
had died ten years before, her father
within the past year. The grandmother,
southern woman in birth and train
ing, had all the traditions and feelings
that accompany the possession of wealth
and social standing that have never
been disturbed. She was n shrewd, care
full business woman of more than aver
age ability. The family property and
wealth were invested, in large measure,
under her personal care. Virginia por-
ton was, without any restriction, her
own. She had been trained by her ia
ther to unda stand the ways of the
business world, and even the grand
mother had been compelled to aclnowl
edge the girls capacity for taking care
IF her own money.
Perhaps two persons could not bo
standing a girl like Virginia than Nine
Page and Rollin Rachel, who had
known the family since she was girl
playmate of Nirginia's, could not help
thinking of what confronted Virginia
in her own home when she nnce dA"i1'oA