The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-04-06
CHAPTER X.

One day at the close of a month
Philip came into the coZy parsonage,
and instead of going right up to his
study, as his habit was when his out
side work was done for the day, he
threw himself down on couch by the
open fire. His wife was at work in
the other room, but she came in, and,
seeing him lying there, inquired what
was the matter.
Nothing, Sarah, with me. Only
I'm sick at heart with the sight and
knowledge of all this wicked towns
sin and misery"
do you have to carry it all on your
shoulders, Philip"
Yes replied Philip almost fiercely
1t was not that either. Only his reply
was like a great sob of conviction that
he must bear something of these bur-
dens. He could not help it.
Mrs. Strong did not say anything for
a moment. Then she asked:
Don't you think you take it too seri-
ously, PhilipY
"What?'
"Other peoples wrongs. You are
not responsible"
Am l not? am my brothers. keep
er. What quantity of guilt may I not
carry into the eternal kingdom If l
do not do what can to save him! Oh,
how can men be so selfish? Yet am
only one person. l cannot prevent all
this suffering alone"
"Of course you cannot, Philip. You
wrong yourself to take yourself to
task so severely for the sins of others.
But what has stirred you up so this
timer Mrs. Strong understood Philip
well enough to know that some partic-
seldom yielded to such despondency
without some immediate practical rea-
son.
Philip sat up on the couch and clasp
ed his hands over his knee with the
eager earnestness that characterized
him when he was reused.
Sarah, this town slumberS on the
smoking crest of volcano. There are
more than $4,000 people here in Milton
out of work. A great many of them
are honest, temperate people who have
saved up little. But it is nearly gone.
The mills are shut down and, on the
authority of men that ought to know,
shut down for all winter. The same
condition of affairs is true in a more OF
less degree in the entire state and
throughout the country and even the
world. People are suffering today in
this town for food and clothing and
fuel through no fault of their own
The same thing is true of thousands
and even hundreds of thousands all
over the world. 1t is an age that calls
for heroes, martyrs, servants, saviors
And right here in this town, where dis
tress walks the streets and actual want
already has it's clutch on many a poor
devil, society goes Oh giving its eX
pensive parties and living in its little
round of selfish pleasure just as If the
volcano was downy little bed of roses
for it to go to sleep in whenever Il
wearies of the pleasure and wishes tt
retire to happy dreams. Oh, but the
bubble will burst one of these days
and them
Philip swept his hand upward with {
| fine gesture and sank back upon tn,
| couch, groaning.
Don't you eXaggerateW The min
ister's wife put the question gently.
Not a bit! Not bit! All true.
am not one of the French revolution
| fellows, always Juggling in blood an(
destruction and prophesying ruin t.
| the nation and the world if it doeSn'
| gee and haw the way l like it to. Blu
| l tell you, Sarah, it takes no prophe
| to see that a man who is hungry ant
| out Of work is a dangerous man t.
| have around. And it takes no extraor
| binary sized heart to swell little will
| righteous wrath when in such times al
these people go right on with their use
less luXuries of living and spend Al
| much on a single evenings entertain
ment as would provide a comfortable
| living for a whole month to some de
serving family"
| How do you know they do?"
"Well, I'll tell you. I've figured
| out l will leave it to any one of goo,
judgment that any one of these project
ed parties mentioned here in the evenin
| paper''-Philip smootbed the paper Ol
| the head of the couch-"any one o
them will cost in the neighborhood o
S10O to $3.50. Look here! Here's tn
Goldens' party-members of Calvar
church. They will spend at least 81
to $50 in flowers, and refreshment
will cost $50 more, and music anothe
$25 and incidentals $25 extra, and S
on. Is that right, Sarah, these times
and as people ought to live now?"
"But some one gets the benefit of a