Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-01

had almost reached the end of it when |
a person whose name was called last |
rose from his seat near the front, !
where all the newly received members |
were III the habit of sitting together. |
and, turning partly around 50 rs to !
face the congregation and still address
Philip. Inc said:
Mr. Strong, / do not feel as if, after
what has taken place here this morn.
ing. | could unite with this church.
This man who has been excluded from
church membership is the son Of wo.
man born into slavery on the estate Of
one Of my relatives. That slave wo.
man once nurscd her master through
a terrible illness and saved his life.
This man. her son. was then little
child. But in the strange changes that
have gone on since the war the son Of
the old master has been reduced Ia
poverty and obliged to work for liv.
ing. lie is now in this town. He isI
this very day lying upon sick bed in
the tenement district. And this black
man has for several weeks out Of his
small earnings helped the son of his
mothers master and cared for him
through his illness with all the dcvo.
ton of a friend.
II have only lately learned these
facts. But, knowing them aS ! do and
believing that he is as worthy to sit
about this table as any Christian hero,
| cannot reconcile the rejection with
my own purpose to unite here.
therefore desire TO withdraw my ap.
plication for membership here. Mr..
Strong, | desire to be baptized and par.
take of the communion as a disciple OF
Christ simply, not as a member of Cal.
vary church. Can do 500"
Philip replied in choking voice,
"You can" The man sat down. It
was not the place for any dcmonstra.
ton, but again from the gallery came
a slight but distinct note of applause.
As before, it instantly subsidized as
Philip looked up. For a moment ev-
cry one held his breath and waited
for the minister's action Philips face
was pale and stern. What his Spns-
tive nature suffered in that moment
no one ever knew, not even his wife.
who almost started from her seat.
fearing that he was about to faint.
For moment there was hesitation
about Philips manner so unusual with
him that some thought he was going to
leave the church. But lac quickly call
ed on his will to assert its power. aud,
taking up the regular communion Scrv-
ice. he calmly took charge of it as if
nothing out of the way had occurred.
He did not even alludc to the morn
ing'S incident in his prayers Whatever
else the people might think Of Philip
they certainly could find no fault with
his self possession. His conduct Of the
service on that memorable Sunday was
admirable.
When it was over, he was surround
ed 10y different ones who had taken
part either for or against the sexton.
There was much said about the matter.
But all til" arguments and excuses and
comments on tie affair could not re-
move the heartache from Philip. He
could not reconcile the action Of the
church with the spirit Of the church's
Master, Jesus. and when he finally
reached home and calmly reviewed the
events of the morning he was more
and more Crieved for the church and
for his Master 1t seemed to him that
a great mistake had been made and
that Calvary church had disGraccd the
name of Christianity.
As he had been in the habit Of doing
since he moved into the noighbOrhOOd
of the tencments Philip went out in
the afternoon to visit the sick and the
sorrowful The shutting down Of the
mills had resulted in an iMm n'c
amount Of suffering and trouble. rs
spring came on some few Of the mills
had opened. and men had found work
in them ut a reduction Of wages. The
entire history of the enforced iIloucSS
of thousands of men in Milton during
that cventful winter would make Il
large volume of thrilling narrative.
PhilipS story but touches on this 9TH
er. lie had grown rapidly familiar
with the different phases of life which
loafed and idlcd and drank itself away
during that period Of inactiOn. Hun
dreds Of men had driftcd away to 9th
err places in search of work. Almost rs
many more had taken To the road to
swell the ever increasing number Of
professional tramps and in time 10 de-
vclop into petty thieves and criminals.
But those who remained had despcr-
ate struggle with poverty Philip grew
sick AT heart as he went among the
people and saw the complete helpless
ness. the utter eStraugcment of Sympa-
thy and community of feeling between
the church people and these reprcSCut-
atives Of the physical labor Of the
world. Every time he went out to do
his visiting this feeling decpencd in
him. This Sunday afternoon in partic-
ular ii seemed to him as if the dcpre~-
sion and disbursement Of the tene-
mcnt district weighed on him like a
great burden beating him down 10 the
earth with sorrow and hcartachc.
He had been in the habit of going
out To communion sunday with the
emblemS of Christ To observe the rit"
by the bedSilcS Of the aged or in or
those who could not get out to church.
He carried with him this time n basket
containing a par. of the communion
service. After going to the homes of
one or two invalid church members he
thought of the person who had been
mentioned by the man in the morlIug