Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-21


such as we have in mind he answered
and his voice trembled a little. The
keen look on Edward Norman grizzled
face flashed ont with a stern but thor
oughly Christian anticipation Of great
achievements in the world of newspaper
life as it had opened up to him within
the last few seconds.
"Then, said Virginia, speaking as
if the thought were fully considered
II am ready to put that amount of
money into the paper on the one condi
ton, of conrse, that it be carried on AS
it has been begun.
"Thank Godl" exclaimed Henry
Maxwell softly Edward Norman was
pale The rest were looking at Virginia
She had more to say.
Dear friends, she went on, and
there was sadness in her voice that
made an impression on the rest that
deepened when they thought it over
afterward, 81 do not want any of you
to credit me with IN act of great gen
crosby or philanthropy. / have come
to know lately that the money which l
have called my own is not my own,
but Gods. If l. as u steward of his, SEQ
some wise way to invest his money, it
is not an occasion of vainglory or
thanks from any one simply because |
have proved honest in my admipistra-
ton of the funds he has asked me TO
use for his glory. / have been thinking
of this very plan for some time The
fact is, dear friends, that in our com
ing fight with the whisky power in
Raymond, and it has only Just begun,
we shall need The News to champion
all the other papers are for the saloon.
AS long ms the saloon exists the work
of rescuing dying souls at the Rectangle
is carried on at terrible disadvantage.
What can MIR. Gray do with his gospel
meetings when half his converts are
drinking people, daily tempted and en-
ticed by the saloon on every corner ?
The Christian daily we must have 1t
would be giving up to the enemy to
have The News fail. l have great con
fidence in Mr. Norman ability. l have
not seen his plans but l have the con
ence tnar ne mas III making the Papti
succeed if it is carried forward ON a
large enough scale.
Il cannot believe that Christian in
telligence in journalism Will be inferior
to nm Christian intelligence even when
it comes to making the paper pay tinan-
cially. SO that is my reason for putting
| this money God S, not mine-into this
powerful agent for doing as Jesus
| would If we can keep such paper
| going for one year | shall be willing to
see that amount Of money used in the
experiment Do not thank me. Do not
consider my promise wonderful thing
| What have | done with Gods money
all these years hut crafty my own
selfish, physical, personal desires? What
can ] do with the rest of it but try to
| make some PREPARATION for what l have
stolen from God? That is the way |
look at it now. believe it is what
| Jesus would do
Over the lecture room swept that I'M
| seen yet distinctly felt wave of Divine
presence. Ne one spoke for awhile
| Henry Maxwell, standing there where
| the faces lifted their intense gaze into
his, felt what he had already felt be-
| fore, strange setting back out of the
nineteenth century into the first, when
the disciples had all things in common,
and a spirit of fellowship must have
flowed freely between them such as the
| First church of Raymond had never
known. How much had his church
membership known of this fellowship
| in daily interests before this little com
pany had begun to do as Jesus would
do? 1t was with difficulty that he
thought Of his present age and its sur
roundings. The same thought was pres
ent with all the rest also. There was an
unspoken comradeship such as they had
never known. 1t was present with them
while Virginia was speaking and dur
ing the silence that followed. If it had
been defined by any one of them, il
would perhaps have taken some such
shape as this:
"If shall in the course of my obedi
ence to my promise meet with loss OF
trouble II tn world, l can 3spend upor
the genuine. practical syn. .iy and
fellowship of any other Christian in this
room who has with me made the pledge
to do all things by the rule, What
would Jesus do?'
All this the distinct wave of spiritua
power expressed. 1t had the effect thai
physical miracle may have had or
the early disciples in giving them &
feeling of confidence in their Lord thai
helped them to face loss and martyrdon
with courage and even joy.
Before they went away this time
there were several condolences like those
of Edward Norman. Some of the younl
men told of the loss of places owing t.
their honest obedience to their promise
Alexander Powers spoke briefly of the
fact that the commission had promised
to take action at the earliest date pos
sible,
He was already at his old work O
telegraphy. 1t was significant fac
that since his action in resigning hi
position neither his wife nor daughte
had appeared in public. No one bu
himself knew the bitterness of that fam
lily enlargement and misunderstanding
of the higher motive. Yet many of tn
disciples present in the meeting carried
similar burdens There were thing
which they could not talk about Henri,
Maxwell. from his knowledge of hi
church people, could almost certainl
| l,pOw that ohn1inpca to this pledoa IN,