The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-11


terest somewhat. when the baby began
TO cry The mother was crowded too
closely to be able to move at once. so
I waited while she tried to soothe the
child The fact that 1 was compelled
TO wait seemed to anger one of the
men, for he sprang up and demanded
that the child be removed. Another
answered him hotly, and in a moment
the crowd was divided and the situa-
ton began to get exciting. l had no
idea OF what I should do to quiet the
disturbance, so ] said the only thing
that came into my head:
TURNING THE TIDE.
"'Boys. I like to hear that child cry.
It reminds me of my little niece at
home. I'd give s. right now to hear
her cry
For some reason it seemed to touch
them, for they stopped almost immedi-
ately. 1t has since occurred to me that
my accidental remark probably aroused
memories of better days in each Of
them.
After the meeting. as l stood out
side the tavern to get a breath of pure
air, my host came out and approached
me awkwardly. He started to speak
then hestated, finally thrustng a bill
into my hand.
Heres that S5," he said. Some of
the boys say you've got to take it
Il was prompted to refuse, but he
would not permit it. Others saw the
act. and they at once took up collec-
ton of nearly $50. OF course, / could
not, as they urged, keep it for myself,
1,,t Il 1,,-I,, 4 .IA
their looks 1 almost feared that they
would shoot if I refused"
JANTTOR FOR COLLEGE FEES.
But though this work was congenial,
he could not relinquish the idea of an
education, and on his return he en-
tered Lake Forest University. Here
occurred some of the hardest struggles
of his life. He secured n position as
ianitor of a local church at a salary of
81 SO week, the appreciative but bus
iness-like committee stipulating that
one of the tasks should oe to address
the weekly prayer meeting. Some
how, by living on next to nothing and
by accepting every job that offere l,
he managed not only to eke out )iv-
ing. but to accumulate a library of 800
sstant in the university library, AMI
then it was that he set himself to the
task of reading at least partially every
book on the shelves in the order of
their alphabetical arrangement, begin
ming with Addison. 1t was here that
he built up the habit of reading, which
so largely accounts for his wide infor-
| nation; that he learned to get out the
gist of a book and it's style Of structure
! without taking time to read it through,
! for such time he did not have. 1t took
| him three years to go through the Ii
| brary.
At Lake Forest he had had one eX-
| perience which at the time probably
| came closer to tragedy than his pre-
| sent laughing account would lead one
| to believe.
FOR TWO DOLLARS A WEEK.
"I got down to bed rock" he said,
down to where l had neither money
| nor the prospect of earning any, and
naturally was a little blue. One day,
| through an accidental meeting, / Sc
| cured employment on a farm near the
! town. The agreement was that
should receive board, lodging and 50 a
/
| such as it was, but when the time was
| up my employer refused to pay me-
| He paused while his eyes twinKled
IF there ever was any time in my life
when | gave way to unchristiar
thoughts" but smile closed the SEN
| tence.
In spite of his modesty, enough car
be CLEANED from his own statemeRts I,
convince one of the terrible earnestness
of the man through his trials. His
indomitable spirit, his nervous vgOr
his practical optimism, all kept him al
it with a persistence that perhaps wal
partly outside Of himself.
After college came the McCormici
Seminary in Chicago, where he re
ceived his theological training, ana af
ter that the great life work. u,
preached first at Peoria, His success
there was so pronounced that he wa
| called to the First Presbyterian ChurCl
Of Evanstown, a position in SO clos
touch with Chicago church circles tina
his name grew rapidly. A few year
more and David Swing died; then Dr
; Hills stepped into his place IN Cent? 4
church, Chicago. Many there were VIII
said that he could not do it, that n
was too young, too inexperienced, th6
it meant the decline of Chicago mos
prominent church organization. Blu
how he silenced his critics is a matte
,, of too recent history to call for com
ment,
, HIS MARKED SUCCESS.
= DR.. Hills has published numbn
- of books, compilations of sermons an
addresses, and all have met with re
{ markabe success. His writing is lill
| himself, keen, logical, forceful, anC
better still. intensely human. Thoug
. not yet forty he has seen more tha
1 falls to the lot Of most older men. ii
f has lived through hardships into sue
! cesses; and the hard treatment whiC
= | might have made a Cynic or a Iailug
of a smaller man has mellowed In
10 and ripened him into strong, vita
- manhood. And there is in all h
work a gentle, tolerant humOr that oi
n ten Crystallizes into wit.
, DR.. Hills is a very careful write
q He gives minute attention to every az
tail Of style, and his study Of the ma!
= ters shows i'm every line of his writing
q Even when carried away by the dow
= his ideas he constructs each SentenC
with the precision that long practi,
has developed into instinct. In dtlil