Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1900-11-18

rOared anOub the settlement. The awful current of human lifo was flowing in a great stream past the settlement house. and those who had work were hurrying to 1t i'll q vast throng, but thousands were going down in the midst of that current, clutching at last hopes, dying, literally in a land of plenty, because the boon of physical toil was denied them
 There were various comments on the part of the residents. One of the new corners, a young man preparing for the ministry, said; Why didn't the man apply to one of the charity organiza- tions for help or to the eityg It certain ly is not true that, even at it's worst. this city full of Christian people would knowingly allow any one to go without food or fuel '
 No; l don't believe that it would, " replied Dr. Bruce. "But we don t know the history of that man case He may have asked for help So often before that finally, ill moment of desperation, he determined to help himself. I have known such cases this winter. !"
 "Fhat is hot the terrible fact in this case, said the bishop. .sThe awful thing about 1t is the fact that the man had not had any work for six months. D
 'fWhy don [ such people go out into the country '" asked the divinity stu dent.
 Some one at the table who had made Q special study of the opportunities for work ill the country answered the ques- tion. According to tue investigator, the places that were possible for work in the country were exceedingly few for steady employment, and in almost ev- cry case they were offered only to men without families. Suppose a man $ wife and children wefe ill How could ho move or get into the eountfy2 How could he pay even the meager sum nec- essary to move his few geods2 There were q thousand reasons probably why this particular man did not go else where.
 Meanwhile there are the wife and children, said Mrs. Bruce. ssHow aw- full Where is the place, did you aay2"
 The bishop took up the paper.
 "Why, it's only three blocks from here. This is the Penrose district I be- lieve Penrese himself owns half of the houses in that block. They arc among the worst houses in this part of the city, and Penroso is q church member.
 Yes; he belongs to the Nazareth Av- enue church ]" replied Dr. Bruce in low voice.
 The bishop rose from the table the very figure of divine wrath He had opened his lips to say what seldom came from him i'll the way of dennncia- tion when the bell rang and one of the residents went to the door.
 "Tell Dr. Bruce and the bishop want to see them. =Penrose is the name Clarence penrose. Dr. Bruce knows me-
 The family at the breakfast table heard every word The bishop exchanged significant look with Dr. Bruce, and the two men instantly left the table and went out into the hall
 "Come ill here, Penrose, said Dr. Bruce, and he and the bishop ushered the visitor into the reception room. They closed the door and were alone.
 Clarence Penrose was one of the most elegant looking men i'll Chicago. He came from an aristocratic family of great wealth and social distinction He was exceedingly wealthy and had largen property holdings in different parts of the city. He had been q member of Dr. Bruce's church all his life.
 r.. L. Il. l, ,{y. former pastor with q look of agitation on his countenance that showed plainly the mark of some unusual experience. He was very pale and his lip trembled as he spoke When had Clarence Pen rose ever before yielded to such strange emotion of feeling?
 "This affair of the shooting you un- derstand You have read it. The family lived in one of my houses Ii is terri ble event. But that is not the primary cause of my visit He stammered and looked anxiously into the faces of ths other two men. The bishop still looked stern. He could not help feeling that this elegant man of leisure could have done a great deal to alleviate the hor- TOTS in his tenements, possibly have pre- vented this tragedy, if he had sacrificed some of his personal ease and luxury to better the condition of the people in his district.
 Penrose turned to Dr Bruce
 "Doctor, he exclaimed. and there was almost child s terror in his voice "I came to say that have had an ex- perience so unusual that nothing but the supernatural can explain it. You remember I was one of those who took the pledge to do as Jesus would do. 1 thought at the time poor fool that 1 was, that I had all along been doing the Christian thing. gave literally out of my abundance to tho church and char ity. never gave myself to cost me any suffering. have been living in per feet hell of contradictions ever since took the pledge. My little girl Diana, you remember, also took the pledge