Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-10-12

ZION. According 10 the investigator, bne
places that were possible for work in
the country were exceedingly few for
steady employment and in almost ev-
cry case they were offered only to men
without families. Suppose mans wife
and children were i'll. How could no
move or get into the country? How
could he pay even the meager sum nee
essary to move his few goodsY There
were n thousand reasons probably why
this particular man did not go else
where.
Meanwhile there are the wife and
children, said Mrs Bruce. "How aw-
full Where is the place did you sayH
The bishop took mp the paper.
'Why, It's only three blocks from
here. This is the Penrose district be-
lieve Penrose himself owns half of the
houses in that block They are among
the worst houses in this part of the
city, and Penrose is church member. "
Eyes; he belongs to the Nazareth Az
enue church, " replied DR.. Bruce in n
low voice
The bishop rose from the table the
very figure of divine wrath He had
opened his lips to say what seldom
came from him in the way of denuncia-
ton when the bell rang and one of the
residents went to the door
Tell DR. Bruce and the bishop I
want to see them. Penroso is the name
Clarence Penrose. Dr. Bruce knows
me. -
'In nj hn pt.nn l-fp fol In
heard every word. The bishop exchanged
a significant look with DR.. Bruce, and
the two men instantly left the table
and went ont into the hall
Come in here. Pcnrose, said DR.
Bruce, and he and the bishop ushered
the visitor into the reception room.
They closed the door and were alone.
Clarence Pcnrose was one of the most
elegant looking men in Chicago. He
came from an aristocratic family of
great wealth and social distinction. He
was exceedingly wealthy and had large
property holdings in different parts Of
the city. He had been IA member of Dr.
Bruce's church all his life.
This man faced the bishop and his
former pastor with look of agitation
on his countenauce that showed plainly
the mark of some unusual experience
He was very pale and his lip trembled
| as he spoke. When had Clarence PEN
rose ever before yielded to such a strange
emotion Of feeling?
This affair of .he shooting-vou un-
derstand. You have read it, The family
| lived in one of my houses. It is terri
bic event. But that is not the primary
cause Of my visit" He stammered and
looked anxiously into the faces of tn =
other two men. The bishop still looked
stern. He could not help feeling that
| this elegant man of leisure could have
done a great deal to alleviate the hor-
rors in his tenements, possibly have pre-
vented this tragedy, if he had sacrificed
some of his personal ease and luxury to
better the condition of the people in his
| district
Penrose turned to DR. Bruce.
doctor, he exclaimed and there
was almost child's terror in his voice,
Il came to say that | have had an ex-
| perlenCe so unusual that nothing but
the supernatural can explain it. You
remember | was one of those who took
the pledge to do as Jesus would do.
| thought at the time, poor fool that
was, that | had all along been doing the
| Christian thing. / gave literally out OF
my abundance to the church and char
ity | never gave myself to cost me any
suffering. have been living in per-
feet hell of contradictions ever since
took the pledge. My little girl, Diana,
you remember also took the pledge
with me, She has been asking me a
great many questions lately about the
poor people and where they lived. | was
obliged to answer her. Two of her ques
tons last night touched my sore Did
own any houses where those people
lived? Were they nice and warm like
ours? You know how a child will ask
questions like these | went to bed tor
mented with what | now know to be
the divine arrows of conscience. could
not sleep. | seemed to see the judgment
day. ] was placed before the Judge.
was asked to give account of my deeds
done in the body, How many sinful
souls had visited in prison? What haC
| done with my stewardshipg How
about those tenements where people
froze in winter and stihed in summer
Did | give any thought to them excep,
to receive the rentals from them
Where did my suffering come in
Would Jesus have done as | had done
and was doing? Had | broken my
pledge? How had | used the money and
the culture and the social influence !
possessed? Had l used them to bes:
humanity, to relieve the suffering, tC
bring JOY to the distressed and hope tC
the responding? | had received much
How much had | given?
"All this came to me in a waking
vision as distinctly as | see yOn tive
men and myself now. | was unable tC
see the end of the vision. | had con
fused picture in my mind of the suffer
ing Christ pointing a condemning finger
at me, and the rest was shut out by
mist and darkness | have not had sleeI
for "a hours. The first thing | saw thi:
morning was the account of the shoot
ing at the coalyards. | read the accoun
with feeling of horror have not beer
able to shake off, am guilty creature
before God.
Penrose paused suddenly. The two
men looked at him solemnly. Wha
| power of the Holy Spirit moved tn,