The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-01-11
scoNTINuED.l


This fact was. impressed upon the
bishop and the settlement workers in q
startling way one morning. Perhaps nc
one incident that winter shows more
plainly how much of momentum had
already grown out of the movement of
Nazareth Avenue church and the action
of DIR. Bruce and the bishop that fol-
lowed the pledge to do as Jesus would do
The breakfast hour at the settlement
was the one hour in the day when the
whole resident family found little
breathing space to fellowship together
1t was an hour of relaxation. There
was great deal of good natured re-
partee and much real wit and enjoyable
fun at this hour The bishop told his
best stories. DR.. Bruce was at his best
in anecdote. This company of disciples
was healthily humorous in spite of the
atmosphere of sorrow that constantly
surrounded them. In fact. the bishop
often said that the faculty of humor
was as God given. as any other. and in
his own case it was the only safety
valve he had for the tremendous press
ure put upon him.
This particular morning the bishop
was reading extracts from q morning
paper for the benefit of the others Sud-
denly he paused, and his face instantly
grew stern and sad The rest looked
>, and hush fell over the table.
"Shot and killed while taking lump
4 coal from car His family was
freezing, and he had had no work for
Z months. His six children and wife
packed into a cabin with three
Bu.ms on the west side. One child wrap
to Il in rags in closet"
These were headlines that the bishop
I'd slowly. He then went on and read
tow, detailed account of the shooting and
RE, visit of the reporter to the tenement
iere the family lived
He finished. and there was silence
M ound the table. The humor Of the
Pour was swept out Of existence by this
1t of human tragedy. The great city
Jared about the settlement. The awful
haarrent Of human life was flowing in q
dareat stream past the settlement hcuse,
ind those wtc !hssi work were hurrying
TO In vast throng, but ~ '"ands
wefe going down ir that
Current. clutch . ing,
literally iE 'ause
the boon Of pL. MED
them.
There were various commen. Al the
part of the residents. One Of the new
corners, q young man preparing for the
.'i,Inistry, said: ''Why didn't the man
pply to one Of the charity organiza-
ons for help or to the cityf 1t certain
IRA Is not true that. even at its worst,
M$is city full Of Christian people would
pahowingly allow any one to go without
Sod or fuel"
"No; don't believe that it would,
ancplied DR.. Bruce. "But we don't know
Pa.e history Of that mans case. He may
r,,,ve asked for help 30 often before that
'aally, in moment Of desperation, he
1termined to help himself. I have
bown such cases this winter"
P""l "That is not the terrible fact in this
OH kse." said the bishop. 1.-THE awful
hehing about it is the fact that the man
ad not had any work for six months I"
"Why don't such people go ont into
: the countryf" ssked the divinity stu
ldent.
Some one at the table who had made
special study Of the opportunities for
work in the country answered the ques-
tion. According to the Investigator, the
places that were possible for work in
the country were exceedingly few for
steady employment, and in almost ev-
cry case they were offered only to men
without families. Suppose mans wife
and children were i'll. How could he
move or get into the countryf How
could he pay even the meager sum nec-
essary to move his few goods? There
were q thousand reasons probably why
this particular man did not go else
where
Meanwhile there are the wife and
children" said Mrs. Bruce. "How aw-
full Where is the place, did you sayf"
The bishop took up the paper.
"Why, it's only three blocks from
neI6 1nlS lS tne fonrOB6 QlSIrlcG. 1 De-
lieve Penrose himself owns half Of the
houses in that block They are among
the worst houses in this part Of the
city. and Penrose is a church member I"
eyes; he belongs to the Nazareth Av-
enue church." replied DR.. Bruce in a
low voice.
The bishop rose from the table the
very figure of divine wrath. He had
opened his lips to say what seldom
came from him in the way of denuncia-
tion when the bell rang and one of the
residents went to the door.
"Tell DR.. Bruce and the bishop I
want to see them. Penrose is the name
Clarence Penrose. DR.. Bruce knows
< me-"
The family at the breakfast table
heard every word. The bishop exchanged
significant look with DIR. Bruce, and
the two men instantly left the table
and went ont into the hall