Willmar tribune., 1900-02-28

"I an conUtnced that must go to Mil
affairs, and so was at liberty to accept a call
elsewhere. must confess the call from Milton
was surprise to me. have never been there
(you know do not believe in candidating for
place.. and SO ] suppose their church committee
came up here to listen to me. Two years ago
nothing would have induced me to go to Milton.
Today it seems perfectly clear that the Lord says
to me, 60" You know my natural inclination
is toward u quiet, scholarly pastorate. Well,
Milton is, as YOU know, noisy, dirty, manufac-
turning town, full of workingmcn, cursed with
saloons and black with coal smoke and unwashed
humanity. The church is quite strong in member
ship. The Year Book gives it 500 members last
year, and it is composed almost entirely OF the
leading families in the place. What can do in
such church remains to be seen. My prede-
cessor there, Dr. Brown, was profound sermon
izer and generally liked, | believe lie was a
man OF the old school and made attempt, l
understand. to bring the church into contact with
the masses. You will say that such church is
poor place in which to attempt different work.
| do not necessarily think so. Tile church of
Christ is in ITSELF believe, powerful engine to
set in motion against all evil. have great faith
in the membership of almost any church in this
country to accomplish wonderful things for hui
manity. and | am going to Milton with that
faith very strong in me. l feel as if very great
work could be done there. Think of it, Alfred!
town Of $4,000 workingmcn, half of them for
eigners town with more than 60 saloons in full
blast, town with churches of many differ
ent denominations all situated street and
that street the most fashionable in the place, a
town where the police records show an amount OF
crime and depravity almost unparalleled in mu-
ncipal annas-surely such place presents an
opportunity for the true church of Christ to do
some splendid work. hope do not overestimate
the needs of the place. I have known the general
condition of things in Milton ever since you and
I did work in the neighboring town
of Clifton. If ever there missionary ground
in America it is there. I cannot understand Just
why the call comes to me to go to place and
take up work that in many ways is so dstasteful
to In sense shrink from it with SEN
sitiveness which no except my wife and you
could understand. You know what an almost
ridiculous excess of sensibiity I have. 1t seems
sometimes impossible for to do the work that
the active ministry of this age demands of
man. 1t almost kills me to know that am criti-
clsed for all that say and do. And yet know
that the ministry will always be the target for
criticism. ! have an almost morbid shrinking
from the thought that people do not like me,
that ! am not loved by everybody, and yet
know that ii | speak the truth in my preaching,
and speak it without regard to consequences some
is sure to become offended and in the end
dislike me- / think God never made man with
intense craving for the love OF his fellow
possess, and yet ! am conscious that
cannot make myself understood by very many
people. They will always say, How cold and un-
approachablc he is!' when in reality love them
with warnings of heart. Now, then, am going
to Milton with all this complex thought of N.Y.
self, and yet, dear chum. there is not the least
doubt after all that I ought to 60. | hope that
in the rush of the work there ! shall be able to
forget myself, and then the work will stand out
prominent it ought. With all my doubts of
%ba ;elo ,f
the ministry. have very positive assurance as
l work that am doing what ought to do. And
what can man ask more? I am not dissatisfied
with the ministry, only with my action with
in it. 1t is the noblcst Of all professions. I feel
proud of it every day. Only it is so great that it
makes man feel small when he steps inside.
Well, my wife is calling me down to tea. Let
me know what you do We shall move to Milton
next week. probably; so, if you write, direct
there. AS ever. your old chum.
PHILIP STRONG
1t was characteristic of Philip that
in this letter he said nothing about his
call to Elmdale and did not tell his COL
lege chum what salary was offered him
by the church at Milton. AS a matter
of fact. he really forgot all about every
thing, except the one important event
of his decision to go to Milton. He re-
garded it, and rightly so. as the most
serious step of his life, and while he
had apparently decided the matter very
quickly it was, in reality, the result OF
deep conviction that he ought to go.
He was in the habit of making his de-
,isions rapidly. This habit sometimes
led him into embarrassing mistakes
and once in great while resulted in
humiliating reversals Of opinion, so
that people who did not know him
thought he was tickle and changeable.
In the present case Philip acted with
his customary quiclness and knew
very we'll that his action was unalter-
able.
CHAPTER II.
Within week Philip Strong had
moved to Milton, as the church wished
him to occupy the pulpit at once. The
parsonage was we'll planned house
vt tl,n A1r, 1~$~ e.