El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-16

arrangements are nearly completed fol
the transfer of the Rectangle property. y
! eyes; it has been tedious case IL
the courts Did Virginia show you al
the plans and specifications for build
ings?''
! eve looked over good many. It is
astonishing to me where Virginia has
! managed to get all her ideas about this
work.
/ ''Virginia knows more now about
! Arnold Toynbee and east end London
and institutional church work in Amer
lea than a good many professional slum
workers She has been spending nearly
all summer in getting information. .
! Rollin was beginning to feel more at
ease as they talked over this coming
work for humanity 1t was safe COM
mon ground
"What have you been doing all sum-
mer2 l have not seen much Of you,
Rachel suddenly asked, and then her
face warmed with its quick flush of
tropical color, as if she might have i'm
piled too much interest in Rollin or too
much regret at not seeing him oftener
81 have been busy" replied Rollin
briefly
''Ten me something about it.. per
sisted Rachel You say so little. Have
right to ask?'
She put the question very frankly,
turning toward Rollin in real interest.
eyes, certainly he replied, with
grateful smile 81 ain not SO certain
that l car. tell you much. l have been
trying to find some way to reach the
men 1 once knew and win them into
more useful lives. -
He stopped suddenly, as if he were
almost afraid to go on Rachel did not
venture to suggest anything.
81 have been member of the same
company to which you and Virginia be
long continued Rollin, beginning;
again. Il have made the pledge TO 90
as L believe Jesus would do, and it is
in trying to answer this question that
1 have been doing my work. -
That is what l do not understand.
Virginia told me about the other. 1t
seems wonderful to think that you are
trying to keep that pledge with us. But
what can you do with the clubmenr'
You have asked me a direct ques-
ton, and l shall have to answer it
now. replied Pollin, smiling again.
"Yor see. l asked myself after that
night at the tent, you remember -he
spoke hurriedly, and his voice trembled
a httle-..wh purpose l could now
have in my life TO redeem it. to satisfy
my Thought of Christ ian discipleship
and the more | thought of 1T the more l
was driven to a place where L knew
must take up this cross. Did you ever
think that of all the neglected beings
in our social system none are quite so
completely left alone as the fast young
men who fill the clubs and waste their
time and money as l used to? The
churches look after the poor, miserable
creatures like those in the Rectangle,
they make some effort to reach the
workingmen, they have large con-
stituency among the average salary |
earning people, they send money and |
to the foreign heather, but !
the fashionable. dissipated young men
around town, the clubmen, are left out |
of all plans for reaching and Christian
izing, and yet no class of people needs |
it more. 1 said to myself: Il know these |
men, their good and bad qualities. l |
have been one of them. l am not fitted |
to reach the Rectangie people. do not |
know how. But think l could possibly |
reach some of these young men and
boys who have money and time to
spend. So that is what 1 have been
trying to do. When 1 asked. as you
did, What would Jesus dor that was
my answer. It has been also my
cross. -
Rollins voice was so low on the last
sentence that Rachel had difficulty in
hearing him above the noise around
them, but she knew what he had said.
She wanted to ask what his methods
WERE but she did not know just how to
ask him Her interest in his plans was
larger than mere curiosity. RoIlin Page
was so different now from the fashion
able young man who had asked her to
be his wife that she could not help
of him and talking with him
Is if he were entirely a new acquaint-
ance.
They had turned off the avenue and
we're going up the street to RacheTs
home. 1t was the same street where
aollin had asked Rachel why she could
lot love him They were both stricken
~ a sudden shyness as they went on.
Rachel had not forgotten that day, and
3ollin could not forget it. She finally
,roke long silence by asking him what
he had not found words for before.
f'In your work for the clubmen, with
'our old acquaintance, what sort of
reception do they give you? How do
-ou approach them2 What do they
ayr
Rollin was silent when Rachel spoke.
lie answered after moment:
ooh, it depends on the mani A good
many of them think am a crank
ave kept my membership up and am
n good standing in that way. I try to
70 wise and not provoke any unneces-
airy criticism, but you would be sur
ri sod to l1aoxxr how Of no |