The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-01-04

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the great pressure Of work, he with DR..
Bruce and Felicia. had come in from
| the other building.
"Well, 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 fatho,n, but
Mrs. Bruce here will understand Inc.
"We acknowledge our infancy. Fc-
licia. Go on" said the bishop humhly
''Then this is what l propose to 90 .
The old saloon building is large enough
to arrange into a 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
that time I will teach plain cooking,
neatness. quickness and a love Of good
work. 4"
"Hold on, Feliciai" the bishop inter
rupted. "This is not an age Of mira
cles."
"Then I will make It one" replied
Felicia. "I know this seems like an i'm
possibility, but want to try it I know
score of girls already who will take
the course, and if we can once establish
something like an esprit de corps among
the girls themselves I am sure 1t will
be of great value to them. know al
Ready that the pure food is working .
revolution in many families.
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 your 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 &
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 the bitter
struggle for bread. 1t was hard win
ter, but gay winter. Never had there
been such succession Of parties, recep-
tions, balls, dinners, banquets, fetes,
gayeties; never had the opera and the
'theater been so crowded with fashion
aDle arT""si yc~er. -psA 'rnesS ocrn
such a 4. sh display Vt jewels and fine
dresses AM equipages, and, on the 9th
er hand. p'ver had the decsD w.ht and
suffering 'een 30 cruel, so sharp. so
murderous never had the winds blown
so chilling over the lake and through
the thin shells OF tenements in the
neighborh0d of the settlement; never
had the prssure for food and fuel and
clothes ben so urgently thrust IN
against the people of thecitt in thgir
most importunate and ghastly form.
Night after night the bishop and DR.
Bruce, with their helpers, went out ant
helped to save men and women ant
children from the torSure of physica
privation. Vast quantities Of food ant
clothing and large sums Of money were
donated by the clnurches the charitable
societie. tho, civic authorities and thu
benevolent associations, but the persona
touch Of the Christian disciple was very
hard to secure for personal work
Where was the discipleship that wa,
obeying the Masters command to 90 it
self to the suffering and give itself with
its gift, in order to make the gift o.
value in. time to comet The bishop
found his heart sink within him as hi
faced this fact more than any other
Men would give money who would MOI
think Of giving themselves, and th'
money they gave did not represent any
real sacrifice because they did not mis-
it. They gave what was the easiest Il
give. what hurt them the least Wher'
did the sacrifice come inf Was this fol
lowing Jesuss Was this going will
him all the wayf He had been to man,
members of his own wealthy and aris
tocratic congregation and was appalled,
to find how few men and women Of tina
luxurious class in the churches woult
really suffer any genuine Inconvenience
for the sake Of suffering humanity.
Is charity the giving Of wornout gar
mentsf Is it ten dollar bill given to
paid visitor or secretary Of some be
nevolent organization in the church
Shall the man never go and give hi