Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-02-22

church since that memorable morning
when the Holy Spirit sanctioned the
Christlike pledge Not even the bishop
and DR. Bruce. moving as they now did
/ in the very presence itself Of divine i'm.
pulses knew yet that over the whole
/ sinful city the Spirit was brooding with
/ mighty eagerness, waiting for the dis
( ciples to arise to the call of sacrifice and
suffering. touching hearts long dull and
cold. making business men and money
( makers uneasy in their absorption by
! the one great struggle foc more wealth
and stirring through the church as
never in all the city S history the church
I had been moved The bishop and DR.
/ Bruce had already seen some wonderful
I things in their brief life at the settle
ment They were TO see far greater
I soon. more astonishing revelations of
! the Divine power than they had sup
] posed possible in this age of the world
Within month the saloon next the
settlement was closed The saloon keep
| er's lease had expired. and Clayton not
/ only closed the property to the whisky
| men but offered the use of the building
to the bishop and DR.. Bruce for the set
| tlement work. which had now grown SO
large that the building was not suffi
cient for the different industries that
! were planned One of the most impor
tant of these was the pure food depart
ment suggested by Felicia 1t was not
a month after Clayton turned the saloon
| property over to the settlement that
| Felicia found herself installed in the
very room where souls had been lost as
head of department not only of cook
ing. but of course of housekeeping for
! girls who wished to go out to service
| She was now resident of the settle
| ment and found a home with Mrs
Bruce and the other young women from
the city who were residents Martha.
the violinist, remained at the place
where the bishop had first discovered
the two girls and came over to the set
tlement certain evenings to give lessons
in music
Felicia, tell us your plan in full
now, said the bishop one evening
when. in rare interval of rest from
| the great pressure of work. he, with DR.
| Bruce and Felicia. had come in from
| the other building.
"Wsll. have long thought of the
hired girl problem, said Felicia, with
| an air of wisdom that made Mrs Bruce
| smile as she looked at the enthusiastic
vital beauty of this young girl, trans
formed into new creature by the
promise she had made to live the Christ
| like life. land | have reached certain
conclusions in regard to it that you
men are not yet able to fathom. but
Mrs Bruce here will understand me.
"We acknowledge our infancy, Fe
Gcia. Go on. said the bishop humbly
"Then this is what / propose to do
The old saloon building is large enough
to arrange into suit of rooms that
will represent an ordinary house My
plan is to have it so arranged and then
teach housekeeping and cooking to girls
who will afterward go out to service
The course will be six months long. In
ihat time | VIII teach plain cooking,
neatness. quickness and love of good
work. ;"
"Hold on, Felicia - the bishop inter
rupted "This is not an age of mira
cles "
"Then | will make it one, replied
Felicia. ~ know this seems like an inn
possibility but want TO try it. l know
O score of girls already who will take
the course. and If we can once establish
somethiur like an esprit de corps among
the girls themselves ! am sure it will
be of great value to them. know al
ready that the pure food is working
fnxx
Felicia, if you can accomplish half
of what you propose to do, it will bless
this whole community, said Mrs
Bruce 81 don't see how you can do it.
but say God bless you' as you try.
$50 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
1t must be said here that Felicia's
plan succeeded beyond all expectations
She developed wonderful powers of per-
suasion and taught her girls with aston
ishing rapidity to do all sorts of house
work In time the graduates of Felicia's
cooking school came to be priced 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
presenting. 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 tho bitter
struggle for bread. 1t was hard win
ter. but a gay winter. Never had there
been such succession Of parties. recep-
tions, balls, dinners, banquets, fetes,
gnyeties: never had the opera and tho
tlieater been so crowded with fashion
able audiences; never had there been
such lavish display Of jewels and fine
dresses and equipages, and on the 9th
or hand, never had the deep want and
suffering been 80 cruel, so sharp. so
murderous; never had the winds blown
10 chilling over the lake and through
the thin shells Of tenements in the
neighborhood Of the settlement; never
had tho pressure for food and fuel and
clothes been so urgently thrust up
against the people of the city in their
most importunate and ghastly form.
Night after night the bishop and DR.
Bruce with their helpers, went out and
helped to save men and women and
children from the torture Of physical
privation Vast quantities of food and
clothing and large sums OF money were
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 tho discipleship 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 comet Tho bishop |
found his heart sink within him rs no /
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 |
il They gave what was the easiest to i
give. what hurt them the least Where /
did tho sacrifice come inH Was this fol
lowing Jesus2 Was this going with i
him all the way1 He had been 10 many /
members of his own wealthy and aris- /
tocratic congregation and was appalled,
TO find how few men and women of that L
luxurious class in the churches would /
rnu1ly an flor my cypnt1ino Inconvenience l