The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-11-08

ticular changes in their plans"
Edward Norman looked around the
room, and no one spoke. He was struck
for the first time in his life with the
fact thas in all the years Of his news
paper life he had never had the force Of
the paper together in this way. would
Jesus DO that9 That is, would he prob
ably run newspaper on some loving
family plan where editors, reporters,
pressmen and all met to discuss and de.
wise and plan for the making of % paper
that should have in view
He caught himself drawing almost
away from the facts Of typographical
unions and Office rules and 1erorters'
enterprise and all the cold busiresslike
methods that make a great daily sue.
cessful. But still the vague picture
that came up in the mailing room
would not fade away, even when he
had gone Into his Office and the men
had gone back to their places with won
der in their looks and questions of all
sorts on their tongues as they talked
over the editors remarkable actions.
Clark came in and had long serious
talk with the chief. He was thoroughly
reused. and his protest almost reached
the point of .resigning his place. Nor
man guarded himself carefully. Every
minute Of the interview was painful to
him. but he felt more than ever the ne
cessity of doing the Christlike thing
Clark was a very valuable man. It
would be difficult to fill his place. But
he was not able to give any reasons for
continuing the Sunday paper that an
swered the question. "What would
Jesus dor by letting Jesus print that
edition.
ut comes to this, then," said Clark
finally. "You will bankrupt the paper
In 10 days. We might as we'll face that
future fact. 4"
II don't think we shall. Will you
stay by The News until it is bank
rupt?" asked Edward Norman, with
strange smile.
"Mr. Norman. l don't understand
you. You are not the same man this
week that ever knew
II don't know myself either, Clark.
Something remarkable has caught me
up and borne me on. but | was never
more convinced of final success and
power for the paper. You have not an
swered my question. Will you stay
with me?'
Clark hesitated moment and finally
said Yes" Norman shook hands with
him and turned to his desk. Clark went
back into his room stirred by number
Of conflicting emotions. He had never
before known such an exciting and
mentally disturbing week. and he felt
now as 1t he were connected with an
enterprise that might at any moment
collapse and ruin him and all connected
with it.
Sunday morning dawned again on
Raymond, and Henry Maxwell's church
was again crowded. Before the service
began Edward Norman attracted gen.
sral attention He sat quietly in his
usual place about three seats from the
pulpit. The Sunday morning issue of
The News containing the statement Of
its discontinuance had been read by
nearly every man in the house. The an
nouncement had been expressed in such
remarkable language that every reader
was struck by it. No such series of dis
tinct sensations had ever disturbed the
usual business custom of Raymond.
The events connected with The News
were not all. People were eagerly tali,-
ing about the strange things done dur
ing the week by Alexander Powers at
the railroad shops and by Milton Wright
In his stores on the avenue. The service
progressed upon distinct wave Of ex-
citement in the pews. Henry Maxwell
faced it all with calmness which in
dicated IL strength and purpose more
than ustaL His prayers We're Wy
helpful. His sermon was not 50 easy %
describe How would minister ,c apt
to preach to his people if he came before
them after an entire week of eager ASK
ing: ''Row would Jesus preach? What
would he probably sayl' 1t is very
certain that Henry Maxwell did not
preach as he had done two Sundays be-
fore. Tuesday of the past week he had
stood by the grave of the dead stranger
and said the words Earth to earth
ashes to ashes dust to dust. and still
he was moved by the spirit of deeper
impulse than he could measure as he
thought of his people and yearned for
the Christ message when he should be
in'his pulpit again.
Now that Sunday had come and the
people were there to hear. what would
the Master tell them? He agonized over
his preparation for them. and yet he
knew he had not been able TO fit his
message into his ideal of the Christ
Nevertheless no one in the First church
could remember hearing such sermon
before. There was ip it rebuke for sin.
especially hypocrisy; there was definite
rebuke of the greed of wealth and the
seltishness of fashion, two things that
First church never heard rebuked this
w0y hafOro and tbnra yvoc n 1oy-o of hi