The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-05-01

disgust. Il may be pretty bad, but I've
not got so low as that"
"Then your only motive was hun
gerg"
"That was all Enough, amt it?
1--WE can't discuss the matter here"
said Philip. He hesitated, rose and
stood there looking at the man, who sat
now with his head resting on his arms,
which were folded across his knees.
Two or three persons came out of
street near by and walked past. Phil
ip knew them and said good evening.
They thought he was helping some
drunken man, thing he had often
done, and they went along without
stopping. Again the street was de-
serted.
'What will you do now? Where will
you go?"
"God knows. I am an outcast on his
sarth!"
Have you NO home?"
Home! Yes; the gutter, the street,
the bottom of the river"
my brotherr' Philip laid his hand
on the mans shoulder. "Come home
stay with me for awhile"
1t was all said so calmly. so lovingly,
70 honestly. that the man softened un-
der it. A tear rolled over his cheek.
He brushed his hand over his eyes. 1t
had been long time since any one had
called him brother"
Gomez Philip reached out his hand
nd =, 10 rise fo
gered and might have fallen if Philip
had not supported him. Il am faint
| and dizzy" he said.
Courage, man! My home is not far
off. We shall soon be there" His
| companion was silent. AS they came
| up to the door Philip said, Il haven't
! asked your name, but it might save a
/ little awkwardness if 1 knew it."
"William -" Philip did not hear
the last name, 1t was spoken in such a
low voice.
Mrs. Strong at once set food upon
the table, and then she and Philip with
L. true delicacy busted themselves in an
other room so as not to watch the
hungry man while he ate. When he
had satisfied his hunger, Philip show
| ed him the little room where the
Brother Man" had staid one night.
"You may make it your own as long
as you WILL" Philip said. You may
look upon it as simply part Of what
has been given us to be used for the
Fathers children"
The man seemed dazed by the re
suit of his encounter with the preach
er He murmured something about
thanks. He was evidently very mucf
worn, and the excitement Of the even
ing had given place to an appearance
of detection that alarmed Philip. Aftel
few words he went out and left thu
man, who said that he felt very drOw
sy.
81 believe he is going to have a fe
yer or something" Mr.. Strong said t.
his wife as he Joined her in the othe
room. He related his meeting with th
man, making very light of the attacl
and indeed eXcusing it on the groun'
of his desperate condition.
His fear was realized. The mex
morning he found his lodger in tn
clutch of fever. Before night he wa
delirious. The doctor came and pro
nounced him dangerously Ill. Ant
Philip, with the burden of his worl
weighing heavier on him every me
ment, took up this additional load an
prayed his Lord to give him strengt
to carry it and save another soul.
1t was at the time of this event l
Mr.. Strong's life that another occur
, red which had its special bearing upo
the crisis of all his life.
The church was dear to his though
| loved by him with love that onl
very few of the members understood
In spite of his apparent failure to rous
them to a conception of their duty as b
saw it, he was confident that the spir
= Of God would accomplish the miracl
: which he could not do. Then theI
r were those in Calvary church wh
sympathized heartily with him an
were ready to follow his leadership.
@ So he began to plan for a series {
q Sunday night services different fro
. anything Milton had ever known. H
\ life in the tenement district and b
r growing knowledge of the labor worl
= had convinced him of the fact tn;
r the church was missing its opportun
ty in not graphing with the profile
o as it existed in Milton. 1t seemed
J. him that the first step to successf
! solution of that problem was for tt
church and the workingman to G
7 together upon some common platfor
for a better understanding. He a
Il cordingly planned for a series of Su
day night services, in which his OF
~ great purpose was to unite the chur'
and the labor unions in a scheme
y mutual helpfulness. His plan w:
very simple. He invited into the NEE
ing one or two thoughtful leaders
,, the mill men and asked them to sta
% in the plainest terms the exact conc
- ton of affairs in the labor world fro
their standpoint. Then he, for t
church, took up their statements, the
complaints or the reasons for the
y differences with capital and answer
" them from the Christian standpoint
% what would Christ advise under t
r. circumstances? He had different su
o. jects presented on different evening
70 One night it was reasons why the m
ID men were not in the church. Anoth
night it was the demand of men
in better houses and how to get the