St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-23

stand But what would Jesus do? Is
that what you mean by following his
steps2 1t seems to me sometimes as II
the people in the city churches had good
clothes and nice houses to live in, and
money to spend for luxuries, and could
20 away on summer vacations and all
that, while the people outside OF the
churches, thousands of them, | mean,
die in tenements, and walk the streets
for Jobs, and never have piano or q
picture in the house, and grow up in
misery and drunkenness and sim The
man gave queer lurch over in the dl-
rection of the communion table and laid
one grimy hand on it. His hat fell upon
the carpet at his feet A stir went
through the congregation. DR.. West
half rose from his seat, but as yet the
silence was unbroken by any voice or
movement worth mentioning in the
audience. The man passed his other
hand across his eyes and then, without
any warning, fell heavily forward on
his face, full length, up the aisle.
Henry Maxwell spoke "We will con-
slider the service dismissed. He was
down the pulpit stairs and kneeling by
the PROSTATE form before any one else.
The audience instantly rose, and the
aisle was crowded. Dr. West pro-
nounced tho man alive He had tainted
away.
"Some heart trouble" the doctor
also muttered as he helped to carry him
into the pastors study.
Henry Maxwell and group of his
church members remained some time
in the study. The man lay on the couch
there and breathed heavily. When the
question of what to do with him came
up the minister insisted upon taking
him to his house He lived near by and
had an extra room. Rachel Winslow
said: "Mother has no company at pres
ent. l am sure we would be glad to
give him place with us " She looked
strangely agitated. No one noticed it
particularly. They were all excited over
the strange event, the strangest that
First church people could remember.
But the minister insisted en- taking
charge CT the man, and when carriage
came the unconscious but living form
was carried to his house, and with the
entrance of that humanity into the
minister S spare room new chapter in
Henry Maxwell life began, and yet no
one, himself least of all, dreamed Of the
remarkable change it was destined to
make in all his after definition of Chris
tian discipleship.
The event created great sensation
in the First church parish. People
talked of nothing else for week. 1t
was the general impression that the
man had wandered into the church in
condition of mental disturbance caused
by his troubles and that all the time he
was talking he was in strange de-
lirium of fever and really ignorant of
his surroundings. That was the most
charitable construction to put upon his
action. 1t was the general agreement
also that there was a singular absence
of anything bitter or complaining in
what the man had said. He had through
out spoken in mild, apologetic tone,
almost as if he were one of the congre-
cation seeking for light on a very diff
cult subject.
The third day after his removal to
the minister S house there was marked
change in his condition. The doctor
spoke of it and offered no hope. Satur-
day morning he still fingered, although
he had rapidly failed as the week drew
near to its close. Sunday morning just
before the clock struck he rallied and
asked if his child had come. The min
lister had sent for her as soon as he had
been able to secure her address from
some letters found in the mans pocket.
He had been conscious and able to talk
coherently only few moments since
his attack. 1.-THE child is coming. She
will be here, Henry Maxwell said as
he sat there, his face showing marks of
the strain of the weeks vigil, for he
had insisted on sitting up nearly every
night.
81 shall never see her IN this world, "
the man whispered. Then he uttered
with great difficulty the words "You
have been good to me. Somehow feel
as if it was what Jesus would do. y
After few moments he turned his
head slightly, and before Henry Max.
well could realize the fact the doctor
said, He is gone. "
The Sunday morning that dawned or
the city of Raymond was exactly like
the Sunday of the week before. Henry
Maxwell entered his pulpit to face one
of the largest congregations that hat
ever crowded First church. He wa,
haggard and looked as if he had JUS
risen from long illness. His wife wa
at home with the little girl who hat
come on the morning train an hour aft
er her father died. He lay in that spar
room, his troubles over, and Henr,
Maxwell could see the face as he opene,
the Bible and arranged his differen
notices on the side of the desk as he ha,
been in the habit of doing for ten years
The service that morning contained
new element No one could remembe
when the minister had preached in tn
morning without notes. As matter c
, fact, he had done so occasionally whe
, he first entered the ministry, but for
long time he had carefully written OF
, every word of his morning sermon an
nearly always his evening discourse {
, we'll 1t cannot be said that his sermo