The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-04-27

and I cannot Danish the feeling that IL
I accept the call to Fairview should
always be haunted by that ghost Of
Duty murdered and run away from
which would make me unhappy In all
my future work. Dear little woman"
Philip went on as he drew his wife's
head down and kissed her tenderly,
while tears Of disappointment fell from
her-"little woman, you know you
are the dearest Of all earthly beings to
me. And my soul tells me the reason
you loved me enough to share earth's
troubles with me was that you knew
could not be a coward in the face Of
my duty, my conscience and my God.
Is 1t not soY'
The answer came In sob Of mingled
anguish and happiness:
Eyes, Philip, but II was only for your
sake wanted you to leave this work.
1t is killing you. Yet"-and she lifted
her head, with a smile through all the
tears-"yet. Philip, whittier thou goest
1 will go, and where thou lo.lgest l
will lodge; thy people shall. my pco-
ple and thy God my God. Where thou
diest will 1 die, and there will l be
buried; the Lord do SO to me and mora
also II aught but death part thee and
me-"
There were people in Milton who
could not understand how q person of
such refined and even naturally expen-
sive and luxurious habits as the minis
ter's wife possessed could endure the
life he had planned for himself and his
idea of Christian living in general.
Philip could have told them II he had
been 30 minded. And this scene could
have revealed 1t to any one who knew
the minister and his wife as they really
were. That was a sacred scene to hus-
band and wife, something that belong
ed to them, one of those things which
the world did not know and had no
business to know.
When the first Sunday of another
month had come, Mr.. Strong felt quite
well again. A rumor of his call to
Fairview had gone out. and to the few
Intimate friends who asked him about
1t he did not deny, but he said little.
The time was precious to him. He
plunged into the work with an enthu-
siasm and purpose which sprang
from his knowledge that he was at last
really gaining some influence in the
tenement district.
The condition of affairs in that neigh
borhOOd was growing worse instead OF
better The amount of vice, drunken
ness, crime and brutality made his SEN
sitive heart Quiver a hundred times q
day as he went his way through 1t all.
His study of the whole question led
him to the conviction that one of the
great needs of the place was a new
home life for the people. The tene-
ments were owned and rented by men
of wealth and influence. Many Of
these men were In the church. Dis
couraged as he had 80 often been In
his endeavor to get the moneyed men
of the congregation to consecrate their
property to Christian uses, Philip came
up to that first Sunday with a new
phase Of the same great subject which
pressed 80 hard for utterance that he
could not keep 1t back.
As he faced the church this morning
he faced an audience composed of very
conflicting elements. Representatives
of labor were conspicuous In the gal
leries. People whom he had assisted
at one time and another were scattered
through the house, mostly In the back
seats under the choir gallery. His own
membership was represented by men
who, while opposed to his idea of the
Christian life and his Interpretation OF
Christ, nevertheless continued to &c
and hear him preach. The incident OF
the sections application for member
ship and his rejection by vote had also
told somewhat in favor of the minister
Many preachers would have resigned
after such a scene. He had said his
| say about it and then refused to speak
or be interviewed by the papers on the
subject. What 1t cost him in suffering
was his own secret. But this morning
as he rose to give his message In the
person of Christ, the thought Of the
continued suffering and shame and
degradation In the tenement district
the thought of the great wealth in the
possession Of the church which might
be used almost to transform the lives
| Of thousands Of people II the men Of
riches In Calvary church would only
see the kingdom Of God in its demands
on them this voiced his cry to th'
people and gave his sermon the signifi
canoe ana sOlemn:ty Of prophets in
spiratiOn.
"Seer' he exclaimed as he went OF
after drawing a vivid picture of tn
miserable condition of life In tn
buildings which could not be calle'
homes, ''see what q change could b.
wrought by the use of few Thousand
dollars down there. And here thi
morning in this house men are sittin
who own very many of those tene
ments, who are getting the rent fron
them every month, who could, withou
suffering one single sorrow, withou
depriving themselves of one necessit
or even luxury of life, SO change tn
surroundings of these people that the
would enjoy the physical life Co
gave them and be able to see his Low
in the lives of his disciples. Oh, m
brethren, is not this your opportunity
What is money compared with human
ity? What is the meaning of our dii
cipleship unless We are using wha
God has given us to build up his kinl
dom? The money represented by thi
churtN could rebuild the entire tent
ment district. The men who own thes
buildings"- He paused as If he ha
suddenly become aware that he migt
be saying an unwise thing. TheI
after brief hesitation, as II he ha
satisfied his own doubt, he repeated
''The men who own these tenements-