Willmar tribune., 1899-09-27

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and Virginia went every night Vir-
ginia was rapidly reaching conclusion
with respect to large part Of her
money. She had talked it over with
Rachel, and they had been able to
lgree that if Jesus had vast amount
of money at his disposal he might do
with some Of it as Virginia planned
At any rate, they felt that whatever
Jesus might do in such case would
have as large an element Of variety in
it as the difference in persons and cir.
cumstances There could be no fixed
Christian way of using money: The
rule that regulated it's use was unselish
utility
But meanwhile the glory Of the
Spirits power possessed all their best
thought. Night after night that week
witnessed miracles as great as walking
on the sea or feeding the multitude
with few loaves and fishes, for what
greater miracle than a regenerated hu~
manity2 The transformation Of these
coarse, brutal. scottish lives into pray
ing, rapturous lovers of Jesus struck
Rachel and Virginia every time with
the feelings that people may have had
when they saw Lazarus walk out Of
the tomb. It was an experience full Of
profound excitement to them.
Rollin Page came to all the meetings.
There was no doubt of the change that
had come over him. He was wonderful
ly quiet. It seemed as if he were think
ing all the time. Certainly he was not
the same person. He talked more with
Gray than with any one else. He did
not avoid Rachel, but he seemed to
shrink from any appearance Of seeming
to wish to renew the old acquaintance
with her. Rachel found it even difficult
to express to him her pleasure at the
new life he had begun to know. He
seemed to be waiting to adjust himself
to his previous relations before this new
life began. He had not forgotten those
relations, but he was not yet able to
fit his consciousness into new ones.
The end Of the week found the Rec
tangle struggling hard between two
mighty opposing forces. The Holy
Spirit was battling with oil his super
natural strength against the saloon
devil which had so long held jealous
grasp on its slaves If the Christian
people Of Raymond once could realize
what the contest meant to the souls
newly awakened to new life, it did
not seem possible that the election could
result in the old system of license But
that remained yet to be seen. The hor-
ror of the daily surroundings Of many
of the converts was slowly burning it's
way into the knowledge of Virginia
and Rachel, and every night as they
went up town to their luxurious homes
they carried heavier hearts.
IA good many of those poor Great
ures will go back again." Gray would
say with sadness too deep for tears.
1.-THE environment does have a good
deal to do with the character. It does
not stand to reason that these people
can always resist the sight and smell Of
the devilish drink all about them. O
Lord, how long shall Christian people
continue to support by their silence and
their ballots the greatest form Of slav-
cry now known in American"
He asked the question, but did not
have much hope of an immediate an
swer. There was a ray Of hope in the
action of Friday nights primary, but
what the result would be he did not
dare to anticipate. The whisky forces
were organized, alert, aggressive, reused
into unusual hatred by the events Of
the last week at the tent and In the
city. Would the Christian force act a.
a unit against the saloon. or would II
be divided on account of its business
interests or because 1t was not In the
habit Of acting together, as the whisky
powers always did2 That remained to
be seen. Meanwhile the saloon reared
itself about the Rectangle like some
deadly viper, Kissing and coiling, ready
to strike its poison into any unguarded
part
Saturday afternoon, as Virginia was
just stepping out of her house to go
and see Rachel to talk over her new
plans, a carriage drove up containing
three of her fashionable friends Vir-
ginia went out to the driveway and
stood there talking with them. They
had not come to make a formal call,
but wanted Virginia to go riding with
them up on the boulevard. There was
a band concert in the park. The day
! was too pleasant to be spent indoors
''Where have you been all this time,
Virginiaa" asked one Of the girls, tap
ping her playfully on the shoulder with
q red silk parasol I'VE hear that you
have gone into the show business. Tell
us about it,
Virginia colored. but after mo-
ment's hesitation she frankly told some
thing Of her experience at the Rectan-
gle. The girls in the carriage began to
be really interested
"Ten you what, girls, let's go slum.
ming with Virginia this afternoon in.
stead of going to the band concertl I've
never been down to the Rectangle. I've
heard it's an awful wicked place an6
| lots to see. Virginia will act as guide
and it would be real'' fun, she was
going to say, but Virginia's look made
her substitute the word ''interesting." I"
Virginia was angry. At first thought
she said to herself she would never &C
under any such circumstances Ths
other girls seemed to be Of the same
mind as the speaker. They chimed il
with earnestness and asked Virginia *
take them down there. :"
Suddenly she saw in the idle curl
osity Of the girls an opportunity. They
had never seen the sin and misery o.
Raymond. Why should they not Sc,
them evan II fhai1. 1nnti1na In crnins