The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-14

I1CulaI EiGuil6I. IL We "c1c W 1SSiSo1
our charges for the purpose Of going to
Bombay or Hongkong or any place in
Africa, the churches and the people
would exclaim at the herois1a Of mis-
sions. Why should it seem SO great a
thing if we have been led to give our
lives to help rescue the heather and the
lost of our own city In the way we are
going to try is it, then. sucn a tre-
mendous event tl1at two Christian min
isters should be not Only willing but
eager to live close to the misery Of the
world in order to know it and realize
it? Is it such rare thing that love Of
humanity should fnd this particular
form of expression in the rescue OF
souls?'
However the bishop may have salts
fed himself that there ought to be moth
ing so remarkable about it all, the pub
lie continued to talk and the churches
to record their astonishment that two
such men, so prominent in the ministry,
should leave their comfortable homes,
voluntarily resign their pleasant social
positions and enter upon life of hard
ship, of self denial and actual suffering
Christian America! Is it a reproach
upon the form Of our discipleship that
the exhibition of actual suffering for
Jesus on the part of those who walk in
his steps always provokes astonishment,
as at the sight of something very un-
usual?
Nazareth Avenue church parted from
its pastor with regret for the most part,
although the regret was modified by
some relief oD inc part of those who had
refused to take the pledge. DR.. Bruce
carried with him the respect of men
who, entangled in business in such a
way that obedience to the pledge would
have ruined them, still held in their
deeper, better natures genuine admira-
tion for courage and consistency. They
had known DR.. Bruce many years as a
kindly, safe man, but the thought of
him in the light of sacrifice of this sort
was not familiar to them AS fast as
they understood it they gave their pas
tor the credit Of being absolutely true
to his recent convictions as to what fol-
loving Jesus meant. Nazareth Avenue
church has never lost the impulse of
that movement started by Dr. Bruce.
Those who went with him in making
the promise breathed into the church
the very breath of divine life and are
continuing that life giving work at the
present time.
It was fall again, and the city faced
another hard winter. The bishop one
afternoon came out Of the settlement
and walked around the block, intending
to go on visit to one Of his new friends
in the district. He had walked about
four blocks when he was attracted by
shop that looked different from the 9th
ers. The neighborhood was still quite
new to the bishop, and every day he
discovered some strange spot or stun
bled upon some unexpected humanity.
The place that attracted his notice
was small house close by Chinese
laundry There were two windows in
the front. very clean, and that was re-
markable, to begin with. Then inside
the window was tempting display Of
cookery, with prices attached to the
various articles. that made the bishop
wonder somewhat. for he was familiar
by this time with many facts in the
life Of the people once unknown to him.
AS he stood looking at the windows
the door between them opened. and Fe-
licia Sterling came out
'sFelicia!" said the bishop. ''When
did you move into my parish without
my knowledge?''
GLOW did you find me so soon?'
asked Felicia.
why. don't you know? These are
the only clean windows in the block. y
81 believe they are, !" replied Felicia,
with a laugh that did the bishop good
to hear.
"But why have you dared to come to
Chicago without telling me, and how
have you entered my diocese without
my knowledge?" asked the bishop, and
Felicia looked so like that beautiful,
clean, educated, refined world he once
knew that he might be pardoned for
seeing in her something of the old para
disc, although. to speak truth for the
bishop he had no desire to so back to
it again.
"Wen, dear bishop" said Felicia,
who had always called him so when
ever they had met. 81 know how over
whelmed you were with your work. l
did not want to burden you with my
plans, and. besides, I am going to offer
you my services. Indeed I was just on
my way to see you and ask your advice
| am settled here for the present with
Mrs. Bascon, saleswoman who rents
our three rooms, and with one of Ra-
chefs music pupils. who is being helped
to course in violin by Virginia Page.
She is from the people, - continued Fe-
licia, using the words from the peo-
pie SO graveiy and unconsciously that
Che bishop smiled, ''and am keeping
house for her and at the same time be-
ginning an experiment in pure food for