The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27


sympathy or comfort except from the
minister. who said he was sarry for
him. OF course, he understood that the
congregation could not go out of its
way to hunt up jobs for people like
him. He was not asking them to, but
what he felt puzzled about was, what
was meant by following Jesus" This
he asked persistently. He went on:
1T seems to me sometimes as if the
people in the city churches had good
clothes and nice houses to live in, and
money to spend for luxuries and could
that, while the people outside of the
churches thousands of them, I mean
die in tenements and walk the streets
for jobs, and never have a piano or a
picture in the house. and grow UP in
misery and drunkenness and SIM
The man gave a queer lurch over in
the direction of the communion table
and laid one grimy hand upon it. Then
he fell heavily forward on his face
full length up the aisle. They took him
into the parsonage.
The event created great sensation
in the parish. In his sermon on the
| following Sunday Mr.. Maxwell talked
| to the congregation about the remark
able scene of the week before, and an
| nounced that the printer had passed
away that morning.
| He went on to say that the appear
ance and words of this stranger had
made very powerful impression upon
him. What the man said compelled him
to ask. as he had never asked before:
What does following Jesus mean?"
He ended by calling for volunteers
from the First church who would
pledge themselves earnestly and hon.
estly for the entire year not to do any,
| thing without first asking the question::
What would Jesus do?" After asking
this question each should follow Jesus
exactly as he knew how, no matter
what the results might be. He asked
those of the congregation who were
willing to make this pledge to meet
him at the close of the service. This
proposition created a sensation. After
the service animated groups stood all
over the church discussing it.
When the minister walked over to
the lecture room he found about fifty
members present. Among them were
Rachel Winslow, the beautiful singer
in the choir: Virginia Page, an heiress
with a million; Edward Norman, editor
o4 Tho povr,opd no{l1y .peus-the Storv
is told of the town of Raymond-Don-
aid Marsh, president of the local col
| lege; Alexander Powers, the railroad
superintendent; Milton Wright, mer-
chant; Jasper Chase, a successful nov
elist and DR.. West. The minister,
much affected, opened the proceedings
with prayer, and then told them that
he felt so dissatisfied with his previous
definition of discipleship that he had
felt compelled to take this action. The
entire fifty took the pledge never to do
anything that they did not think Jesus
| would do.
Mr.. Maxwell had always preached
| religion in a most respectable manner
to those who were respectable. He had
| never mixed much with the horny
handed or the feloniously wicked. He
called upon Alexander Powers, the rail-
road superintendent, to find out how he
was getting on since he had agreed to
do only such things as Christ would
approve. He found that Powers had
fitted up large room in the railroad
shops and had provided a MONDAY
lunch and prayer meeting for the men.
and insisted upon Maxwell preaching
to them.
Mr.. Powers was In dilemma. 1t had
come to his knowledge that his COM
pany was engaged in systematic vio-
lation of the interstate commerce laws.
It was as distinct and unequivocal a
should enter house and rob its In
mates. He dropped the discriminating
papers on his desk as If they were
poison, and instantly the question
flashed across his mind. What would
Jesus DOR That night any one who
had looked into the superintendents
office would have seen an unusual sight
TOT SUcn place. FOWeTS was hNeeuUS
down, and his face was buried in his
hands, as he bowed his head upon the
papers in his desk.
Rachel winslow ard Virginia Page
were also bearing their crosses. Rachel.
whose magnificent voice was the won-
der of the city. received a letter from
the manger of a comic opera company
offering her a place with large trav-
cling company for the season as big
salary.
ITO tell the truth, Virginia" she said
to her friend. Il am completely con-
WINGED. in the first place. that Jesus
would never use any talent like a good
voice just to make money. I am asked
to go as one Of the company and sing
leading soprano. but don't feel salts
fed that Jesus would go. What do
you think?"
Virginia. who was living the life Of
millionairess, condemned herself for
being one Of the most wicked. selfish.
useless creatures in the world. She
could not imagine Jesus living the life
t1 SNyn