Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1900-09-09
CHAPTER U
By Charles N. Sheldon.

, It was Friday morning, and the Rev Henry Maxwell was trying to finish his s7aday morning sermon. Re had been Interrupted several times and was growing nervous as the morning wore away and the sermon grew very slowly toward satisfactory finish,
 Mary, he called to his wife as he went up stairs after the last interrup tien, Eff any one comes after this l wish you would say that 1 an very busy and cannot come dowo unless it Is something very important.
 ssYes, Henry. Butt a1a going ove-1 to visit the kindergarten, and you will have the house all to yourself ;"
 The minister went up into his study and shut the door. In a few minutes he heard his wife go out.
 He settled himself at his desk with sigh of relief and began to write. His text was from I Peter ii. 21.
 '.For hereunto were ye called; be- cause Christ also suffered for you, leav ing yon an example. that ye should fol- low his steps.
 He had emphasized in the first part of his sermon the atonement as a per sona1 sacrifice. calling attention to the fact of Jesus suffering in various ways, iuhis life as well as in his death. lie Hld gone on to emphasize the atone ment from the side of example, giving illustrations from the life and teaching of Jesus to show how faith in the Christ helped to save men because of the pat tern or character he displayed for their imitation. He was now on the third and last point the necessity of follow ing Jesus in his sacrifice and example.
 He had just put down ''(3) Steps what are they r and was about to enumerate them in logical order when the bell rang sharply. It was one of those clockwork bells and always went off as a clock might go if it tried to strike 12 all at once.
 Henry Maxwell sat at his desk and 5 frowned little He made no move n1ent to answer the bell. Very soon it rang again. Then he rose and walked over to one of his windows. which com manded 8 view of the front door
 A man was standing on the steps He was a young man very shabbily dressed.
 Looks like 8 tramp. said the min ister. esI suppose I'll have to go down, and =
 He did not finish the sentence. but went down stairs and opened the, front door,
 There was a moments pause as the two msn stood facing each other. Then ssas,a shabby looking young man said
 I m out of job, sir, and thought maybe you might put ne in the way of getting something.
 T don't know of anything. Jobs are scarce, replied tie minister, begin ming to shut the deor slowly.
 ''I didn't know but you might per haps be able to give me line to the city railway or superintendent of the shops or something. continued the young man. shifting his faded hat from one hand to the other neryously.
 'sIt would be of no use. You will have to excuse me. I am very busy this morning. I hope you will find some thing. Sorry cant give you some thing to do here But 1 keep only & horse and COW and do the work my self '
 The Rev Henry Maxwell closed the door and heard the man walk down the steps, As he went up into his study he saw from his hall window that the man was going slowly down the street, still holding his hat between his hands. There was something in the figure so : dejected, homeless and forsaken that MuAe minister hesitated moment as he 'pec)ood looking at it. Then he turned to i, his desk and with. sigh began the writing where he had left off.
 He had no more interruptions, and e when his wife came in two hours later the sermon was finished, and the loose leaves were gathered up and neatly tied together and laid on his Bible, all ready for the Sunday morning service
 "A queer thing happened at the kin dergarten this morning, Henry, said his wife while they were eating dinner. You know, 1 went over with Mrs. Brown to visit the school and just aft CT the games, while the children were at the tables. the door opened, and young man came in, holding a dirty nat in both hands Ee sat down near the door and never said word, only looked at the children He was evident ly tramp, and Miss Wren and her as- Slstant. Miss Kyle, were q little fright ened at first, but he sat there very quietly, and after a few minutes he went out
 Perhaps he was tired and wanted to rest somewhere. The same man called here. ] think. D3d you say he locked like q tramp2
 ! Yes, very dusty, shabby and gener- ally tranplike more than 30 or B years old, l should say.
 The same man, said the Rev Henry Maxwell thoughtfully.
 aDld you finish your sermon. Ten-