People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-03-01


/ his eye burned with the glow that
ways belonged to him before he made
ONE great resolve
Edward DR. Bruce spoke abrupt
VI have not yet been able to satisfy
myself, either, in obeying my promise,
but | have at last decided on my course
In order to follow it, | shall be obliged
to resign from Nazareth Avenue
church "
Il knew you would" replied the
bishop quietly, "and came in this
evening to say that l shall be obliged
to do the same with my charge"
DR.. Bruce TUNED and walked up to
his friend They were both laboring
under depressed excitement.
SIS it necessary in your casef" asked
Bruce.
eyes Let me state my reasons.
Probably they are the same as yours
In fact, | am sure they are. The
bishop paused moment, then went on
with increasing feeling;
calvin, you know how many years
! have been doing the work of my posi-
ton, and you know something of the
responsibility and the care of it. do
not mean to say that my life has been
free from burden bearing or sorrow,
but l have certainly led what the poor
and desperate of this sinful city would
call very comfOrtable-yes, very
luxurious-life. | have a beautiful
house to live in, the most expensive
food, clothing and physical pleasures. |
have been able to go abroad at least a
dozen times and have enjoyed for years
the beautiful cOmpaniOnship Of art and
letters and music and all the rest Of the
very best. | have never known what it
meant to be without money or its
equivalent, and | have been unable to
silence the question of late, What have
| suffered for the sake of Christi Paul
was told what great things he must
suffer for the sake of his Lord. Max
wells position at Raymond is well tax
en- when he insists that to walk in the
steps of Christ means to suffer. Where
has my suffering come in? The petty
trials and annOyances Of my clerical life
are not worth mentioning as sorrows or
suffering Compared with Paul or any
Of the Christian martyrs or early disci-
pies, l have lived a luxurious, sinful
life, full Of ease and pleasure. cannot
endure this any longer. | have that
within me which Of late rises in over
whelming condemnation Of such a fol
lowing of Jesus. l have not ben walk
ing in his steps. Under the present sys-
TEN of church and social life I see no
escape from this condemnation except
to give the rest of my life personally to
the actual physical and soul needs Of
the wretched people. in the worst part
of this city.
The bishop had risen now and walked
over to the window. The street in front
of the house was as light as day, and
he looked out at the crowds passing,
then turned, and, with a passionate ut
terance that showed how deep the vol
canic fire in him burned, he exclaimed
calvin, this is a terrible city in
which we live. Its misery, its sin, its
selfshness, appall my heart and have
struggled for years with the sickening
dread of the time when l should be
forced to leave the pleasant luxury Of
my official position to put my life into
contact with the modern paganism Of
this century. The awful condition Of
the girls in the great department stores,
the brutal selfshness of the insolent so
ciety, fashion and wealth that ignores
all the sorrows of the city, the fearful
curse of the drink and gambling hell,
the wall of the unemployed, the hatred
of the church by countless men who see
In the church only great piles of costly
stone and upholstered furniture and the
minister as a luxurious idler, all the
vast tumult Of this vast torrent Of hu'
mainly with its false and its true ideas,
its exsggerstion of evils in the church
and its bitterness and shame that are
the result of many complex causes-al
this as total fact, in its contrast with
the easy, comfortable life have lived
fills me more and more with a sense o.
mingled terror and self accusation.
have heard the words of Jesus many
times lately, Inasmuch as We did it moi
unto one Of these least, my brethren
We did it not to me And when have
personally visited the prisoner or thu
desperate or the sinful in any way thai
has actually caused me suffering
Rather | have followed the conven
tional, soft habits of my position ant
have lived in the society Of the rich
refined, aristocratic members of my con
gregations. Where has the suffering
come ini What have / suffered fol
Jesus sakeH Do you know, Calvin
the bishop turned abruptly toward hi
friend-'I have been tempted Of lat,
to lash myself with scourge If l ha(
lived in Martin Luther's time. would
have barred my back to self inflicted
torture"
Dr.. Bruce was very pale. Never ha(
he seen the bishop or heard him wheI
under the influence of such a passion
There was sudden silence in the room
The bishop had sat down again anC
bowed his head. DR. Bruce spoke at last
Edward, ! do not need to say tina
You have expressed my feelings also.
have been in a similar position fol
years Ny life has been one of compar
alive luxury. do not of course. meal