The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-11-01
BY Charles N. Sheldon.

uAo city OF Raymond was exactly like
tho Sunday Of tho week before. Henry
Maxwell entered his pulpit to face one
Of the largest congregations that had
ever crowded First church. He was
hsggard and looked as IL he had lust
risen from long illness His wife was
ct home with the little girl who had
cc'ne on the morning train an hour aft
q her father died He lay in that spare
room. his troubles over, and Henry
Maxwell could see the face as he opened
the bihls and arranged his different
notices on the side Of the desk as he had
oeen IN the habit OF doing for ten years
The service that morning contained q
new element No one could remember
when tho minister had preached in the
ncsning without notes As q matter Of
fhct. he had done 10 occasionally when
he hrst entered the ministry. but for q
long time he had carefully written ont
every word OF his morning sermon and
nearly always his evening discourse as
we'll Il cannot be said that his sermon
eAif morning was very striking or i'm.
yruuive. He talked with considerable
HESITATION. It was evident that some
greht idea struggled in his thought for
utterance. but it was not expressed in
No theme he had chosen for his preach
ING. IL was near the close Of his sermon
that he began to gather a certain
eerength that had been painfully lack
ing ut the beginning. He closed the
Bible. and. stepping ont at the side Of
the dlesk. he faced his people and began
% tax to them about the remarkable
scene Of the week before.
Cur brother somehow the words
sounded q little strange coming from
Henry Maxwelps ips--.'passed away
ibis morning. have not yet had time
TO learn all his history. He had one sis
Ter living IN Chicago have written
her and have not yet received an an.
sww. His little girl Is with us and will
rsmsia for the time
he paused and looked over the house
he thought he had never seen 60 many
serness faces during the entire pastor
ASa he was not able yet to tell his peo-
Pie his experiences. the crisis through
which he was even now moving, but
rraething Of hts feeling passed from
Am to them. and it did not seem TO
Aim that he was setting under q careless
tmpulse at all to 60 ON and break to
them this morning something Of the
measags he bore In his heart So he
went on:
The appearance and words Of this
Stranger In the church last Sunday
made . very powerful impression on
ma / am not able to conceal from You
On myself the fact that what he said.
followed, m IL has been. by his death
IN my house. has compelled me to ask
% ! never asked bsfore. What does fol.
lowing Jesus meant I am not In a DO
dtion ytt 70 utter any condemnation
o8 this people or. to q certain extent, of
myself, either in our Christlike rela-
fsops to this man or the number he rep
resents In the world But all that does
pot prevent me from feeling that much
<h&s the man said was 30 vitall7 true
that we must face 10 In an attempt to
answer u or else stand condemned as
Christian disciples A good deal that
was said here last Sunday was in the
nature Of challenge to Christianity as
1s 10 seen and felt in our churches /
kave felt this with Increasing emphasis
every day since. and I do not know
that any time Is more appropriate than
the present for me to propose a plan or
. purpose which has been forming in
my mind as a satisfactory reply to
much that was said here last Sunday"
Again Henry Maxwell paused and
looked into the faces of his people.
There were some strong. earnest men
and women I'm the FIRST church. The
minister could see Edward Norman,
editor Of the Raymond Daily News. He
had been member Of First church for
ten years No man was more honored
In the community. There wes Alexan-
der Powers. superintendent of the rail-
road shops There was Donald Marsh,
president of Lincoln college. situated in
the suburbs Of Raymond There was
Milton Wright, one of the great mer-
chants Of Raymond. having in his en-
ploy at least 100 men in various shops
There was DIR. West. who. although
still comparatively young. was quoted
~ authority in special surgical cases.
There was young Jasper Chase, the
author. who had written one successful
book and was said to be mt work on n
new novel There was Miss Virginia
Page. the heiress. who through the re-
rent death Of her father had inherited
Q million at least and was gifted with
unusual attractions Of person and in
tellect And. not least Of all. Rachel
Winslow from her seat in tho choir
glQwed with her peculiar beauty Of
hight this morning because she was 80
intensely interested in the whole scene.
There was some reason perhaps. in
view of such material in the First
church. for Henry Maxwell's feeling Of
satisfaction whenever he considered his
parish as he had the previous Sunday