The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-01-25
BY REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON,
COPYRIGHT, 1899, b. The Advance P,4oltsntn0 %


i ought TO be done.
/ philip. | am sure your work here
win be blessed Don't you think SOP
Il know It will replied Philip, with
/ the assurance of very positive but
/ spiritually minded man. He never
! thought his Master was honored by
j asking him for small things or doubt.
4 ing the power OF Christianity TO do
\ great things
I And always when be said Il" be
simply meant. not Philip Strong. but
Christ in Philip Strong To deny the
power and worth of that incarnation
was to his mind. not humility, but
/ treason.
The Sunday following Philip made
this announcement to the people:
beginning with next Sunday morn.
Ing. ] shall give the first Of a series Of
monthly talks on Christ and Modern
Society 1t will be my object in these
talks to suppose Christ himself as the
one speaking to modern society on it's
sins, its needs, its opportunities, its
responsibilities, its everyday life. l
shall try to be entirely loving and just
and courageous in giving what / be-
lieye Christ himself would give you If
he were the pastor of Calvary church
in Milton today. So, during the talks, l
wish you would, with me, try to see if
you think Christ would actually say
what shall say in his place. If Christ
Were in Milton today, l believe he
would speak to us about a good many
things in Milton, and he would speak
very plainly, and in many cases he
might seem to be severe. But it would
be for our good. OF course am but
human in my weakness. l shall make
mistakes. shall probably say things
Christ would not say. But always go
ing to the source of all true help, the
spirit of truth, / shall, as best a man
may, speak as l truly believe Christ
would if he were your pastor. These
talks will be given on the first Sunday
Of every month. l cannot announce
the subjects, for they will be chosen
as the opportunities arise"
During the week Philip spent several
hours of each day in learning the facts
concerning the town. One of the first
things he did was to buy an accurate
map of the place. He hung it up on
the wall of his study and in after days
found occasion to make good use of it.
He spent afternoons walking over the
town. He noted with special interest
and earnestness the great brick mills
by the river, five enormous structures
with immense chimneys, out of which
poured great volumes of smoke. Some
thing about the mills fascinated him.
They seemed like monsters of some
sort, grim, unfeeling, but terrible. AS
one walked by them he seemed to feel
the throbbing of the hearts of five crea-
lures. The implanted tenements, ugly
In their unfailing similarity, affected
Philip with a sense of almost anger.
He had keen and truthful taste In
matters of architecture, and those
boxes of houses offended every artistic
and homelike feeling in him. Coming
home one day past the tenements, he
found himself in an unknown street,
and for the curiosity of it he undertook
to count the saloons on the street in
ole block. There were over II. There
was policeman on the corner as Phil
ip reached the crossing, and he in
quired Of the officer il he could tell him
who owned the property in the block
containing the saloons.
II believe most of the houses belong
to Mr.. Winter sir"
"Mr. William Winter" asked Philip.
Yes, / think that's the name. He is
the largest owner in the Ocean mill
yOnder."
Philip thanked the man and went on
toward home. William Winter" he
exclaimed. rs it possible that man
will accept a revenue from the renting
of his property to these vestibules Of
hell? That man. One of the leading
members in my church! Chairman Of
the board of trustees and leading 'citi-
zen Of the placei 1t does not seem pos
sibler'
But before the week was out Philip
had discovered facts that made his
heart burn with shame and his mind
rouse with indignation. Property in
the town which was being used for sa-
looms, gambling houses and dens Of
wickedness was owned in large part
by several of the most prominent mem
bers of his church. There was no
doubt of the fact. Philip, whose very
nature was frankness itself, resolved
to go to these men and have a plain
talk with them about it. 1t seemed to
him like a monstrous evil that Chris
tan believer, church member, should
be renting his property to these dens Of
vice and taking the money. He called
on Mr.. Winter, but he was out Of town
and would not be back until Saturday
night He went to see another member
who was a large owner in one Of the
mills and a heavy property owner. 1t
was not a pleasant thing to do, but
Philip boldly stated the precise reason
for his call and asked his member IL 1t