The true northerner., 1900-03-15


and uncompromising as he had meant
it to be. The effect of ii on his old pa
rishioner was instantaneous.
The hot blood mounted to the face of
the man who sat there, picture of
business activity in great city. Then
he grew pale, dropped his head on his
hands. and when he raised it again DIR.
Bruce was amazed to see tear roll
over his parishioner 8 face.
doctor. did you know that / took
the pledge that morning with the 9th
ers?'
Eyes, / remember.
'But you never knew how / have
been tormented over my failure to keep
it in this instance. That saloon prop
erty has been the temptation of the
devil to me. 1t is the best paying in
vestment at present that l have, and
yet it was only a minute before you
came in here that was in an agony of
remorse to think how | was letting
little earthly gain tempt me into denial
of the very Christ i had promised to
follow. l know well enough that he
would never rent property for such
purpose. There is no need, dear doctor,
for you to say word more. Clayton
held out his hand and DR.. Bruce grasped
it and shook il hard. After little he
went away, but it was a long time aft
erward that he learned all the truth
about the struggle that Clayton had
known. 1t was only part of the his
tory that belonged to Nazareth Avenue
church since that memorable morning
when the Holy Spirit sanctioned the
Christlike pledge. Not even the bishop
and DIR. Bruce moving as they now did
in the very presence itself of divine inn
pulses, knew yet that over the whole
sinful city the Spirit was brooding with
mighty eagerness. waiting for the dis
ciples TO arise to the call of sacrifice and
suffering, touching hearts long dull and
cold, making business men and money
makers uneasy in their absorption by
the one great struggle for more wealth
and stirring through the church as
never in all the city's history the church
had been moved. The bishop and DIR.
Bruce had already seen some wonderful
things in their brief life at the settle
ment. They were to see far greater
soon, more astonishing revelations of
the Divine power than they had sup
posed possible in this age of the world.
Within a month the saloon next the
settlement was closed. The saloon keep
err lease had expired, and Clayton not
only closed the property TO the whisky
men, but offered the use of the building
to the bishop and DR.. Bruce for the set
tlement work, which had new grown so
large that the building was not suffi-
cient for the different industries that
were planned. One of the most impor
tant of these was the pure food depart
ment suggested by Felicia. 1t was not
month after Clayton turned the saloon
property over to the settlement that
Felicia found herself installed in the
very room where souls had been lost as
head of department not only of cook
ing, but of course of housekeeping for
girls who wished TO go out TO service.
She was now resident of the settle
ment and found home with Mrs.
Bruce and the other young women from
the city who were residents. Martha,
where the bishop had first discovered
the two girls and came over to the set
tlement certain evenings to give lessons
in music.
Felicia. tell rs your plan in full
now, said the bishop one evening
when, in rare interval of rest from
the great pressure of work, he, with DIR.
Bruce and Felicia, had come in from
the other building.
"Well, have long thought of the
hired girl problem, said Felicia. with
an air of wisdom that made Mrs Bruce
smile as she looked at the enthusiastic,
vital beauty of this young girl, trans
formed into new creature by the
promise she had made TO live the Christ
like life, land / have reached certain
conclusions in regard to it that you
men are not yet able to fathom, but
Mrs. Bruce here will understand me-"
eve acknowledge our infancy, Fe-
licia. Go on, " said the bishop humbly.
"Then this is what | propose to do:
The old saloon building is large enough
to arrange into suit of rooms that
will represent an ordinary house. My
plan is to have il so arranged and then
teach housekeeping and cooking to girls
who will afterward go out to service.
The course will be six months long In
that time / will teach plain cooking,
neatness, quickness and love of good
work ="
Hold on, Felicial" the bishop inter
opted. "This is not an age of mira
Cies F"
"Then / will make it one, replied
Felicia. "I know this seems like an i'm
possibility but want to try it. know
score Of girls already who will take
the course, and if we can once establish
something like an esprit de corps among
the girls themselves / am sure it will
be Of great value to them. I know al
ready that the pure food is working q
revolution in many families .
Felicia, If you can accomplish half
Of what you propose to do, it will bless
this whole community" said Mrs.
Bruce II don't see how you can do it,