The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-03-15

tory meeting there Is possibility that
the number voting against receiving
the applicant would have been much
larger than those who voted for him.
Under all these circumstances l
have deemed 1t my duty to say what
have thus far said and to ask the
church to take the action | now pro-
7 pose. We are met here this morning In
full membership. Here is soul just
led out of the darkness by the spirit Of
truth. He is one known to many of
you as an honest worthy man, for
many years faithful in the discharge Of
his duties in this house. There Is no
/ Christian reason why he should be de-
! MED fellowship around this table. /
/ wish, therefore. to ask the members of
I the church 20 vote again on the ac-
I ceptance or rejection of Henry Roland,
/ disciple of Jesus, who has asked for
! permission to this body of Christ in
his name. VIII all those in favor of
thus receiving our brother into the
great family Of faith signify it by rails
ing the right handT
, For a moment not a person in the
| church stirred. Every one seemed
smitten into astonished inaction by the
sudden proposal of the minister. Then
hands began TO go up. Philip counted
them, his heart beating with anguish
as he foresaw the coming result. He
waited minute-it seemed to many
like several minutes-and then said,
''All those opposed to the admission of
the applicant signify it by the same
sign"
Again there was the same significant,
reluctant pause, then half a dozen
hands went up in front of the church.
Instantly from almost every part of
ne house hands went up in numbers
that almost doubled those who had
voted in favor of admission. From the
gallery on the sides, where several of
Philips workmen friends sat, n hiss
arose. 1t was slight, but heard by the
entire congregation. Philip glanced up
there, and it instantly ceased.
Without another word he stepped
down from the platform and began to
read the list of those who had been re-
ceived into church membership. He
had almost reached the end of it when
a person whose name was called last
rose from his seat near the front,
where all the newly received members
were in the habit of sitting together,
and, turning partly around so as to
face the congregation and still address
Philip, he said:
''Mr. Strong, do not feel as if, after
what has taken place here this morn
ing, l could unite with this church.
This man who has been excluded from
church membership is the son of wo-
man born into slavery on the estate of
one of my relatives. That slave wo-
man once nursed her master through
n terrible illness and saved his life
This man, her son, was then a little
child. But in the strange changes that
have gone on since the war the son of
the old master has been reduced to
poverty and obliged to work for liv-
ing. He is now in this town. He is
this very day lying upon a sick bed in
the tenement district. And this black
man has for several weeks out of his
small earnings helped the son of his
mothers master and cared for him
through his illness with all the devo-
ton of a friend.
II have only lately learned these
facts. But. knowing them as l do and
believing that he is as worthy to sit
about this table as any Christian here.
l cannot reconcile the rejection with
my own purpose to unite here. l
therefore desire to withdraw my APP
plication for membership here. Mr.
Strong, / desire to be baptized and par
take Of the communion as n disciple Of
Christ simply, not as a member of Cal
vary church. Can l do SOP
Philip replied in a choking voice,
You can" The man sat down. 1t
was not the place for any demonstra-
tion, but again from the gallery came
n slight but distinct note of applause.
AS before, it instantly subsidized as
Philip looked up. For a moment ev-
cry one held his breath and waited
for the minister's action. Philips face
was pale and stern. What his sensi-
tive nature suffered in that moment
no one ever knew, not even his wife,
who almost started from her seat,
fearing that he was about to faint.
For a moment there was a hesitation
about Philips manner so unusual with
him that some thought he was going to
leave the church. But he quickly call
ed on his will to assert its power, and,
taking up the regular communion serv-
ice, he calmly took charge of it as If
nothing out of the way had occurred.
He did not even allude to the morn
ing's incident in his prayers. Whatever
else the people might think of Philip
they certainly could find no fault with
his self possession. His conduct Of the
service on that memorable Sunday was
admirable.
When 1t was over, he was surround
ed by different ones who had taken
part either for or against the sexton.
But all the arguments and excuses and
comments on the affair could not re-
move the heartache from Philip. He
could not reconcile the action of the
church with the spirit of the church's
Master, Jesus, and when he finally
reached home and calmly reviewed the
events of the morning he was more
and more grieved for the church and
for his Master. 1t seemed to him that
a great mistake had been made and
that Calvary church had disgraced the
name of Christianity.
AS he had been in the habit of doing
since he moved into the neighborhood
of the tenements, Philip went out in
the afternoon to visit the sick and the
sorrowful. The shutting down Of the
mills had resulted in an immense
amount of suffering and trouble. AS