Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-25


Elmdale church and preach to an au-
dience Of college boys eight months inI
the year and to about so refined, schol-
arly people the rest Of the time. |
could indulge my taste for reading and
writing and enjoy quiet pastOrage
there to the end of my days"
Then. philip, | don't sec why YOU
don't reply to their call and tell them
you will accept. and we will move at
once to Elmdale and live and die there.
II is q beautiful place. and am sure
we could live very comfortably on the
salary and the vacation. There is no
vacation mentioned in the other call"
but. on the other hand" continued
the minister almost as if he were alone
and arguing with himself and had not
heard his wifeS words, ION the other
hand, there is Milton, IA 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. 10 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 | cannot
help hearing a voice say: I'hIiip Strong.
go to Milton and work for Christ.
Abandon your dream of a parish where
you may indulge your love of scholar
ship in the quiet atmosphere of Il uni
NcrSity town and plunge into tho hard.
diSagrccablp. but necessary work Of
this age. in the atmosphere Of physical
labor, whore great questions are being
discussed and the masses are engross-
ed in the terrible struggle for liberty
and home. where physical life TRUSTS
itself out into society. tramping down
the spiritual and intellectual and de-
handing of the church and the preach
or 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
so. YOU sec Sarah" the minister
went on after little pause, 81 want to
20 TO Elmdalc. 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?"
Il 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 80 to Elmdale: Are there not
great opportunities 10 influence young
student life in university town? Will
not some oBe go 10 Elmdale and be-
come pastor of that church,
mo doubt there is u necessary work
to be done there. The only question is,
Am / the one to do it or is the cell to
I Milton more imperative? The more
think of it, the more | am convinced
that must 90 to Milton"
Then" said the minister's wife. ris-
| ing suddenly and speaking with Il
mock seriousness that her husband
fully understood, Il don't see why you
called me up here to decide what you
had evidently settled before you called
me. Do you consider that fair treat
ment, sir? 1t will serve you right if
those biscuits l put in the oven when
you called me are fallen as completely
as Babylon. And | will make you eat
half Il dozen of them, sir, to punish
you. We cannot afford to waste any,
thing these tines
what" cried Philip slyly, mot on
$4,000 year. But III eat the biscuits.
They can't possibly be any worse than
those we had week after we were
married-the ones we bought from the
bakery. you remember" Philip added
hastily.
You saved yourself just in time,
then" replied the minister's wife. She
came close up 10 the desk and in diff
ferent tone eaid, philip. you know I
believe in you, don't you"
Yes" said Philip simply. 81 am
sure you do. am impulsive and i'm
practical; but, heart and soul and body
and mind, l simply want to do the will
Of God. Is it not sou
u krow it is" she said. land if you
60 to Milton it will be because you
want TO do his will more than to please
yourself"
''Yes. Then shall I answer the letter
tonight"
Yes, if you have decided. with my
help, Of course
"Of course, YOU foolish creature. you
know could not settle it without you
nd f.,r Ia,
''As for the biscuits" said the minis
ter's wife 'they will be settled with
out me, too, if don't 20 down and see
to them" She hurried down stairs, anc
Philip Strong. with Il smile and a sigh,
took up his pen and wrote replies 60
the calls he had received, refusing the
call to Elmdale and accepting the one
TO Milton. And so the strange story Of
a great hearted man really began.
When he had finished writing these
two letters, he wrote another, which
throws so much light on his character
and his purpose in going to Milton that
we will insert that in this story as be-
ing necessary to its full understanding
This is the letter;
My Dear Mfrcd-Two yoars ago. when We left
the seminary, Won remember We promised each
other is case either Of us left his present parish
he would LEI the other know at once. did not
suppose when came that | should leave so soon
but ! have Just written letter which means the
beginning Of a new life to me. The Calvar,