Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-02-08
No 6

an emotion he made no attempt To com
ceal or subdue. Thank God for it. !
prize your fellowship more than any
mans | have always known what it
meant, though it has always been more
! than | deserve.
The bishop looked affectionately Mt
his friend. but the shadow still rested
on his face After pause he spoke
again
1.-The new discipleship means crisis
for you in Your work. If you keep this
pledge TO do all things as Jesus would
do as know you viii. it requires no
prophet to predict some remarkable
changes in your parish" The bishop
looked wistfully at Bruce and then con-
tinued I'm fact, do not see how a
perfect upheaval of Christianity as we
now know it can be prevented if the
ministry and churches generally take
the Raymond pledge and live it out. y
He paused as if he We're waiting for his
friend to say something, to ask some
question, but Bruce did not know of
the fire that was burning in the bishops
heart over the very question that Max
well and himself had fought out
Now. in my church. for instance"
continued the bishop, lit would be
rather u difficult matter, ! fear, to find
very many people who would take a
pledge like that and live up to it Mar
tyrdom is Il lost art with us. Our Chris
tianity loves its ease and comfort too
well to take up anything so rough and
heavy as a cross, and yet what does fol-
lowing Jesus mean2 What is it to walk
in his steps
The bishop was soliloquizing now,
and it is doubtful if he thought for the
moment of his friends presence. For
the first time there flashed into Bruces
mind a suspicion of the truth. What if
the bishop should throw the weight0f
his great influence ON the side Of the
Raymond movement He had the fol-
lowing of the most aristocratic, wealthy,
fashionable people not only in Chicago,
but in several large cities. What if the
bishop should join this new discipleshipi
The thought was about to be followed
by the word. DR.. Bruce had reached
out his hand and. with the familiarity
of lifelong friendship, had placed it on
ask him very important question
when they were both startled by the
violent ringing of the bell. Mrs. Bruce
had gone to the door and was talking
with some one in the hall. There was
loud exclamation, and then, as the
bishop rose and DIR. Bruce was stepping
toward the curtain that hung before
the entrance to the parlor, Mrs. Bruce
pushed it aside Her face was white.
and she was trembling
''Oh, Calvinl Such terrible news
Mr.. Sterling-oh, cannot tell it'll What
a fearful blow to those two girls''
"What is it?' Dr. Bruce advanced
with the bishop into the hall and con-
fronted the messenger, servant from
the Sterlings. The man was without
his hat and had evidently run over with
the news, as the doctor lived nearest of
any friends of the family.
''Mr Sterling shot himself, sir.
few minutes ago He killed himself
in his bedrooml Mrs Sterling
81 will go right over. Edward DR.
Bruce turned to the bishop-"will you
go with me2 The Sterlings are old
friends of yours. >
The bishop was very pale, but calm,
as always. He looked his friend in the
face and answered: "Aye, Calvin.
will go with you. not only to this house
of death, but also the whole way of hu
man sin and sorrow, please God. =
And even in that moment of horror
at the unexpected news Calvin Bruce
understood what the bishop had prom
ised to do.