The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-14

SSNS"S'S'SNSN$"cSNSNS"S"SS
In this action Judge no other nA.n.s-
ters and pass no criticism on others
discipleship but feel as you do. Into
a closer contact with the sin and shame
and degradation Of this great city I
must como personally, and I know that
10 do that l must sever my immediate
connection with Nazareth Avenue
church. do not see any other way for
myself to suffer for his sake as feel
that ought to suffer-"
Again that sudden silence fell over
these two men. It was no ordinary ac-
tion they were deciding. They had both
reached the same conclusion by the
same reasoning. and they were too
thoughtful, too well accustomed to the
measuring OF conduct, to underestimate
the seriousness Of their position.
"What Is your planf'' The bishop at
last spoke gently. looking up with his
smile that always beautified his face
The bishops face grew in glory now
every day.
my plan. replied Dr.. Bruce slowly,
lis. in brief. the putting Of myself into
the center Of the greatest human need
I can find in this city and living there.
My wife is fully in accord with me.
We have already decided to find resi-
dence in that part Of the city where we
car make our personal lives count for
the most"
Let me suggest place" The bishop
was on fire now. His fine face actually
glowed with the enthusiasm of the
movement in which he and his friend
were inevitably embarked. He went on
and unfolded plan of such farreaching
power and possibility that Dr. Bruce,
capable and experienced as he was, felt
at the vision Of a greater soul
than his own.
They sat up late and were as eager
and even glad as il they were planning
for a trip together to some rare land of
unexplored travel Indeed the bishop
said many times afterward that the
his decision was reached to live
the life Of personal sacrifice he had
chosen he suddenly felt an uplifting, as
u great burden was taken from him.
He was exultant SO was DR.. Bruce
from the same cause.
Their plan as it finally grew into a
workable fact was in reality nothing
more than the renting of large build.
ing formerly used as warehouse for
brewery. reconstructing It ard living
In 1t themselves in the very heart of a
territory where the saloon ruled with
power. where the tenement was its
where vice and ignorance and
shame and poverty were congested into
hideods forms. 1t was not new idea.
It was an idea started by Jesus Christ
when he left his Fathers house and for
sook the riches that were his in order
TO get nearer humanity and, by becom-
Ing part OF its sin. help to draw hu-
manity apart from i:s sin. Tte univer-
sity settlement idea is not modern. 1t is
rs old cs Bethlehem and Nazareth. and
In this particular case it was the near
est approach to anything that would
satisfy the hunger Of these two men to
suffer for Christ There had sprung up
In them at the same time q longing that
to passion to get nearer the
great physical poverty and spiritual
Of the mighty city that
throbbed around them. How could they
DO this except as they became part
Of 1t. as nearly as one man can become
. part OF another's miseryP Where was
the suffering to come in unless there
was an actual self denial Of some sort?
And what was to make that self denial
apparent to then. elves or any one else
unless 1t took this concrete, actual, per-
sonal form Of tryins to share the deep
est suffering and sin of the citys
SO they reasoned for themselves, not
Judging others. They were simply keep
ing their own pledge to do as Jesus
would do. as they honestly judged he
would do That was what they had
promised How could they quarrel with
the resultf They were irresistibly COM
PEELED to do what they were planning
to do.
The bishop had money Of his own.
Every one in Chicago knew that tho
bishop had a handsome fortune. DR..
Bruce had acquired and saved by liter
ary work carried on in connection with
his parish duties more than comforta-
bic competence. This money, large
part OF 1t. the two friends agreed to put
at once into the work. most Of it into
the furnishing Of a settlement house.
Meanwhile Nazareth Avenue church
was experiencing something never
known before in all its history. The
simple appeal on the part of its pastor
to his members to do rs Jesus would do
had created a sensation that still con-
tinued. The result Of that appeal was
very much the same as in Henry Max
wells church in Raymond, only Naza-
reth Avenue church was far more aris-
tocratic, wealthy and conventional.
Nevertheless when one Sunday morn
ing in early summer DIR, Bruce came
into his pulpit and announced his resig-
nation the sensation deepened all over
the city. although DR.. Bruce had ad-
viSed with his hoard Of fr,Ieteos npd the