Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-05-02

volcano was a downy little bed Of roses
for it to go to sleep in whenever it
wearies Of the pleasure and wishes to
retire to happy dreams. Oh, but the
bubble will burst one Of these days,
and them
Philip swept his hand upward with a
fine gesture and sank back upon the
couch, grooming.
Don't you exaggerateT' The min
sters wife put the question gently.
''Not bit! Not bit! All true. l
am not one Of the French revolution
fellows, always Juggling in blood and
destruction and prophesy&ng ruin to
the nation Xnd the world it it doesn't
gee and haw the way like it to. But
tell you, Sarah, It takes no prophet
to see that a man who is hungry and
out of work is a dangerous man to
have around. And it takes no extraor-
binary sized heart to swell little with
righteous wrath when In such times as
these people go right on with their use
less luxuries of living and spend as
much on a single evenings entertain
ment as would provide a comfortable
living for whole month to some de-
serving family"
How do you know they doY
"Well. I'll tell you. I've figured it
out. l will leave it to any one of good
judgment that any one Of these project
ed parties mentioned here in the evening
paper"-Philip smoothed the paper on
the head Of the couch-'any one Of
them will cost in the neighborhood Of
$500 to $3.50. Look here! Here's the
Goldens' party-members of Calvary
church. They will spend at least $25
will cost $50 more, and music another
$25 and incidentals $25 extra. and so
on. Is that right, Sarah, these times,
and as people ought to live now?"
''But some one gets the benefit of all
this money spent. Surely that Is q
help to some Of the working people,"
Eyes. but how many people are help
ed by such expenditures? Only a Sc
lect few. and they are the very ones
who are least in need Of 1t. say
that Christian people and members Of
churches have no right to indulge their
selfish pleasures to this extent in these
ways. know that Christ would not
approve of it."
'You think he would not, Philip?'
mo, know he would not. There is
not particle of doubt in my mind
about it. What right has a disciple Of
Jesus Christ to spend for the gratifica-
ton of his physical aesthetic pleasures
money which ought to be feeding the
hungry bodies of men or providing
some useful necessary labor for their
activity? l mean, of course, the graft
fication Of those senses which a man
can live without. In this age of the
world society ought to dispense with
some of it's accustomed pleasures and
deny itself for the sake Of the great
suffering, needy world. Instead Of
that, the members of the very church
of Christ on earth spend more in sin
gle evenings entertainment for people
who don't need it than they give to the
salvation of men in whole year. l
protest out of the soul that God gave
me against such wicked seltishncss.
And l will protest if society spurn
me from it Us bigot. Il Puritan and 4
boor For society in Christian Ameri-
ca is not Christian in this nlatter-no.
not after the Christianity of Christi
What can you do about it. phlip?'
His wife asked the question sadly
She had grown old fast since coming
to Milton, and presentilnent Of evi.
would, in spite of her naturally CHEEKY
disposition, cling to her whenever she
considered Philip and his work.
II can preach on it. and | will"
"Be wise, Philip. You tread on diff.
icult ground when you enter society's
~ealn.'
well, dear, | will be as wise as q
serpent and harmless as dove. al.
though l must confess never knew