Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1900-11-18


 this whole community, said Mrs. Bruce. q don't see how you can do it. but say God bless youi' IS you try. :"
 t'So say we all" cried Dr. Bruce and the bishop, and Felicia plunged into the working out of her plan with the en- thusiasm of her discipleship, which ev- cry day grew more and more practical and serviceable.
 It must be said here that Felicia's plan succeeded beyond all expectations. l She developed wonderful powers of per suasion and taught her girls with aston l ishing rapidity to do all sorts of house. work. In time the graduates of Felieia's cooking school came to he priZed by housekeepers all over the city. But that is anticipating our story The history of the settlement has never yet been written. When it is Felicia's part will be found of very great importance.
 The depth of winter found Chicago pres~ntirg, as every great city of the world presents to the eyes Of Christen- dom that marked contrast between riches and poverty, between culture, refinement, luxury, ease and ignorance, depravity, destitution and the bitter struggle for bread. It was hard win ter, but q gay winter. Never had there been such a succession of parties, reeep- tions, balls, dinners. banenets, fetes, gayeties; never had the opera and the 1 theater been so crowded with fashion able audiences; never had there been such q lavish display of jewels and fine dresses and equipages, and. on the oth- CT hand, never had the deep want and suffering been so cruel. so sharp so murderous never had the winds blown so chilling over the lake and through the thin shells of tenements in the neighborhood of the settlements; never had tho pressure for food and fuel and clothes been so urgently thrust up against the people of the city in their mo5t importunate and ghastly form.
 Night after night the bishop and Dr. Bruce, with their helpers, went out and i helped to save men and women and children from the torture of physical privation. Vast quantities of food and l clcthing and large sums of money were l donated by the churches, the charitable societies, the civic authorities and the | benevolent associations, but the personal touch of the Christian disciple was very hard to secure for personal work Where was the diseipleship that was obeying the Masters command to go it. self to the suffering and give itself with its gift, in order to make the gift of value in time to come? The bishop 1 found his heart sink within him as he l faced this fact more than any other. Men would give money who would not think of giving themselves, and the money they gave did not represent any real sacrifice because they did not miss it. They gave what was the easiest to give what hurt them the least. Where did the sacrifice come in Was this fol lowing Jesus? Was this going with him all the way? He had been to many members of his own wealthy and aris tocratic congregation and was appalled, to find how few men and women of that luxurious class in the churches would really suffer any genuine inconvenience for the sake of suffering humanity.
 Is charity the giving of wornout gar ments Is 1t ten dollar bill given to paid visitor or secretary of some be- nevolent organization in the church Shall the man never go and give his gift himselff Shall the woman never deny herself her reception or her party or her musical and go and actually touch the foul, sinful sore of diseased humanity as it testers in the great mo- tropolis? Shall charity be conveniently and easily done through some organiza- tion2 Is it possible to organize the af | factions so that love shall work dis agreeable things by proxy
 All this the bishop asked as he plunged deeper into the sin and sorrow of that bitter winter He was bearing his cross with joy, but he burned and fought within over the shifting of personal love by the many upon the hearts of the few. And still, silently. powerfully, re- sistlessly, the Holy Spirit was moving through the church upon even the aris- tocratic, wealthy, ease loving members, who summed the terrors of the social problem as they would shun con tagious disease.
 This fact was impressed upon the bishop and the settlement workers in startling way one morning. Perhaps no 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 Dr. 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. It was an hour of relaxation There was a 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 iii spite of the atmosphere of sorrow that constantly surrounded them. Tn fact. the bishop