The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-10
Virginia asked question. She had
followed Mr.. Norman's confession with

AOAAO'
the most intense eagerness.
"Do you mean that Christian daily
ought to be endowed with large sum.
like a Christian college. in order to
make it pay2''
'"That is exactly what l mean. I
have laid out plans for putting into The
News such a variety of material in
such strong and truly interesting
way. that it would more than make up
tor whatever was absent from it's col
umns in the way of un-Christian mat
ter, but my plans called for very large
outlay of money. l am very confident
that Christian daily such as Jesus
would approve, containing only what
he would print, can be made to succeed
financially if it is planned to the right
lines, but it will take large sum of
money to work out the plans
"How much do you thinkf' asked
Virginia quietly.
Edward Norman looked at her keen
~, and his face flushed a moment as an
idea OF Virginias purpose crossed his
mind. He had known her when she was
little girl in the Sunday school. and
he had been on infinite relations in
business with her father
81 should say half million dollars
in IL town like Raymond could be well
spent in the establishment of paper
such as we have in mind, he answered.
and his voice trembled little The
keen look on Edward Norman s grizzled
face flashed out with 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.
'sThen, said Virginia. speaking as
If the thought were fully considered.
81 am ready to put that amount of
money into the paper on the one condi-
ton. of course, that it be carried on as
1t has been begun.
'"Thank Godp' 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 an act of great gen
crosby or philanthropy l have come
to know lately that the money which
have called my own is not my own.
but Gods. If 1. as a steward of his see
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 administra-
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
the Christian side You all know that
all the other papers are for the saloon.
AS long as the saloon exists the work
OF rescuing dying souls at the Rectangle
is carried on at terrible disadvantage
What can Mr.. Gray do with his gospel
meetings when half his converts are
drinking people, daily tempted and en-
tlced 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 have great con-
fdence in Mr.. Norman ability. l have
not seen his plans but have the con
fdence that he has in making the paper
succeed if it is carried forward on a
large enough scale.
81 cannot believe that Christian in
FOL b,
to un-Christian intelligence, even when
it comes to making the paper pay fnan-
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 a wonderful thing
What have done with Gods money
all these years but crafty my own
selfish, physical, personal desires? What
can do with the rest of it but try to
make some reparation for what l have
stolen from God3 That is the way /
look at it now. I believe it is what
Jesus would do
Over the lecture room swept that I'M
seen yet distinctly felt wave of Divine
presence. No 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 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
dot 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, it