St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-23
pulpit and had turned about, facing

under the gallery, and he repeated them
eff it would be just the thing to say
a word at the close Of this service I'm
not drunk, and I'm not crazy, and I'm
perfectly harmless. But if | die, as
there is every likelihood / shall in a
few days, want the satisfaction of
thinking that l said my say in place
like this. before just this sort of a
crowd"
Henry Maxwell had not taken his
seat, and he now remained standing,
leaning on his pulpit, looking down at
the stranger 1t was the man who had
come to his house Friday morning, the
same dusty, worn, shabby looking
young man. He held his faded hat in
his two hands 1t seemed to be a ia
vorite gesture. He had not been shaved,
and his hair was rough and tangled 1t
was doubtful if any one like this had
ever confronted the First church within
the sanctuary. 1t was tolerably familiar
with this sort of humanity out on the
street around the railroad shops, wan
dering up and down the avenue, but it
had never dreamed of such an incident
as this SO near.
There was nothing offensive in the
mans manner or tone. He was not ex-
cited, and he spoke in low but dis
tinct voice. Henry Maxwell was con-
scious, even as he stood there smitten
into dumb establishment at the event,
that somehow the man action remind
ed him of person he had once seen
walking and talking in his sleep
No one in the church made any mo-
ton to stop the stranger or in any way
interrupt him. Perhaps the first shock
of his sudden appearance deepened into
genuine perplexity concerning what
was best to do. However that may be,
he went on as if he had no thought Of
interruption and no thought of the I'M
usual element he had introduced into
the decorum of the First church service,
and all the while he was speaking
Henry Maxwell leaned over the pulpit,
his face growing more white and sad
every moment But he made no move
ment to stop him, and the people sat
smitten into breathless silence. One
other face, that of Rachel Winslow,
from the choir seats, stared, white and
intent, down at the shabby figure with
the faded hat. Her face was striking at
any time. Under the pressure of the
present unheard of incident it was as
personally distinct as if it had been
framed in fire.
"I'm not an ordinary tramp, though
l don't know of any teaching of Jesus
that makes one kind of tramp less
worth saving than another. Do your"
He put the question as naturally as if
the whole congregation had been a
small private Bible class. He paused
Just moment and coughed painfully.
Then he went on.
81 lost my job ten months ago l am
printer by trade. The new linotype
machines are beautiful specimens Of
invention, but | know six men who
have killed themselves inside of the
year Just on account of those machines
OF course don blame the newspapers
for getting the machines Meanwhile
what can a man doY l know l never
learned but the one trade, and that s
all can do. I've tramped all over the
country trying to find something. There
are a good many others like me. I'm
not complaining, am /? Just stating
facts But was wondering, as l sat
there under the gallery, if what you
call following Jesus is the same thing
as what he taught
"What did he mean when he said,
Follow me?' The minister said here
the man turned about and looked up at
the pulpit that it was necessary foI
the disciple of Jesus to follow his steps,
and he said the steps We're obedience,
faith, love and imitation. But | die
not hear him tell just what he meant
that to mean, especially the last step
What do Christians mean by following
the steps of Jesus? I've trampe(
through this city for three days trying
to find job, and in all that time ",
not had word of sympathy or comfor
except from your minister here, VIII,
said he was sorry for me and hoped
would find job somewhere | suppos
it is because you get so imposed on b.
the professional tramp that you hav
! 1nct int ha Ath pyt ~,
not blaming anybody, am l? Just stat
ing facts OF course | understand yol
cant all go out of your way to hunt III
jobs for people like me. I'm not askin
you to, but what feel puzzled about
what is meant by following Jesus. D
you mean that you are suffering an
denying yourselves and trying to say
lost suffering humanity just as | IN
derstand Jesus did, What do you mea
by It'll see the ragged edge of thing
good deal. | understand there ar
more than 500 men in this city in m
case. Most of them have families. NJ
wife died four months ago, I'm gla
she is out of trouble. My little girl
staying with a printers family until
find job. Somehow | get puzzle
when l see so many Christians hvin
in luxury and singing, Jesus, m
cross have taken, all to leave and TO
q low thee, and remember how my vii
died in a tenement in New York cit,
gasping for air and asking God to tai
, the little girl too OF course don t e,
p pect you people can prevent every OF
!. from dying of starvation lack of prop
nourishment and tenement air. 81
what does following Jesus meanf