The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-16

By REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON,
.sNow, Philip, l don't see why, in

'sNow, Philip, l don't see why, in
choice of this kind, you don't do as
you feel inclined to do and accept the
call that pleaseS you most Why should
| ministers be doing what they ought in
stead of what they like? You never
please yourself"
"Weil, Sarah" replied Philip good
naturedly. this is the way of it. The
| church in Elmdale is in Il university
town. The atmosphere of the place is
scholastic. You know l passed four
years of student life there. With the
! exception of the schools, there are not
a thousand people in the village.
| quiet, sleepy, duh, retired, studious
! place. | love the memory of it. |
| could go there as the pastor of the
| Ellndale church and preach to an au-
| dience of college boys eight months in
| the year and to about so refined, schol-
arly people the rest of the time. l
! could indulge my taste for reading and
writing and enjoy a quiet pastorage
there to the end of my days"
''Then; Philip, 1 don't see why you
don't reply to their call and tell them
! y
| opee to Elmdale and live and die there.
1t is a beautiful place, and l am sure
we could live very comfortably on the
salary and the vacation. There is no
vacation mentioned in the other call"
''Rut, on the other hand" continued
the minister, almost as if he were alone
and arguing with himself and had not
heard his wife's words, ION the other
hand, there is Milton, a manufacturing
| town of 10000 people, mostly opera
tives. 1t is the center of much that be-
| longs to the stirring life of the times in
which we live. The labor question is
| there in the lives of those operatives.
There are seven churches of different
| denominations, to the best of my
| knowledge, all striving after popularity
and power. There is much hard, stern
work to be done in Milton by the true
church of Christ, to apply his teachings
to mems needs, and somehow l cannot
help hearing voice say: Philip Strong,
go to Milton and work for Christ.
Abandon your dream of parish where
you may indulge your love of scholar
ship in the quiet atmosphere of uni
versity town and plunge into the hard,
disagreeable, but necessary work of
this age, in the atmosphere of physical
labor, where great questions are being
discussed and the masses are engross-
ed in the terrible struggle for liberty
and home, where physical life thrusts
itself out into society, trampling down
the spiritual and intellectual and de-
manding of the church and the preach
er the fighting powers of giants of God
to restore in mems souls a more just
proportion of the value of the life of
! man on earth
$50, you see, Sarah" the minister
went on after little pause, Il want to
so to Elmdale, but the Lord probably
wants me to go to Milton"
Mrs. Strong was silent. She had the
utmost faith in her husband that he
would do exactly what he knew he
ought to do when once he decided
what it was. Philip Strong was also
silent a moment. AT last he said
Don't you think SO, Sarah?"
81 don't see how we can always tell
exactly what the Lord wants us to do
How can you tell that he doesn't want
you to go to Eimdale? Are there not
great opportunities to influence young
, student life in a university town? Viii
f not some one go to Elmdale and be
come pastor of that church!'
+ mo doubt there is a necessary work
q to be done there. The only question is
= Am l the one to do it or is the call tC
Milton more imperative? The more
think of it, the more l am convinced
that | must go to Milton
e 'Then." said the minister's wife, ris
= ing suddenly and speaking with {
o mock seriousness that her husband
d fully understood. Il don't see why yoJ
n called NE up here to decide what yoI
h had evidently settled before you calle(
+ me. Do you consider that fair treat
ment, sir? 1t will serve you right il
!. those biscuits l put in the oven whel
u you called me are fallen as completed!
+ as Babylon. And 1 viii make you ea
< half dozen of them, sir, to punisl
you. We cannot afford to waste any
thing these times"
WHAT" cried Philip slyly, not ol
s.. GOO a year. But I'll eat the biscuits
They can't possibly be any worse thai
those we had a week after we wer
married-the ones we bought from tn
1 bakery. you remember Philip addet
| hastily.
I You saved yourself just in time
II then" replied the minister's wife. Sh
/ came close up to the desk and in Il dii
ferent tone said, "philip, you know
l. believe in you, don't your
% YES" said Philip simply. 81 al
y sure you do. l am impulsve and in
/ practical; but heart and soul and bod
III and mind, l simply want to do the wi
of God. Is it not so?''
Il know it is she said, 'and if yo
l. go to Milton it will be because yo
u want TO do his will more than to pleas
yourself"
10 Eyes. Then shall answer the lette
l. tonight?"
u YES if you have decided, with III
=, help, of course"
~ "Of course, you foolish creature, 20
know l could not settle it without yol
And as for the biscuits
II GAS for the biscuits said the mini
ter's wife, they will be settled witt
- out me- too, if don't go down and st
" to them She hurried down stairs, an